“Trust in digital services has become a key issue for most users,” says . The general manager of Clarence, the sovereign cloud solution implemented by Luxconnect and Proximus Luxembourg, knows what he’s talking about. Whilst Rogiest began his career in the space sector at SES, he is also known for having led Luxtrust, a digital trust services provider, for five years, before heading RHEA Group.
“There is a real concern among European organisations and citizens about preserving the integrity of our digital identities and our data,” he continues. “In an uncertain geopolitical context, with technological environments essentially dependent on foreign powers, we are witnessing a real awareness of the risks. We have never discussed sovereignty issues so much in Europe, particularly in the digital domain.”
American interference
These concerns are particularly associated with the widespread use of the public cloud to host data or distribute digital services. The major public cloud platforms--Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google--the main ones used by European players, are all American. “The risk of seeing the confidentiality of our data compromised on a public cloud is very real,” explains Rogiest. “The Cloud Act, for example, already gives the American government the right to access content hosted on American public cloud platforms. We’re talking about some 150,000 such requests made annually by the administration to cloud providers. And that was before Trump.”
The unprecedented trade war launched by the US administration in recent weeks is accelerating sovereignty issues, whether they concern data or technology. We are extremely dependent on US solutions, as they are currently undeniably superior in terms of performance, efficiency and innovation. “This situation can and must push Europeans today to consider sovereign solutions and ensure their technological independence. However, this is a digital transformation that will take decades,” comments Rogiest.
Responding to sovereignty issues
In a market dominated by the Americans and the Chinese, ensuring digital sovereignty is not necessarily easy. The Clarence solution was designed and implemented to address these challenges. This Luxembourg platform--operated by Luxembourg-based stakeholders (with state ownership)--provides access to advanced technological solutions, including AI and generative AI, but it’s disconnected from the internet. It avoids the risks of cyberattacks and Cloud Act-type interference.
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Within Clarence, Google is the main provider of advanced technologies. However, the latter has no means--either digital or physical--of accessing user data due to the disconnection that has been implemented by design.
Essential to catch up
To simply host your data, it’s not necessarily necessary to use the public cloud, and local storage could obviously suffice. However, to access advanced and innovative data processing technologies (such as artificial intelligence models) and their rapid developments, the platforms of American giants now seem essential if we want to offer users the most advanced and powerful features in terms of performance and user experience. “In this area, Europe is lagging behind. For example, the videoconferencing solutions that everyone uses rely on US public clouds,” explains Rogiest. “In the field of artificial intelligence, we have assets in Europe, but it is essential to catch up. Fortunately, the train is moving, and Clarence will gradually integrate other European tools into its disconnected sovereign environment, such as a local conversational search solution, or AI technology developed in Europe by leaders such as Mistral.”
A disconnected cloud like Clarence meets specific needs. It allows for processing of data identified as particularly critical. “We often think of sensitive, health-related, or government information, for which no compromises can be made in terms of sovereignty. Companies are also particularly concerned about protecting their intellectual property,” explains Rogiest. “With this in mind, a disconnected cloud like Clarence integrates into the client’s IT environment to allow them to perform specific data processing in an environment dedicated to the client themselves. However, it is important to properly classify the data involved and take into account the isolated nature of the internet in the range of appropriate cloud possibilities.”
Developing European alternatives
Beyond the operationality of Luxembourg’s sovereign cloud, it is important for Europe to continue its strategic thinking to strengthen its digital sovereignty and ensure it limits its dependence on major foreign operators and developers. “With this in mind, the European Commission has notably launched the European Alternatives platform, which aims to identify European alternatives for digital services and products,” explains Rogiest.
“We are generally witnessing a real awakening among Europeans. And it is important to react quickly. Nothing should prevent the implementation of fully European cloud platforms, from hardware to software. Beyond that, it is important to support stakeholders in facing these challenges. This requires abandoning the naiveté that has prevailed until now in Europe. Awareness of the risks must encourage organisations to take appropriate measures, starting with proper classification of data and processing.”
The challenge is not to ban all American technological solutions, which European players can use to innovate and gain competitiveness in a tense and global economic market. Above all, it’s about supporting responsible practices. Faced with increasingly visible technological dependence, Europe must initiate a strategic shift towards greater digital autonomy.
This article was originally published in .