Office suites – they’re so obvious, so everywhere, that we rarely stop to think about where they actually come from. And most of them? They come from across the Atlantic. Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace have completely cornered the market. Everyone from students and freelancers to public offices and massive corporations rely on these tools. A few years ago, when office software was still just something you installed on your personal computer, it wasn’t such a big deal. But today? The majority of these tools operate online, in the cloud – meaning our data is zipping across servers scattered worldwide, often far from Europe, with oversight from American headquarters.

And let’s be honest – it’s not just about data security. A huge chunk of the profits from these services ends up in the coffers of U.S. tech giants, instead of supporting European creators or local economies. Does it have to be this way? Absolutely not! Europe has its own solutions – tools like LibreOffice, SoftMaker Office, or Collabora Online are just a few of the alternatives that work brilliantly both offline and online. What’s more, their development supports local businesses and open-source projects, not monolithic global corporations.

Switching to these alternatives might not be effortless. Some features, especially those offered by Microsoft or Google, might not have identical counterparts. But do we really need everything those companies pile into their suites? Or could a simpler, more tailored solution be enough? Something that not only supports our local economy but also lets us sleep a little easier, knowing our data stays in Europe and is protected under GDPR.

In these times of growing international trade tensions and uncertain global politics, maybe it’s time to start investing closer to home. Couldn’t we entrust both our data and our money to tools built here in Europe? At Made in Europe, we believe local solutions aren’t just alternatives – they’re the future. By supporting European office software, we’re not just backing technology – we’re supporting our independence.