European IT Sector Forms Alliance for Digital Independence

Twelve major players in the European IT sector are joining forces to develop a joint strategy to make Europe more independent.

A new alliance is born. Twelve European IT providers are uniting in the European Sovereign Tech Industry Alliance, or ESTIA for short. French company Dassault Systèmes claims to be the initiator of the project.

This collaboration aims to increase the digital autonomy of the European Union and accelerate the development of European alternatives for cloud services. The official launch of ESTIA is planned for 2026. Besides Dassault Systèmes, the alliance consists of A1 Digital, Airbus, Deutsche Telekom, evroc, OpenNebula Systems, Orange, OVHcloud, Post Luxembourg, Schwarz Digits, Sopra Steria, and Telecom Italia as co-founders.

European Collaboration on Cloud and Data

ESTIA aims to develop a joint strategy to reduce digital dependence on non-European providers. While sovereignty ranks high on the political agenda, the sector is now taking matters into its own hands. Together, the companies want to strengthen infrastructure, with special attention to cloud solutions and data services.

Dassault Systèmes plays a central role in the initiative. The company emphasizes the importance of trust, resilience, and transparency in European technology. Dassault is promoting its own Outscale division, which it claims is the first European cloud service with the highest EU security certification. With this, it targets sectors with high requirements for data security and compliance, such as the public sector and regulated industries.

Policies and Standards for Sovereign Cloud

The goal extends beyond developing sovereign technology. The alliance also wants to influence policy and work with policymakers on legal standards for sovereign cloud services. It additionally advocates for a European procurement policy that prioritizes domestic technology for processing sensitive data.

The founders see the development of their own digital infrastructure as essential for the long term. They state that Europe is currently heavily dependent on foreign cloud providers, which they believe poses risks in terms of security and competitiveness, even though hyperscalers offer their own sovereign cloud services. ESTIA aims to provide an alternative based on European values, regulations, and control.