Fifteen Tech Giants Form Trusted Tech Alliance at Munich Security Conference

A New Coalition for Digital Trust

Fifteen of the world's largest technology companies have launched the Trusted Tech Alliance at the Munich Security Conference, forming a cross-border coalition aimed at establishing common standards for secure and transparent technology development.

Led by Microsoft and Ericsson, the alliance brings together companies spanning four continents, including Anthropic, Amazon Web Services, Cassava Technologies, Cohere, Google Cloud, Hanwha, Jio Platforms, Nokia, Nscale, NTT, Rapidus, Saab, and SAP.

Why Now?

The alliance arrives at a moment of growing tension between technological openness and national security concerns. Research from Gartner suggests that sixty-five percent of governments worldwide are expected to introduce technological sovereignty requirements by 2028. The European Union has been particularly active in pursuing digital sovereignty, with leaders noting the bloc's reliance on non-EU companies for more than eighty percent of its digital products, services, and infrastructure.

Five Core Principles

The founding members have committed to five operating principles: transparent corporate governance and ethical conduct; operational transparency with secure development and independent assessment; robust supply chain and security oversight; support for open and cooperative digital ecosystems; and respect for rule of law and data protection.

Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President of Microsoft, emphasised the need for like-minded companies to work together to protect security and advance high global standards, noting that the alliance is built not on the nationality of the provider but on shared commitments to customers.

Ericsson CEO Borje Ekholm reinforced this message, stating that no single company or country can build a secure and trusted digital stack alone, and that trust and security can only be achieved together.

AI and the Trust Challenge

The alliance also addresses growing concerns around artificial intelligence. Anthropic's Head of External Affairs Sarah Heck stated the coalition aims to ensure the world's most widely adopted AI models are safe, reliable, trustworthy, and transparently developed as these systems grow more powerful.

The Trusted Tech Alliance plans to expand its membership among global providers committed to advancing interoperable and open technology stacks while supporting national and international efforts to strengthen resilience and competitiveness.