Understanding digital trends to guide your country's future
Today, a country's independence isn't just about trade or energy - it's about who controls the technology we use every day. Since 2021, the University of Bonn has developed the Digital Dependence Index (DDI) to measure how much countries around the world depend on imported digital technologies, including those from the world's leading technology powers- the United States and China.
Through a yearlong collaboration with the Vodafone Institute, we have expanded the index. The DDI turns complex tech relationships into clear, easy-to-compare data for over 50 countries from 2010 to 2023, helping nations, companies and individuals navigate the risks of relying too heavily on foreign technology.
Our data-driven approach
01 Adding nuance to sovereignty discussions
The DDI makes invisible structures visible by tracking the real-world tech layers that define a country's digital dependence. Data is organized around four key dimensions:
ICT goods
Our reliance on foreign technological hardware like semiconductors or computers
ICT services
Our reliance on foreign like cloud storage or telecommunications digital services
ICT platforms
Our reliance on foreign digital platforms like search engines or social media
ICT patents
Our reliance on foreign intellectual property for digital activities, production, and innovation
A country’s annual DDI score reflects its performance on each of these four dimensions and 23 related sub-indicators. Final DDI scores are available between 2010 and 2023 for 51 countries. Scores range from 0 to 1. The closer a country’s score is to 1, the higher its digital dependence. For more details, please see our recently published methodology policy study (PDF).
02 Identifying vulnerabilities to improve resilience
In a tech-driven world, a country's strength is defined by its digital backbone. Without clear data, nations are essentially “flying blind” about their capacity to navigate the digital world. DDI provides the evidence needed to address four critical risks:
Data Sovereignty
The risk of foreign surveillance and the lack control over your own citizens' data
The Economic “Lock-In”
The trap where switching from foreign tech providers to local suppliers becomes too expensive to bear
Strategic Leverage
Identifying exactly how to find a competitive edge between the two digital superpowers
De-Risking
Sectors make your country most vulnerable
03 Turning data into action
By bringing fragmented information together, the DDI highlights where a country is vulnerable and where it has the most influence.
Whether you're a policymaker, journalist, industry leader, researcher, or an engaged citizen, the DDI provides the facts you need to understand how digital dependencies affect countries worldwide and develop efficient, effective pathways towards a more autonomous and resilient digital future.
Research Team
Led by Professor Maximilian Mayer, our team brings together international experts in technology, geopolitics, economics and data analysis. Our profiles are diverse, spanning research, journalism, public policy and consulting in government and the private sector. We are based at the Center for Advanced Security, Strategic and Integration Studies (CASSIS) at the University of Bonn.
The updated DDI is the result of a yearlong collaboration with the Vodafone Institute, which has additionally produced two policy briefs exploring digital trade and ICT patents, a fact sheet on Europe's loss of leadership in digital connectivity and a policy study identifying strategic priorities in this realm.
Prof. Maximilian Mayer
Project lead
Maximilian is an expert on the intersection of global politics and technology. Before co-leading the DDI at CASSIS, he held professorships and senior fellowships in Shanghai, Ningbo, Beijing, and Munich. His extensive international experience drives the DDI's mission to map and understand how technological power and digital vulnerabilities shift across borders and regions.
PD Dr. Laura Mahrenbach
Senior researcher
Laura specializes in how digital systems and global power interact, with a focus on AI and big data in emerging markets. At DDI, she uses her consulting and academic experience on four continents to translate complex geopolitical shifts into clear, actionable insights for specialists and the public. Laura also serves as an adjunct professor at the Technical University of Munich and a non-resident fellow at the Quincy Institute.
Dr. Rogelio Madrueño Aguilar
Senior researcher
As an economist, Rogelio focuses on the intersection of international development and global governance. At DDI, he is responsible for securing and analyzing data to build the index, map technological vulnerabilities and help nations navigate toward digital autonomy. Rogelio has extensive research experience working at Spanish, British and German universities.
