Digital sovereignty has gone – relatively quickly – from being a niche policy interest, to a mainstream business consideration across multiple regions of the world.
One of the most outspoken players has been the European Union, with its Gaia-X initiative, a wave of binding regulation, and a series of high-profile procurement decisions.
The combination of these changes made it unequivocally clear that the question of who controls critical data infrastructure is no longer a theoretical debate. Awareness of what has actually changed (and what this change means in practice) is becoming increasingly relevant for any business working across borders.
From summits to something tangible
The first European Summit on Digital Sovereignty was convened in November 2025 with the initiative of France and Germany. It brought in politicians, regulators, and industry leaders with the goal of mapping out concrete commitments instead of position papers.
A joint task force on digital sovereignty was produced as a result of this summit, due to report back in 2026. Meanwhile, Gaia-X released its Trust Framework 3.0 that enabled federated trust structures across borders and sectors.
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