Forrester’s 2027 European Predictions: Despite A Strong Desire To Regain Its Digital Sovereignty, Europe Will Selectively Reset, Not Sever, Key Technology Relationships

New AI sovereignty and platform governance rules will signal strategic intent but deliver limited near-term impact

According to Forrester’s (Nasdaq: FORR) 2027 European predictions, unveiled today at Forrester’s Technology & Innovation Forum EMEA, Europe will enter 2027 determined to recover its digital autonomy, but the gap between its ambition and control will widen. More than half of European companies embracing AI will reduce their dependence on US hyperscalers due to sovereignty concerns, moving their critical data and applications to European providers. A lack of end-to-end sovereign alternatives, however, will require consumers, companies, and policymakers to pursue selective digital autonomy, which consequently will reshape consumer behaviours, cloud choices, mobility, resilience, and trade strategy with China.

Forrester’s Predictions reports offer forward-looking insights into trends to help executives and their teams anticipate change, reduce uncertainty, and make confident decisions ahead of market shifts. Key highlights from the Europe 2027 predictions include:

• China will trigger manufacturing job losses before the EU levies 25% tariffs. China’s next export wave, led by electric vehicle batteries, solar components, and manufactured parts, will place increasing pressure on Europe’s industrial base, particularly in manufacturing-heavy economies such as Germany. European policymakers will respond with stronger tariffs and safeguards but not before competitive pressures result in job losses and market disruption.
• Chinese and American robotaxis will meet for the first time on Europe’s roads. Europe will become the first region where autonomous mobility services from major Chinese, US, and European providers compete side by side. Consumers will judge robotaxi providers primarily on convenience, cost, and service quality while policymakers and regulators navigate the geopolitical implications of autonomous transportation.
• A quarter of UK teens will embrace digital restraint to express their identity. Rather than measuring status through constant connectivity, young consumers will increasingly use digital abstinence as a signal of confidence, discipline, and self-expression. This shift will create new challenges and opportunities for brands seeking to engage younger audiences.

“Europe wants more control but not at the cost of isolation,” said Martin Gill, vice president and research director at Forrester. “In 2027, the organisations that succeed won’t chase sovereignty for its own sake. They’ll make deliberate choices about the capabilities that require greater control while recognising where flexibility creates greater value. The goal isn’t digital independence. It’s balancing control, resilience, innovation, and economic reality.”

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