Cloud, AI & co: Europe wants to break free from dependence

How dependent is Europe really on US tech giants?

Whether authorities, companies, or research institutions - the storage of sensitive data usually takes place on servers from Amazon AWS, Google Cloud, or Microsoft Azure. As a result, a large part of Europe's digital infrastructure is in the hands of American providers. Applications like Microsoft Office are also ubiquitous. In artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, or microelectronics, Europe is also considered technologically dependent on overseas.

A study by the industry association Bitkom confirms this assessment: Nine out of ten German companies with at least 20 employees use cloud services. 89 percent of them see themselves as technologically dependent on foreign countries.

Why is digital sovereignty now coming into focus?

The pressure to become digitally sovereign is increasing. "The issue has gained a whole new priority due to external circumstances," it was said in the run-up to the summit from government circles. It is no longer just about military independence, but also about control over digital resources and values.

This urgency was also reflected at the highest political level. At the summit on European digital sovereignty, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and the EU digital ministers met in Berlin.

Representatives of major European companies such as SAP, Siemens, and Telekom also participated in the discussions. In total, over 1,000 guests from politics, business, science, and civil society were expected.

What are the goals of the summit?

The aim of the meeting was to initiate concrete steps towards European independence in key technologies. Investments and collaborations in areas such as computing infrastructure, quantum technology, healthcare, defense, and drones are to be promoted.

“This summit sends a clear signal: We Europeans can and want to be leaders in key technologies,” said Digital Minister Karsten Wildberger. According to Wildberger, Germany and France want to jointly become the driving force for more digital sovereignty in Europe.

Where are the current weaknesses in Europe's infrastructure?

A central sticking point is the development of a European cloud infrastructure. So far, sensitive data has almost exclusively ended up with US providers - despite European alternatives like the Schwarz Group or Ionos.

But digital sovereignty means more than just server locations. It is also crucial which values and interests are embedded in the digital systems. Whether in document search, automatic summaries, or prioritizations: AI tools always bring their programming logic with them - often based on different societal and economic premises than in Europe.

What political steps are planned?

Germany and France want to persuade the EU Commission to set clear rules: Critical data should be stored and processed within the EU. At the same time, data flows within Europe should be facilitated to avoid stifling innovation.

Another building block: open-source tools. Schleswig-Holstein is particularly mentioned as a role model. There, the administration is increasingly replacing Microsoft programs with open-source alternatives. This strategy is now also to be promoted at the European level.

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What does the EUDI wallet offer?

With the EUDI wallet, the EU plans a digital wallet that can be used across Europe. The launch is planned for the end of 2026 or the beginning of 2027. It is intended to enable citizens and companies to identify themselves digitally and use administrative services across borders. Germany and France want to accelerate this process and establish a joint task force to coordinate implementation.

Practical solutions: What companies are actually doing

SAP: The software company has been interested in anchoring European standards in its cloud offerings for years. At the summit, the company was open to new collaborations with public and private partners.

Ionos: As a German cloud provider, Ionos makes its infrastructure fully available in the EU. This means the company meets key criteria for digital sovereignty. It is considered a potential cornerstone of an independent cloud strategy.

Schwarz Group: With its IT subsidiary StackIT and its own cloud platform, the Schwarz Group (known for Lidl, among others) is increasingly positioning itself as a data-sovereign alternative in the European market.

Schleswig-Holstein: The federal state is taking the lead by replacing Microsoft programs in administration with open-source applications. This practice serves as a case study at the summit for how government structures can be designed independently of US corporations.

With material from dpa