The issue of public policies in the field of technology appears to lag behind in terms of documentation and well-developed proposals on the agendas of political parties. It is more often treated as an opportunity to attract investment from major technology giants under whatever terms are offered. The case of highly energy-intensive data centers spreading chaotically across the country without any meaningful return for the Greek economy is indicative. Alexis Tsipras, in his speech at the Economist conference, referred briefly to the need for technological upgrading and digital autonomy for Greece.
On this occasion, it is appropriate to note that a country’s digital sovereignty refers to the ability of its economy, state, and society as a whole to operate independently of external actors and major private interests in the digital sphere. This presupposes free access to, control over, and autonomy in digital infrastructures, data, and technologies. The speed at which the global economy is being transformed has created new prospects for the production and sharing of common resources, as well as new forms of labor organization through networks of peer producers/users. To strengthen digital sovereignty, one of the key priorities is the promotion of free and open-source software. This can initially be achieved by encouraging the use of open-source solutions within public services and organizations. The use of open-source software in the public sector can enhance independence from the commercial products of large corporations and provide transparency and accountability. Greece lags behind in these areas and lacks a strategic approach compared to other European countries. It is characteristic that, periodically and repeatedly, many millions of euros have been spent on Microsoft licenses, depriving other critical needs of resources, while perpetuating the country’s dependence on the products of major technology giants.
Part of public research funding could be directed toward applied research leading to the production of open technologies—“almost ready” products—for use by small and medium-sized enterprises, social and solidarity economy entities, and public enterprises. It is both irrational and unjust for public funding to result in the registration of intellectual property rights by private companies, thereby burdening citizens twice.
The development of open standards and their linkage to green public procurement can help create the necessary market for the absorption of open-technology products. Open technologies can support the initiatives of energy communities and accelerate the energy transition.
The development of open resources in education, technology, and culture—such as those institutionalized in Greece through the higher education law of 2017—could become the central axis of educational policy, disseminating the work and know-how produced within the public education system to society and the productive fabric. Beyond strengthening cooperative relationships within the educational and research community, this approach also serves to link research with production under conditions of transparency and social accountability.
Within the context of the extensive digital transformation and its influence on every aspect of social and personal life, the protection of citizens’ privacy can only be ensured if it is understood as a collective common good of critical importance. Despite the efforts of the European Union, regulations such as personal data protection legislation (GDPR) remain insufficient, particularly at the national level of implementation. The protection of citizens’ privacy is constitutionally guaranteed, and ensuring the technological means to serve this purpose should be a core concern of government policy. To be more specific, the following constitute good practices already applied by other countries, also for reasons of national security:
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Development of a public, decentralized search engine.
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Contribution to the creation and maintenance of public distributions of free and open-source operating systems.
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Development of open technology for network terminal devices.
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Data centers under public control.