Nokia
Finnish 5G network equipment maker; co-signed May 2026 Brussels sovereignty letter.
Last refreshed: 7 May 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
What does Nokia want from Brussels that it cannot get on its own?
Timeline for Nokia
Co-signed joint op-ed calling for EU AI rule simplification
European Tech Sovereignty: Seven CEOs ask Brussels for less- What does Nokia sell now that it no longer makes phones?
- Nokia now focuses entirely on network infrastructure: 5G radio access networks, mobile core software, and fixed broadband equipment. It exited the handset business when it sold its devices division to Microsoft in 2014.
- Why did Nokia's CEO sign the May 2026 Brussels open letter?
- Nokia's CEO joined peers from ASML, Airbus, Ericsson, Mistral AI, SAP, and Siemens to push for simpler EU AI rules, looser merger control, and more industrial-policy support, arguing regulatory complexity was undermining European competitiveness.Source: Handelsblatt / Corriere della Sera op-ed
Background
Nokia's CEO joined six European technology counterparts in a joint op-ed published in Handelsblatt and Corriere della Sera on 5 May 2026, calling on the EU Commission to reduce regulatory friction, simplify AI rules, and back European industrial champions with state support. The letter followed a meeting with Commission President von der Leyen and represented the most direct industry lobbying intervention of the year on European tech sovereignty policy.
Founded in 1865 in Tampere as a paper mill, Nokia pivoted to telecoms equipment in the 1990s and today is one of the two largest suppliers of 5G radio and core network technology in Western-aligned markets, alongside Ericsson. Nokia employs approximately 86,000 people in 130 countries and generated revenues of roughly €22 billion in 2024. The company divested its handset business to Microsoft in 2014 and has focused exclusively on network infrastructure since.
Nokia's participation in the May 2026 letter is significant because Finnish and Nordic voices carry credibility in Brussels as smaller-country stakeholders without the perceived self-interest of France or Germany. Nokia has a direct stake in EU industrial policy as both a telecoms supplier to European operators and a beneficiary of Chips Act-style funding for its radio chipsets.
