India, Sept. 16 -- Winter is coming! Europe has paid an estimated €50 billion extra for fuel since the Strait of Hormuz crisis began, without buying a single extra barrel. That is a stark reminder of how exposed we are to volatile geopolitics. The less we depend on fuel we can't control, the safer we all are.

Digital technology is already part of the answer: it's what lets grids handle more renewable power without breaking down. Europe must equip grid operators to speed up the shift from imported fuel to home-grown power. It also needs to put 25% of the next EU budget into critical technologies.

At DIGITALEUROPE's Executive Board Strategy Days in Brussels, industry leaders called for one joined-up European response: cheaper home-g...