Digital sovereignty has moved from a niche concern to a boardroom priority. With increasing regulatory scrutiny, growing awareness of data privacy, and the geopolitical reality of relying on non-European cloud providers, organisations across Europe are rethinking their digital infrastructure.
What is digital sovereignty?
At its core, digital sovereignty means having meaningful control over your digital infrastructure, data, and the tools your organisation depends on. It’s not about isolation — it’s about choice. The choice to know where your data lives, who can access it, and what happens to it.
Why it matters now
Three forces are converging to make this urgent. First, regulations like GDPR and NIS2 are raising the bar for data protection. Second, high-profile incidents have shown the risks of depending on a single vendor for critical infrastructure. Third, organisations are realising that vendor lock-in isn’t just a technical problem — it’s a strategic one.
The open source advantage
Open source software is the foundation of true digital sovereignty. When your tools are built on open standards and open code, you maintain the freedom to inspect, modify, and migrate. There’s no black box, no hidden data processing, and no surprise changes to terms of service.
Getting started
The transition doesn’t have to happen overnight. Start by auditing your current tools and data flows. Identify where you’re most dependent on non-sovereign solutions. Then look for open source alternatives that meet your needs — you might be surprised how mature they’ve become.