New research: „First Take: European Commission’s Sovereign Cloud Award Warrants a Systematic Approach by CIOs“ https://lnkd.in/d8F2qaNu

The award acts as a signal that Europe is serious about sovereignty and local GovTech investments that could trigger broader adoption by member states and commercial leaders.

The value of this award is in its timing. This comes at a time when European governments and many private sector organizations are expected to rapidly increase spending in sovereign cloud.

New research: „Analyst Take: Beware of Sovereignty Washing“ https://gtnr.it/4sERdE5

How many times a day do you raise your eyebrows? Have you ever counted? I haven’t. And lately, that would have taken up too much time. That’s an interesting introduction to the topic of digital sovereignty and sovereignty washing, isn’t it? Well, not really for me. Lately, I’ve often found myself raising my eyebrows when I read a vendor’s “sovereignty story” or hear about it during a vendor briefing.

Must-read research: „Reclaiming Sovereignty: Open-Source Productivity Suites for Geopolitical Risk Mitigation“. https://gtnr.it/4aTAsOo

Recent geopolitical events and sanctions on international bodies have transformed digital sovereignty from a theoretical concern into a real risk. The concentration of office productivity services within a single foreign jurisdiction creates a single point of failure for operational continuity if sanctions or trade disputes trigger sudden service restrictions.

New research: „AI Vendor Race: True Sovereign AI Will Define Winners and Losers in the Cloud AI Race“ https://gtnr.it/4tLio1E

Digital sovereignty and AI are top-of-mind concerns for many CIOs in 2026. Cloud providers must avoid starting a sovereignty theater where it does not make any sense. End-user clients will always see through the truth of glossy marketing slides, wonky commitments, and hence, sovereignty washing. Truth and honesty is a currency that will last forever. #digitalsovereignty

As geopolitical tensions rise, organizations outside the U.S. and China are investing more in sovereign cloud IaaS to gain digital and technological independence. The goal is to keep wealth generation within their own borders to strengthen the local economy.

Geopatriation is becoming a reality. Hyperscalers face mounting pressure as local cloud providers gain share.

Solely treating digital sovereignty as a pure security, regulatory and compliance topic is not enough.

https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2026-02-09-gartner-says-worldwide-sovereign-cloud-iaas-spending-will-total-us-dollars-80-billion-in-2026

New research: „Service Providers Challenges — The Dilemma of Services Sovereignty“ https://gtnr.it/3ZEznVs

AI‑driven services are reshaping business models, making AI enabled assets critical to service delivery. However, these assets drive increased sovereignty risks as clients lose visibility and control over systems acting on their behalf. Failure to address this elevated risk level exposes tech service leaders to regulatory penalties, reputational damage and client loss.