Europe’s Digital Defence – Sovereignty Demands Standards, Systems, and Courage

Between regulation and reality: Those who set the rules, secure the future

2025 is a defining year for Europe. The continent stands at a crossroads: Will it remain a consumer of global defence technology, or become a shaper of its own security ecosystem? Because digital sovereignty doesn’t begin in Brussels or in a white paper.

It begins inside the control unit – where decisions become movement, and systems become strategy.

Technology as strategic infrastructure

Autonomous vehicles. AI-driven targeting. Networked battlefield mobility. All of it hinges on one basic question: Who controls the control system?

• He who masters Drive-by-Wire defines mission logic.
• He who sets certification rules controls market access.
• He who builds the platforms ensures interoperability.

“We can no longer take peace for granted. Only by investing and innovating together can Europe secure its ability to defend itself.”
– Jiří Šedivý, Chief Executive, European Defence Agency (EDA), Annual Report 2024

From standards to sovereignty: Regulation is power

While the U.S. has FMVSS, the Pentagon has MIL-STD protocols, and China deploys state-controlled frameworks, Europe still lacks a unified approach to certifying autonomous systems.

But therein lies the opportunity: Companies like Arnold NextG already deliver certified, deployment-ready systems — such as the NX NextMotion platform:

• ASIL D (ISO 26262)
• SIL3 (IEC 61508)
• ISO 21434 Cybersecurity compliance
• ECE-compatible, TÜV-approved vehicle construction

This isn’t just engineering. It’s standard-setting in action — and it’s built in Germany.

A digital defence market is not a contradiction

The EU’s Defence Innovation Scheme, the APAS initiative (Autonomous Platform Architecture Standardisation), and the broader European Defence Industrial Strategy all point in one direction: Joint standards. Interoperable platforms. Independent certification. But strategy must be filled with substance:

• Without technical interface standards, cooperation stays fragmented
• Without regulatory pathways, dual-use remains a buzzword
• Without bold procurement, innovation stays in the lab

Arnold NextG is ready to lead this shift — with open interfaces, certified systems, and active collaboration across public and private sectors.

Sovereignty is not a state – it’s a process

Sovereignty doesn’t mean isolation. It means:

• Setting your own standards
• Controlling your own production
• Trusting your own platforms

It also means accepting responsibility — for safety, for quality, and for earning the trust of citizens in Europe’s ability to defend itself through its own digital capabilities.

Conclusion: The future is autonomous – but only if we define it

This blog series ends not with a piece of hardware, but with a principle: Modern defence is digital. It requires platforms like NX NextMotion — secure, modular, European. And it requires the political courage and technical excellence to push those platforms into action. Drive-by-Wire is more than a control system.

It is a symbol of a Europe that moves under its own power. Not steered from the outside — but steering itself.