The Digital Dependence Index 2.0 project is a one-year collaboration between the  Vodafone Institute and the University of Bonn /  CASSIS. Through this partnership, our goal is to offer novel insights into the development of Europe’s digital capabilities and to pinpoint the implications of these trends for the continent's economic and political autonomy. The new index constitutes a comprehensive update, data expansion, and methodological refinement of DDI 1.0, which now compares the digital dependencies of 51 countries regarding digital hardware, software, platforms, and intellectual property. The new DDI 2.0 website is due to launch in autumn 2026.

The collaboration will also result in the production of two policy briefs and a comprehensive and more in-depth policy study. The first policy brief examines Europe’s digital trade deficit and illustrates how hidden trade dependencies on the US and China undermine the effectiveness of current European digital policies. The second policy brief takes a forward-looking lens, examining Europe’s growing dependencies relating to foreign-supplied ICT patents and connectivity infrastructure. The series will conclude with a policy study presenting the Digital Dependence Index 2.0, alongside other approaches to mapping digital dependency. This will clarify the differences and similarities, providing a crucial, data-driven contribution to ascertaining key trade-offs and policy priorities for increasing Europe’s digital autonomy.

Digital trade trap? A wake-up call for theEU’s Digital Decade

Vodafone Institute und CASSIS, 30. March, 2026