AWS and SAP Join Forces to Enhance Digital Sovereignty in Europe

In a significant development for the cloud computing landscape, Amazon Web Services (AWS), an Amazon.com Inc. subsidiary (NASDAQ: AMZN), and SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) have announced an expansion of their collaboration aimed at advancing digital sovereignty across Europe. The initiative will introduce SAP Sovereign Cloud capabilities on the newly established AWS European Sovereign Cloud, supported by a monumental planned investment of €7.8 billion from Amazon.

This partnership builds on a long-standing relationship between the two tech giants, focusing on SAP’s new approach to digital sovereignty and AI innovation. The collaboration aims to combine SAP's robust expertise in enterprise solutions with AWS's scalable cloud infrastructure, responding to the growing demand for secure and compliant cloud services in regulated sectors.

David Brown, Vice President of Compute and Machine Learning at AWS, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, stating, “We’re delighted that SAP Sovereign Cloud capabilities will be available on the AWS European Sovereign Cloud. This will give organizations more choice in how they meet their sovereignty requirements while leveraging best-in-class cloud technologies.” Brown emphasized the mutual vision shared by AWS and SAP—providing advanced sovereignty solutions that enable organizations to focus on innovation and tangible outcomes.

The AWS European Sovereign Cloud is set to launch its first region in Brandenburg, Germany, by the end of 2025. This initiative is designed to cater specifically to public sector organizations and customers in highly regulated industries, offering enhanced options to meet unique digital sovereignty requirements. These include data residency, operational autonomy, and resilience, which are increasingly important in today’s data-driven economy.

SAP Sovereign Cloud capabilities have previously been available on AWS in several regions, including Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Canada, and India, making this expansion into Europe a notable milestone for customers seeking compliant cloud solutions.

The initial offerings of SAP Sovereign Cloud on the AWS European Sovereign Cloud will include the SAP Business Technology Platform and SAP Cloud ERP. These solutions are designed to provide organizations with a secure foundation for managing critical business processes and sensitive data while ensuring compliance with local regulations.

Thomas Saueressig, Member of the Executive Board of SAP SE, highlighted the importance of this collaboration, stating, “With our expanded SAP Sovereign Cloud offerings, we’re enabling customers across all industries to harness the full power of cloud innovation and AI.” He emphasized that the partnership with AWS enhances the comprehensive suite of sovereign cloud solutions available to customers.

The AWS European Sovereign Cloud will operate independently from AWS’s existing regions, ensuring that it has no critical dependencies on non-EU infrastructure. This independence is supported by robust technical controls, sovereign assurances, and legal protections, allowing customers to leverage the full capabilities of AWS while enjoying industry-leading security and resilience.

AWS and SAP have a rich history of collaboration, having worked together in the cloud space for over 16 years. This latest initiative aims to further support customers' digital sovereignty requirements and accelerate their digital transformations across Europe.

As organizations increasingly seek secure cloud solutions that comply with local laws and regulations, the AWS European Sovereign Cloud, in partnership with SAP, is poised to offer a compelling proposition for businesses navigating the complex landscape of digital sovereignty.

The partnership between AWS and SAP marks a pivotal moment in the cloud computing sector, particularly for organizations operating in or engaging with the European market. With substantial investment and a focus on compliance and security, this collaboration stands to reshape how businesses approach their digital infrastructure in the coming years, promising enhanced innovation and operational efficiency.