Fifteen major technology companies from four continents announced the launch of the Trusted Tech Alliance on Friday at the Munich Security Conference. The alliance aims to set shared principles for digital trust amid growing global concern over technology sovereignty.
Microsoft and Ericsson are leading the initiative. The alliance brings together companies from Africa, Asia, Europe and North America and offers a common framework for the secure and transparent development of technology in areas such as connectivity, cloud infrastructure, semiconductors, software and artificial intelligence.
A cross-border response to digital nationalism
The alliance comes as governments around the world step up efforts to reduce their dependence on foreign technology suppliers.
According to Gartner research cited by Deloitte, around 65% of governments are expected to introduce technology-sovereignty requirements by 2028. The European Union in particular is pursuing digital sovereignty as a policy priority, and its leaders have voiced concern that the bloc relies on non-European companies for more than 80% of its digital products, services and infrastructure.
Brad Smith, vice chair and president of Microsoft, said: “In today’s geopolitical environment, it’s essential for like-minded companies to work together to protect security and promote high global standards so that trust in technology is preserved across borders. This alliance brings leading companies together around clear, verifiable principles that show technology can be secure, reliable and responsibly governed wherever it is deployed.”
Five core principles
The alliance’s founding members — including Anthropic, Amazon Web Services, Cassava Technologies, Cohere, Google Cloud, Hanwha, Jio Platforms, Nokia, Nscale, NTT, Rapidus, Saab and SAP — have committed to five operating principles:
- Transparent corporate governance and ethical conduct
- Operational transparency with secure development and independent assessment
- Robust supply-chain and security oversight
- Support for open, collaborative digital ecosystems
- Respect for the rule of law and data protection
Börje Ekholm, president and CEO of Ericsson, said: “No single company or country can build a secure and trusted digital stack alone. Trust and security can only be achieved through collaboration.”
Bridging the trust gap
The initiative seeks to offer an alternative framework as countries try to balance technological openness with security considerations. Sarah Heck, head of external affairs at Anthropic, highlighted the alliance’s AI dimension, saying its aim is to ensure that “the models used most widely around the world are safe, reliable, trustworthy and transparently developed”, especially as AI systems become increasingly powerful.
The alliance says it plans to expand its membership to other global providers committed to developing open, interoperable technology stacks, while supporting national and international efforts to strengthen resilience and competitiveness.
