The Sovereignty Shift: Key Takeaways from The Digital Sovereignty Forum 

The recent Digital Sovereignty Forum in London offered a focused look at the shifting landscape of global technology. The central theme? Digital sovereignty is not a fleeting trend – it is a necessary evolution.

Here are my critical takeaways for global enterprises, especially those in the Telco sector.

1. The Core Pillars of Digital Sovereignty

A strong consensus was reached that Digital Sovereignty is fundamentally defined by three, and arguably four, interconnected pillars:

• Control
• Choice
• Resilience
• Autonomy, often viewed as the ultimate goal

The prevailing view is that sovereignty should be seen as an enabler that builds confidence and security, rather than a defensive barrier. One participant, Lasha Tabidze of VEON, put it well – “sovereignty is not a barrier, it’s about building the digital confidence of a nation”.

2. The Power of the “Transparent Box”: Open Source as the Foundation

A key focus of the discussion was the indispensable role of Open Source technology in achieving digital autonomy. 

• Open source provides the choice and agility needed to build secure, resilient systems and mitigate supply chain risks. 
• Its open nature allows a global community to constantly audit and remediate vulnerabilities, often faster and more transparently than proprietary systems. Therefore, some people took the view that open source offers superior security, provided the project is actively maintained and governed by a strong community.
• This foundation is also considered critical for future investment, particularly for the estimated 60% of European organizations looking to invest in sovereign AI technologies, which require trusted, localized, and scalable infrastructure. 
• Open standards are considered a fundamental requirement for any Sovereign Digital Ecosystem Blueprint. As one speaker said “You cannot have sovereignty without knowing exactly what is running in your stack. Open Source is a transparent box compared to an opaque box.” 

3. Navigating the Regulatory Headache

When I posed the question, “What does sovereignty mean for global companies?”, the answer from the room was immediate: “A headache.” For international enterprises, achieving digital sovereignty means navigating a complex and sometimes contradictory maze of regulations, including mandates like the Telecoms Security Act  and cyber resilience requirements such as NIS-2, Common Criteria, and ISO 27001, all of which demand significant investment in secure, local infrastructure.

However, a path to clarity is emerging:

• Objective Measurement: Many attendees at this event, particularly from the US, were unaware of objective tools like the EU’s Cloud Sovereignty Framework.
• SEAL Levels: The Framework’s SEAL levels (Sovereignty Effectiveness Assurance Levels) provide the objective clarity the market needs, enabling companies to measure and prove their level of sovereignty. 

By offering clear, measurable standards for sovereignty, the framework allows organizations to move beyond simply ticking compliance boxes. Instead, they can focus their resources and investment where they will have the greatest impact.

Conclusion: Sovereignty is Non-Negotiable

The awareness around Digital Sovereignty is high and growing. For Telcos and global enterprises, the burden of compliance is heavy, yet non-negotiable.

This is where Open Source technology and vendors that embrace the “transparent box” philosophy can step in. By providing an open, secure, and compliant foundation, we can help businesses achieve better compliance, allowing them to focus on their primary mission: innovation and connecting the world.

What is your take? Is Digital Sovereignty a hurdle for your innovation, or a necessary evolution?