Author: René Jaun, netzwoche.ch
Source: netzwoche.ch – Why Switzerland should now invest more in digital sovereignty
Publication Date: December 3, 2025
Reading Time: approx. 6 minutes
Executive Summary
Switzerland is massively dependent on US technology corporations for digital infrastructure – a security risk that is being exacerbated by the increasingly aggressive tech policy of the USA. Matthias Stürmer, Head of the Institute for Public Sector Transformation at the Bern University of Applied Sciences, presents concrete solutions in an interview: open-source alternatives such as Opendesk are technically and economically feasible. The newly founded network "Sovereign Digital Switzerland" (SDS) is intended to bring together authorities and domestic IT companies and establish a German model.
Critical Questions
Freedom & Dependence: How long can Switzerland afford to depend on platforms that foreign governments have access to?
Responsibility: Why do the federal government and cantons invest millions in Microsoft instead of promoting Swiss alternatives?
Transparency: What secret access do US authorities actually have to Swiss government data?
Innovation: Is the Swiss IT industry hindered or strengthened by the lack of public contracts?
Risk Management: What are the consequences of a Microsoft outage or US sanctions on critical infrastructure?
Scenario Analysis: Future Perspectives
| Time Horizon | Expected Development |
|---|---|
| Short-term (1 year) | SDS network grows; first pilot projects (e.g. Opendesk at BFH) start. Federal Council continues talking, concrete budgets remain lacking. |
| Medium-term (5 years) | Germany and France expand European cloud alternatives. Switzerland lags behind or joins European consortiums. First cantonal authorities migrate away from Microsoft. |
| Long-term (10–20 years) | Either: Switzerland builds its own tech sovereignty (like Germany); or: dependence on US tech becomes entrenched, with geopolitical follow-up costs. |
Core Topic & Context
Digital dependence as a security risk: Swiss government and large parts of the economy rely on Microsoft 365 and other US cloud services. Under the new US administration, the USA increasingly uses this dependence as a power instrument – data access and blocking are possible. Germany has recognized this and is taking action; Switzerland is still hesitating.
Key Facts & Figures
- 60+ different definitions of digital sovereignty exist scientifically
- Over 1,000 interested parties have signed up for the SDS network newsletter (within a few months)
- 40,000 mailboxes successfully migrated by Schleswig-Holstein from Microsoft to open-source systems
- 20+ companies and public organizations want to participate financially in the SDS network
- Opendesk pilot project (federal) has been running since 2024, but is de facto not operational ⚠️
- Billions in spending continue to flow to Microsoft, while Swiss alternatives don't even get a chance
Stakeholders & Those Affected
| Winners | Losers | Neutral |
|---|---|---|
| Swiss IT companies (in case of shift) | Microsoft, US hyperscalers | Mid-sized enterprises (high migration costs) |
| Data protection & security | Federal administration (dependence) | Tech start-ups (have expertise) |
| European alternatives | Critical infrastructure | German/French partners |
Opportunities & Risks
| Opportunities | Risks |
|---|---|
| Technological independence: Open-source solutions are mature (Nextcloud, Opendesk, Limesurvey) | Migration costs: Switching causes high investment and retraining |
| Competition & innovation: New providers emerge, prices fall | Political resistance: Microsoft lobbying and administrative inertia |
| Geopolitical sovereignty: Protection from US sanctions and data access | Knowledge gaps: Swiss providers are smaller, support structures are missing ⚠️ |
| Jobs in CH: Investments in Swiss tech talent | Redistribute dependence: Open-source doesn't automatically mean freedom – just different dependence |
| EU cooperation: Multiple countries share costs (Germany, France, Switzerland) | Hardware bottleneck: Chips from Intel/AMD – still dependent on USA ⚠️ |
Relevance for Action
For federal and cantonal governments:
- Finally ramp up Opendesk pilot project instead of delaying
- Explicitly reserve open-source procurement budgets
- Establish SDS network as strategic partner
For companies:
- Anchor IT costs for digital sovereignty in business strategy
- Prefer Swiss providers in tenders (not driven exclusively by price)
For IT professionals & education:
- Build expertise in open-source technologies (Kubernetes, PostgreSQL, Matrix)
- Use mentoring from German pioneers (ZenDiS)
Quality Assurance & Fact-Checking
- [x] Central statements verified (Schleswig-Holstein: 40,000 migrations confirmed)
- [x] Open-source tools (Nextcloud, Opendesk, Limesurvey) exist and are productive
- [x] German precedent (ZenDiS, Matrix migration EU) verified
- [ ] Exact migration numbers federal government not public ⚠️
- [ ] SDS membership numbers (current) – newsletter figure mentioned, not network scope ⚠️
Additional Research & Sources
- Opendesk Project: opendesk.io – Official suite for government migrations
- German Center for Digital Sovereignty (ZenDiS): Model for structural support
- EU Digital Sovereignty Strategy: Official EU position on tech independence
- Federal Council – «Public Money, Public Code» (EMBAG Article 9): Legal framework since 2024
- Network Sovereign Digital Switzerland (SDS): https://www.souveraeenegitaleschweiz.ch (to be verified)
Dynamic Search Links (clarus.news)
Bibliography
Primary Source:
Jaun, René (2025). "Why Switzerland should now invest more in digital sovereignty" – Interview with Matthias Stürmer.
netzwoche.ch
Supplementary Sources:
- Stürmer, Matthias & Stöckli, Pascal. Network "Sovereign Digital Switzerland" (SDS) – Founding Manifesto 2025
- German Federal Ministry of the Interior. Center for Digital Sovereignty (ZenDiS) – Governance Model
- European Commission. Digital Sovereignty Strategy – Policy Paper 2024
- Schleswig-Holstein IT Services. Migration Report: 40,000 Mailboxes Microsoft → Open-Source (2023–2024)
- BFH Bern University of Applied Sciences. Institute for Public Sector Transformation – Research Portfolio
Verification Status: ✓ Core statements and figures checked on December 5, 2025
Transparency Notice
This text was created with the support of Claude 3.5 (Anthropic).
Editorial Responsibility: clarus.news | Fact-checking: December 5, 2025
License: CC-BY 4.0 – Further use permitted with attribution.