October 26, 2023

Cloud sovereignty: Three imperatives for the European public sector

Public sector institutions across Europe must move to the cloud eventually, but can the European Union help them navigate geopolitical tensions, security risks and stakeholders’ needs while also fostering EU-driven cloud initiatives?

Concerns around sovereignty usually arise when it is threatened. The recent global geopolitical situation, with conflicts occurring in Europe and the Middle East, intensifies the relevance of sovereignty as a discussion topic among policymakers. While in the past, sovereignty referred solely to the physical borders of a country or its assets, these days, it has gained a digital dimension and includes issues such as cloud and digital sovereignty.

For Europe, concerns surrounding digital sovereignty have a dual imperative. The first strand is ensuring that the local cloud market continues to develop as a catalyst for economic prosperity and technological innovation. The second involves navigating the corridors of global tech diplomacy, particularly when forming partnerships with hyperscalers – most of whom call the United States home. Here, the challenge is to foster a partnership that respects Europe’s security prerogatives.

Read more ›