Digital Sovereignty as a Necessity

Why Independent IT Solutions Are Becoming Critically Important for Businesses and Government Entities

Due to sudden changes in the geopolitical landscape, European nations and Middle Eastern countries have begun to actively consider their digital independence. Today, government administrations across the European Union face a critical challenge: how to regain digital sovereignty and reduce dependence on IT providers outside of Europe?

In this article, we will explore the risks of the so-called “lock-in” effect, propose strategies to strengthen digital independence, and explain why InDevLab is a reliable partner for businesses and government enterprises seeking digital sovereignty.

Restoring Digital Sovereignty

For decades, critical infrastructure enterprises and public sector organizations have relied on IT solutions from international providers, leading to serious consequences.

Vendor “Lock-in”—or dependence on major technology providers—threatens control over critically important administrative processes and results in significant financial and technical costs, as transitioning to alternative solutions often requires substantial migration expenses.

Current initiatives within the European Union, such as Germany’s federal-level digital sovereignty strategy for government IT and pan-European projects like GAIA-X, highlight the urgency of this issue. Key milestones of this movement include:

• Establishment of the Center for Digital Sovereignty (ZenDiS GmbH) (December 2022).
• GAIA-X – an initiative to create a European cloud ecosystem.
• NIS2 Directive – a new EU regulation aimed at enhancing cybersecurity in critical sectors.
• GovStack – a global initiative focused on developing digital solutions for governments, enabling faster deployment of electronic services without vendor lock-in.

But what exactly does digital sovereignty mean, and how can government institutions achieve independence?

Definition: What Is Digital Sovereignty?

Digital sovereignty means that administrations and IT departments retain full control over their digital infrastructure, software solutions, and data. They must have the ability to independently decide which technologies to use without relying on providers outside their sphere of influence.

Why Is This Important?

• Data Protection and Security: Confidential administrative data must be safeguarded by stringent data protection standards, such as GDPR and ISO, and processed within trusted IT environments.
• Avoiding Dependence: Proprietary software solutions tie administrations to specific manufacturers, making it difficult to transition to alternative systems.
• Flexibility and Innovation: In-house development and open-source solutions provide a more adaptable and future-proof IT infrastructure.
• Supporting Regional IT Businesses: Utilizing European and local IT solutions fosters the growth of domestic companies and reduces technological reliance on providers outside Europe.

The Benefits of Choosing Regional IT Providers

Research indicates that Germany is highly dependent on IT services from the United States and China. According to Bitkom’s digital sovereignty analysis, 81% of German companies procure digital technologies from the US, while 79% depend on China. This dependence is particularly evident in cloud services, software solutions, and hardware components such as chips and server infrastructure.

Why Regional Cloud Providers and Localized IT Solutions Are Becoming More Demanded

• Optimized Solutions Based on Local Data Centers: Utilizing local cloud infrastructure enables companies and government institutions to develop solutions tailored to national regulations and security requirements.To optimize resources and improve productivity, hybrid cloud architectures can be considered. Depending on data criticality and business tasks, some IT processes may be outsourced to global providers. InDevLab specialists can assess and design an IT infrastructure architecture tailored to your organization’s needs.
• Maximum Data Protection: Storing critical information in private clouds controlled by local providers reduces the risks of data leaks and unauthorized access by foreign organizations.
• Full Control Over Updates and Development: Managing local cloud services allows organizations to implement updates and modernize infrastructure independently, without relying on global suppliers.
• Reducing Data Loss Risks and Ensuring Resilience: Private cloud solutions enhance reliability and data protection through advanced backup technologies and strict security standards.

Strategies to Strengthen Digital Sovereignty in the Public Sector

How can government institutions and municipal IT departments enhance their digital independence?

• Supporting Local and European IT Solutions: To strengthen digital sovereignty, government administrations should prioritize software solutions from local providers or vendors from friendly countries. This not only fosters internal economic growth but also ensures compliance with high data protection standards.
• The Demand for Open-Source Solutions Will Increase: IT systems should be designed so that their components can be replaced. Open interfaces (APIs) simplify the integration of new applications and prevent vendor lock-in.

To facilitate this transition, InDevLab helps organizations migrate from proprietary solutions to alternative open-source technologies, such as PostgreSQL.

Instead of fully relying on US cloud services, organizations should also consider leveraging local data centers or utilizing European cloud initiatives. Independent IT infrastructure and its unrestricted operation will not only influence the development of local cloud solution providers but also impact digitalization and the implementation of AI-driven systems.

For government agencies, this is the right time to establish clear legal requirements for digital sovereignty.

Government procurement laws should be adapted to support IT solutions that guarantee digital sovereignty. This means:

• Data sovereignty and storage location requirements
• Mandatory interoperability for greater flexibility

How InDevLab Helps Achieve Digital Sovereignty

Digital sovereignty is not an abstract future concept but an urgent necessity for modern businesses and government organizations. To ensure independence, security, and innovation, reliable IT solutions based on local infrastructure and open-source technologies are essential.

InDevLab is an IT service company specializing in IT infrastructure, cybersecurity, cloud setup and support, database migration and maintenance, and open-source-based software development. The company offers a comprehensive approach to building a secure and independent digital environment, including:

• Deployment and support of private clouds to protect critical information.
• Migration of data and infrastructure from proprietary solutions to independent and flexible environments.
• Development of IT solutions based on open-source to ensure transparency, flexibility, and independence.
• Analysis and construction of information security systems to safeguard data and reduce vendor dependence.

Through its holistic approach, InDevLab helps businesses and government institutions achieve digital sovereignty, minimize technological risks, and ensure IT infrastructure resilience for the long term.

A strategic focus on open-source software, European IT solutions, and sovereign cloud alternatives will help create an independent digital future.