Halfway through the Global Gateway’s initial phase of 300 billion euros in funding between 2021 and 2027, it is time to take stock of its development. Thus far, the focus has been on large, hard-infrastructure projects such as the Lobito Corridor. Pivoting Digital Global Gateway beyond infrastructure and development to sector-specific applications is crucial to enhance the relevance and recognition of Europe’s offers in partner countries. The Global Gateway’s Digital pillar is important for both economic growth and normative reasons, as it helps countries to reap the benefits of the digital transition and contributes to the spread of liberal norms such as openness, transparency and privacy in the digital domain.
This Policy Brief analyses the state of play and local needs on digital of three key partner countries: Indonesia, South Africa and India. These Global South nations stand out for their strong connectivity, vibrant digital economies and aspirations to move up the supply-chain ladder. Their technological development no longer requires mainly large, hard-infrastructure projects, but includes soft, sector-specific capabilities too. Europe competes with Chinese propositions and must reckon with the particularities of each of these countries’ relationship with China. South Africa, for instance, sees virtually no limits in its cooperation with China, while Indonesia’s strong emphasis on cost often drives it to Chinese offerings. Meanwhile, India’s contentious and restrained relationship with its big neighbour leaves greater space for engagement with Europe.
About the Authors
Alexandre Ferreira Gomes is a Research Fellow at Clingendael’s EU & Global Affairs Unit.
Maaike Okano-Heijmans is a senior research fellow at the Clingendael Institute, where she leads the ‘Geopolitics of Technology and Digitalisation’ programme. She is also a visiting lecturer at the University of Leiden, where she has been teaching on ‘Non-Western Diplomacy’ in the MSc in International Relations and Diplomacy (MIRD) since 2012.