Digital sovereignty matters to you too. Especially now.
Is digital sovereignty just an issue for governments or critical infrastructure? Think again! Where your data is stored, who has access to it, and which laws apply to it: it may seem like a technical matter, but it goes to the very heart of your organisation. Digital sovereignty is about control. About maintaining control over your infrastructure, your data and your future. And that control is coming under increasing pressure from globalisation, geopolitics and technological developments such as AI. The big question is: how do you set up your IT infrastructure in such a way that you remain (sufficiently) sovereign, without losing the benefits of the cloud?
Sovereignty versus autonomy
According to research by NLdigital It appears that it is important to distinguish between digital sovereignty and digital autonomy. Sovereignty means complete control: infrastructure, software and data are entirely in one’s own hands. Autonomy, on the other hand, revolves around the ability to make one’s own choices, even within partnerships or when using external technologies. In practice, organisations often strive for autonomy with sovereign components, in order to maintain control whilst remaining flexible.
Sovereignty concerns everyone
Digital sovereignty is therefore not just an issue for governments. Organisations that are not legally required to keep data within Europe also stand to benefit from having greater control over their IT landscape. For example, to mitigate risks, respond more quickly to legislation, or become independent of suppliers.
What does the law say?
At European level, there is robust legislation in place: the GDPR, the Digital Services Act (DSA), the Data Governance Act and the NIS2 Directive. In addition, many organisations are grappling with extraterritorial legislation such as the US Cloud Act. This can require access to data held by US companies, regardless of where it is physically stored. This conflicts with European privacy principles.
The European response: Gaia-X, IPCEI-CIS and EuroStack
Europe is committed to digital autonomy through initiatives such as Gaia-X and IPCEI-CIS. These projects promote federated cloud infrastructures based on open standards, interoperability and European values. EuroStack builds on this and is developing a full-stack open-source infrastructure that helps organisations set up a sovereign IT environment. This enables organisations to opt for European alternatives that meet strict requirements for transparency, security and independence.
In practice: hybrid and sovereign
The reality is that many organisations already use a mix of public, private and hybrid cloud. The trick lies in making informed choices for each workload. How sensitive is the data? How much control do you want to retain? Which risks do you want to eliminate?
Here’s how to achieve a healthy balance:
- Map out your workloads. Start with your crown jewels.
- Assess your compliance risks. Consider data storage locations and jurisdictions.
- Opt for transparency. Work with partners who provide insight into their infrastructure.
- Ensure scalability. Choose modular, open solutions.
Digital autonomy starts with choices
The technology is available: from European fibre-optic infrastructure to cloud solutions free from vendor lock-in. The question is: are you ready to take control?
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