AWS revealed that its first “sovereign cloud” region is located in Brandenburg, Germany, and is expected to be operational by the end of 2025.
It is hoped that the development will strengthen data residency across Europe, with cloud providers set to invest more than €7.8bn (£6.7bn) by 2040.
The announcement, which coincides with the AWS Berlin Summit taking place in the German capital, comes after AWS first revealed its plans for a sovereign cloud seven months ago, demonstrating a strong commitment to European data control and digital sovereignty.
AWS is not only enhancing its infrastructure but also expanding its workforce in Europe, creating new high-skilled positions for software engineers, systems developers and solutions architects. This measure is part of AWS’s commitment to manage all operations of Europe’s sovereign cloud with only EU personnel, including managing data centers, providing technical support and handling customer service.
Over the past decade, Amazon has invested heavily in the European market, contributing more than 150 billion euros and permanently employing more than 150,000 employees in the European single market. The launch of AWS European Sovereign Cloud demonstrates Amazon’s enduring commitment to digital advancement in Europe.
Max Peterson, Vice President of AWS Sovereign Cloud, emphasized that this investment is aimed at providing customers with cutting-edge cloud sovereignty control, privacy measures and security capabilities.
“We are investing heavily in new local talent and infrastructure that will help provide the operational sovereignty our customers need,” Peterson said. “This is an exciting milestone and we look forward to customers and partners across Europe leveraging the AWS European Sovereign Cloud to drive further innovation.”
In Germany, AWS also works with local communities through long-term innovation programs aimed at making a sustainable impact in the regions where its infrastructure is hosted. The focus is on developing cloud workforce and education programs for learners of all ages, closing the skills gap and preparing them for the tech jobs of the future.
For example, consider last year’s collaboration between AWS and Siemens AG, which established the first apprenticeship program for AWS data centers in Germany. This program, along with the first national cloud computing certification launched by the German Chamber of Commerce (DIHK) and the AWS Employment Skills Technology Alliance, underscores AWS’ ongoing commitment to education and workforce training.
On the other hand, O2 Telefónica collaborated with Nokia to deploy 5G independent core software on AWS, marking an important milestone in the telecommunications industry. This is the first time an existing mobile operator has moved its core network operations to the public cloud.
While AWS has long offered localized data storage and processing options in Europe, public sector agencies and organizations in highly regulated industries have been wary of moving to the public cloud due to data management concerns. To address these issues, the AWS European Sovereign Cloud provides stricter data controls to ensure that all metadata remains within the EU and cannot be accessed by AWS employees outside the EU.
This “physically and logically independent” cloud environment represents a shift from AWS’s original stance on the concept of sovereign cloud, which was once considered more of a marketing term.
However, AWS’ recent “Digital Sovereignty Commitment” solidifies its commitment to providing customers with more control and choice to meet their unique digital sovereignty needs without compromising the full capabilities of AWS.
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