How organisations implement digital sovereignty in real-world IT environments
Digital sovereignty has become one of the defining topics in modern IT strategy. As organisations increasingly rely on cloud-native architectures, platform engineering and external providers, questions of control, resilience and regulatory alignment are moving to the forefront.
Over the past years, DevOps and cloud-native technologies have transformed how digital services are built and operated. What initially focused on speed, automation and efficiency now raises broader strategic questions:
Where is our data stored?
Who controls our cloud platforms and workloads?
How do regulatory and geopolitical factors influence architecture decisions?
How can vendor lock-in risks be managed?
To better understand how organisations address these challenges in practice, VSHN and Zühlke launched the Digital Sovereignty in Practice Study 2026.
👉 Take part in the Digital Sovereignty Study 2026.
Insights from previous DevOps studies
Our previous DevOps Studies revealed strong adoption of cloud-native technologies, automation and internal developer platforms across industries. At the same time, they highlighted recurring structural challenges:
Dependence on a limited number of global cloud providers
Increasing compliance and regulatory requirements
Tension between innovation speed and governance obligations
Limited clarity about how to operationalise digital sovereignty
While digital sovereignty frequently appeared as a strategic objective, it often lacked measurable implementation criteria at the operational level.
Why this digital sovereignty study matters
The Digital Sovereignty in Practice Study 2026 focuses specifically on how organisations translate sovereignty requirements into technical and organisational reality.
Rather than defining an abstract framework, the study examines practical implementation across industries and regulatory contexts. Key questions include:
How do compliance requirements shape cloud and platform architecture?
How are decisions about data location, workload placement and provider selection made?
What governance mechanisms ensure enforceability of sovereignty requirements?
Where are external dependencies deliberately accepted, and why?
By analysing these aspects, the study aims to provide a realistic picture of how digital sovereignty is implemented across different sectors.
From IT strategy to operational implementation
Digital sovereignty is often addressed at board or executive level. In daily operations, however, it materialises in concrete decisions such as:
Cloud provider contracts
Platform and workload architecture
Multi-cloud or hybrid strategies
Data governance models
Exit strategies and portability considerations
The online survey is intentionally concise and designed to capture real operational experience. If certain aspects are still under evaluation within your organisation, selecting "Not sure" is a valid and valuable response.
Who should participate in the Digital Sovereignty Study 2026
The study addresses organisations operating digital platforms or business-critical workloads. It is particularly relevant for regulated industries such as:
Healthcare
Financial services
Public sector institutions
Critical infrastructure providers
Whether digital sovereignty is already embedded in your corporate strategy or currently under discussion, your participation helps create a comprehensive view of real-world implementation.
Study details
Duration: approximately 5-7 minutes
Format: online survey
Participation deadline: 31 March 2026
For the purpose of this study, digital sovereignty refers to an organisation’s ability to make and enforce decisions about data, workloads and providers within its regulatory and business constraints.
👉 Participate in the Sovereignty in Practice Study 2026 and contribute to a data-driven understanding of sovereignty in modern cloud environments.
