During the World Economic Forum in Davos, Nicolas Ramseier, President of the Geneva Center for Neutrality (GCN), highlighted technological sovereignty as a defining strategic challenge for Switzerland in the 21st century.
Speaking at a panel hosted at the House of Switzerland, Ramseier emphasized that artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, and data are rapidly becoming core assets of global power. “Whoever controls computing capacity, data flows, and talent controls economic and political leverage,” he stated. “For Switzerland, technological dependence is no longer a technical issue—it is a geopolitical risk.”
Ramseier outlined three strategic priorities. First, infrastructure: Switzerland must be able to host and process critical data on its own territory, under Swiss law and democratic oversight. Sovereign cloud infrastructure, secure AI platforms, and resilient digital networks should be treated as strategic national assets, comparable to energy or finance.
Second, data: as a strategic resource driving competitiveness, security, and innovation, sensitive public and private data must remain under Swiss control. This requires clear legal frameworks, incentives, and strong public–private partnerships—aimed at strategic autonomy, not isolationism.
Third, talent and ecosystems: technological sovereignty depends on human capital. Switzerland must remain among the world’s most attractive destinations for engineers, researchers, and entrepreneurs, supported by world-class universities, flexible immigration for highly skilled professionals, access to capital, and close cooperation between academia, industry, and policymakers. Ramseier noted that Geneva, Zurich, and Lausanne could become pillars of a trusted and neutral global technology ecosystem.
He further underlined that Switzerland’s historical neutrality offers a unique opportunity to position the country as a neutral hub for digital infrastructure and technology governance. “In a fragmented world, a credible Swiss model of digital neutrality could provide trusted platforms and rules for global actors,”- Nicolas Ramseier, president of the Geneva Center for Neutrality said. “Technological sovereignty must become a strategic national priority. The question is not whether Switzerland can afford to invest in sovereign technology—but whether it can afford not to.”
In addition to this panel, Nicolas Ramseier participated in a side event organized by WISeKey, a leading Swiss-based global cybersecurity company specializing in digital identity, the Internet of Things, and blockchain technologies. There, he addressed the broader implications of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, noting that AI and automation are shifting value creation toward capital-intensive assets, placing structural pressure on labor income and challenging the social balance underpinning democratic legitimacy.
“As technology governance concentrates among those controlling infrastructure, compute, energy, and talent, inclusive growth and democratic trust are at risk. The key question is who sets the rules. For countries committed to neutrality and multilateralism, technological sovereignty means having the capacity to participate in global governance on equal terms—not isolation, but autonomy and resilience. Strengthening digital and AI infrastructure, energy coordination, and talent ecosystems enables democratic values, rule of law, and human-centric principles to shape emerging technologies. In an era where digital, physical, and biological domains converge, neutrality requires technological capacity. The Geneva Center for Neutrality (GCN) advocates a multilateral, inclusive approach: sovereign technological capabilities are essential to democratic stability and meaningful global governance” - the President of GCN is convinced.
