---
id: "concept-digital-sovereignty"
type: "concept"
source_timestamps: ["§ Regulatory Divergence."]
tags: ["geopolitics", "cybersecurity", "infrastructure"]
related: ["entity-iran-war", "concept-regulatory-taxonomy"]
definition: "The treatment of critical digital infrastructure (cables, data centers, chips) as national security assets, driven by vulnerabilities exposed during geopolitical conflicts."
sources: ["futures"]
sourceVaultSlug: "hbr-seg-futures"
originDay: 2
articleStem: "hbr-foci-75-fragmenting-digital-economy"
sourceUrl: "https://hbr.org/2026/06/what-a-fragmenting-digital-economy-means-for-global-competition"
sourceTitle: "What a Fragmenting Digital Economy Means for Global Competition"
---
# Digital Sovereignty as Security Imperative

**Digital Sovereignty as a security imperative** is the policy shift whereby nations treat critical technological infrastructure — **undersea cables, cloud data centers, and semiconductor supply chains** — as matters of *national security* rather than mere economic assets.

The source ties this shift to geopolitical shocks, above all [[entity-iran-war]], which demonstrated that these infrastructures can be *targeted* and exposed severe vulnerabilities in global supply chains and energy chokepoints (the Strait of Hormuz).

This concept sits alongside the [[concept-regulatory-taxonomy]] as part of the broader theme of **regulatory divergence**.

Enrichment: aligns with the EU's Digital Sovereignty agenda (GAIA-X, data localization, NIS2 Directive) and Global Digital Compact discussions on cross-border data flows.


## Related across articles
- [[concept-new-ai-triad]]
- [[concept-geopolitical-ai-acceleration]]