Fabrizia Benini
DG CNECT Head of Unit for Future Internet; Commission official shaping European connectivity and cloud policy.
Last refreshed: 23 April 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Does the Future Internet unit have the tools to deliver cloud interoperability before the AI Act enforcement clock runs down?
Timeline for Fabrizia Benini
Mentioned in: Brussels sovereignty summit opens without European AI builders
European Tech Sovereignty- What is DG CNECT responsible for in European tech sovereignty?
- DG CNECT (Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology) is the European Commission directorate responsible for EU connectivity policy, cloud regulation, and key digital legislation including the Cloud and AI Development Act. It also manages Digital Europe Programme and Horizon Europe funding for digital R&D.Source: European Commission
Background
Fabrizia Benini is Head of Unit for Future Internet at DG CNECT (Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology) at the European Commission. DG CNECT is the policy directorate responsible for the EU's digital connectivity agenda, cloud computing policy, and key legislation including the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA). She was listed as a speaker at the inaugural Sovereign Tech Europe summit in Brussels on 23 April 2026 .
The Future Internet unit within DG CNECT covers the policy architecture for next-generation connectivity including 6G, open network infrastructure, edge computing, and the regulatory foundations for cloud interoperability. These areas intersect directly with European sovereignty debates: open and interoperable infrastructure standards reduce vendor lock-in, while closed proprietary ecosystems create the structural dependencies that sovereignty frameworks aim to address.
Benini's unit also has responsibility for Horizon Europe and Digital Europe Programme funding streams targeted at connectivity R&D — including the €63.2m Digital Europe calls opened on 21 April 2026 for AI applications in health and safety . Her attendance at Sovereign Tech Europe places DG CNECT's technical policy work in the same room as the cloud industry and open-source community arguing for different implementation paths.