Publication Date: 12.11.2025
Overview
- Author: Stefan Girschner
- Source: Digital Business Magazine
- Date: 12.11.2025
- Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes
- Basis: Gartner survey with 241 CIOs and IT executives in Western Europe (May-July 2025)
Article Summary
Key Message
Due to geopolitical tensions, 61% of Western European CIOs want to increasingly rely on local or regional cloud providers to achieve digital sovereignty.
Important Facts
- 61% of CIOs in Western Europe want to use local cloud providers due to geopolitical factors
- 75% of all companies outside the US will pursue a digital sovereignty strategy by 2030
- 53% expect restrictions on global cloud platforms due to geopolitical factors
- 55% see open-source technologies as an important factor in their future cloud strategies
- Survey based on 241 respondents in Western Europe between May and July 2025
- Regulatory requirements and critical infrastructure often require local solutions
- Multi-year continuous investments by local providers necessary for independence
Affected Groups
- CIOs and IT executives in Western European companies
- Local and regional cloud providers (growth opportunity)
- Global cloud corporations (potential market share loss)
- Critical infrastructure companies
Opportunities & Risks
Opportunities:
- Increased digital sovereignty and data control
- Strengthening local cloud providers and tech ecosystems
- Flexibility through open-source technologies
Risks:
- Higher costs and longer development times with local providers
- Complexity in open-source implementations
- Possible performance losses compared to established global providers
Recommendations
- Gradual migration: Careful selection of cloud solutions for different business areas
- Self-responsibility: CIOs must actively create and protect digital sovereignty
- Evaluate open-source: As an alternative to proprietary solutions
Future Outlook
Short-term (1 year)
- Increased evaluation of local cloud providers by Western European companies
- First pilot projects for workload migration from global to local providers
Medium-term (5 years)
- Significant market share growth for local cloud providers in Europe
- Development of more mature open-source cloud solutions
- Regulatory tightening regarding data sovereignty
Long-term (10-20 years)
- Established European cloud ecosystems with complete digital sovereignty
- Fragmentation of the global cloud market according to geopolitical regions
- Technological parity between local and global providers
Fact Check
Well-documented Statements
- Gartner survey with 241 respondents is methodologically sound and current
- Regulatory requirements for critical infrastructure are documented
- Geopolitical tensions demonstrably influence IT strategies
Unclear or To-be-verified Statements
- 75% forecast by 2030 based on models, not current data [⚠️ Still to be verified]
- Performance of local providers versus global corporations remains unclear
- Cost comparison between local and global solutions is missing
Additional Sources & Source List
Additional Reliable Sources
- General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): Legal framework for data sovereignty
- IDC European Cloud Survey 2025: Market data on European cloud providers
- Bitkom Digitalization Index: German perspective on cloud strategies
Complete Source List
- Original article: Digital Business Magazine, Stefan Girschner, 12.11.2025
- Primary source: Gartner Inc. Survey (May-July 2025, 241 respondents)
- Expert: René Büst, Senior Director Analyst at Gartner
- Fact-checking conducted on: 12.11.2025
Brief Summary
The growing geopolitical tensions are leading to a fundamental strategic shift among Western European companies toward local cloud providers. This development offers opportunities for digital sovereignty, but requires substantial investments and longer development times. CIOs must actively balance sovereignty and performance.
Three Key Questions
Freedom: How can companies achieve digital sovereignty without falling into new dependencies on local monopolists?
Responsibility: What concrete steps must CIOs take to independently secure their organization's digital sovereignty?
Innovation: Can local cloud providers compete with global corporations technologically and price-wise without compromising innovation speed?