Yen-Chi Lu, MA
Research fellow
A specialist in international political economy, Yen-Chi is a doctoral candidate at the University of Bonn. In 2021, he co-led the project to develop the precursor to the DDI at CASSIS. He brings his vital expertise in the DDI’s methodological development, data curation, and data analysis to updating the index and analyzing the global technological competition.
Philip Nock, MA
Research fellow
Philip is a doctoral candidate at the University of Bonn, researching the politics of microelectronics. He previously served as a desk officer in the NRW State Chancellery and was a visiting fellow at the American-German Institute in Washington, DC, bringing high-level policy experience to the DDI team.He co-developed the precursor to the DDI and now contributes analytical expertise in updating the index and assessing policy insights.
Johannes Doerfert
Research assistant
Johannes supports the DDI team as a research assistant in the fields of visualization, organization and analysis. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Bonn and gained international experience during a semester at Leiden University. Johannes works as a freelance journalist for the German public broadcaster WDR and joined CASSIS in 2024.
Lea Krettenauer
Research assistant
Lea supports the DDI team in research, analysis and organizational tasks. She is studying Political Science and Sociology at Bonn University, with a special interest in digital infrastructures and their role in global politics. She has gained international experience through a summer school in Shanghai focusing on AI and Global Governance.
Industrial partners
The Vodafone Institute, Vodafone’s European think tank, partnered with the University of Bonn to develop an independent, evidence-based understanding of Europe’s digital dependencies and challenges they present for digital sovereignty. Combining academic expertise with policy perspectives, the collaboration provides insights into the issues shaping Europe’s digital future and helps inform policymaking.
A note on research independence: The industry partner served as a dialogue partner for the project. It did not have any control over the research design, methodology, analysis, interpretation, or findings.
Ben Wreschner
Strategic Industry Partner
Ben Wreschner is the Government Relations Director and member of the Global External Affairs Leadership Team of Vodafone Group. Ben is also leading on all External Affairs aspects of Vodafone’s M&A and market entry related activity including the establishment of Vodafone’s satellite proposition in conjunction with AST Space Mobile. As Strategic Industry Partner, he provided strategic guidance throughout the collaboration between the University of Bonn and Vodafone Group and actively supports the dissemination of the project’s findings through policy dialogues, conferences and public discussions.
Nathalie Brandmeyr
Project Lead
Nathalie Brandmeyr is Senior Research Manager at the Vodafone Institute, where she leads innovation and research projects on future-oriented topics such as digital sovereignty, economic security and societal change. She has extensive experience in developing and managing international collaborations, building cross-sector networks and translating complex findings into policy-relevant insights. As Project Lead, she provided strategic and operational leadership throughout the project, overseeing the Vodafone Institute’s contribution and coordinating the collaboration with the University of Bonn across all stages of the research process.
The Digital Dependence Index (DDI) is unique, adding nuance and geographical reach to improve global understanding of digital depednence. It turns complex global data into clear and actionable guidance.
Key groups benefit
Policymakers and advisors
Decision-makers need a clear map to protect national independence. In a world caught between two technopoles, DDI moves beyond guesswork to identify “lock-in” risks and “kill-switch” threats. It provides the facts needed to craft better trade and security policies.
Journalists
Media specialists look to move past press releases to find the untold story. DDI provides the hard evidence needed to expose how foreign influence changes over time. It’s a reliable source for data-driven reporting on national security and global tech power.
Business leaders
Business leaders aim to de-risk their supply chains. By analyzing our data on hardware, software, and patents, managers can spot where they rely too heavily on foreign suppliers. It’s an essential tool for staying resilient in an increasingly polarized digital world.
Researchers
Researchers seek a proven dataset to make global comparisons and identify empirical trends. With data tracking over 50 countries between 2010 and 2023, DDI offers a unique lab for studying how digital power is created and used in today’s world. It moves beyond theoretical models and strategic narratives to real-world facts.
Curious citizens
To study where digital power flows, you need facts, not assumptions. The first tool of its kind, DDI covers over 50 countries across 13 years (2010–2023) - delivering a proven dataset for defensible global comparisons.