Sovereign Clouds: Evolving from a Marketing Term to a Contractual Necessity

Section 6 In the era of digitalization, data sovereignty is becoming a key challenge for states and businesses. Initially, the term Sovereign Cloud was a marketing slogan used by cloud service providers, emphasizing data localization and compliance with national regulations. However, the evolution of geopolitical risks, including sanctions and cyber threats, has transformed it into a mandatory provision in contracts. The session participants will discuss how the sovereign cloud is moving from declarations to practical standards that ensure data control without dependence on foreign vendors. Special attention will be paid to sovereignty as a service model, in which infrastructure management is reserved for hyperscalers, creating political vulnerability for countries without their own technical capabilities. The discussion focuses on European, Russian and Asian practices, the integration of sovereign clouds into government strategies and the risks of cloud ecosystems in the face of increasing protectionism.