Digitalization, the European way

In this article, you will learn

• about the main topics discussed at the d.velop SUMMIT,
• why digital sovereignty is crucial for European users and
• how AI is emerging as the currency of the future.

Artificial intelligence and digital sovereignty were the central themes at the d.velop SUMMIT 2025. From June 3 to 5, more than 2,000 participants, including users from various industries, software vendors, and platform operators, gathered at Areal Böhler in Düsseldorf. Their shared goal: to explore how digitalization can help address today’s challenges and shape a better future.

Digitalization is becoming increasingly important. As the baby boomer generation retires over the coming years, many positions will go unfilled. Digital solutions, such as automation and AI, will need to step in to manage entire processes without human intervention.

Each year, Germany’s leading document management provider, d.velop (based in Gescher), hosts the d.velop SUMMIT to highlight digital trends and inspire new ideas. Once again, the Open Telekom Cloud was a key sponsor, not only contributing to the program on the Innovation Stage but also hosting sessions on its dedicated OTC Stage throughout the event.

Get impressions of the Open Telekom Cloud presence directly in the highlight video:

Klaus Werner, Managing Director for Business Customers at Deutsche Telekom, expanded on the AI theme in his keynote address. He shared his vision for the future of work and demonstrated the transformative potential of AI in this evolving landscape. “Investments in digital machines are investments in the future. AI acts as the currency of the future,” Werner emphasized.

Digital sovereignty, Werner noted, is the foundation for using AI securely – tying directly into the event’s second major theme. Sovereignty is becoming an increasingly important demand from end users when it comes to IT services. As Daniel Schellhase, Chief Product Manager of the Open Telekom Cloud, explained, this concept centers on self-determination, freedom of choice, and independence in IT usage. It is essential to work with open standards while avoiding dependency on any one system. For this reason, the Open Telekom Cloud is built on OpenStack – an open, community-driven cloud operating system.

True digital sovereignty can only be achieved when the entire IT stack, including the cloud, is sovereign. Although this may not always be visible to end users, the cloud serves as the foundational operating and development platform for digitalization. Without it, any sovereignty strategy remains incomplete.

The debate over digital sovereignty is not new. Germany’s digital industry association, Bitkom, has long championed the cause. Almost simultaneously with the summit, Bitkom released its Cloud Report 2025 under the headline: “The Economy Calls for a German Cloud.” The report highlights growing concerns within the German business community about dependence on foreign cloud services. Nearly two-thirds (67%) of companies said their operations would come to a standstill without cloud access. Meanwhile, 78% believe Germany is overly reliant on US providers.

The report’s conclusion: 82% of respondents want hyperscaler cloud solutions from Germany or Europe – solutions capable of competing with the global giants. That’s where the Open Telekom Cloud comes in. Recognized with multiple analyst awards as a leading European cloud provider, it is also one of the few true European hyperscalers. As Klaus Werner put it, it is “the go-to solution for customers seeking sovereignty.” 

On the main stage, Daniel Schellhase guided the audience through a journey in time, outlining the essential conditions for achieving sovereign AI. He identified three key drivers:

1. Disruptive events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, global chip shortages, and the war in Ukraine.
2. Rising demand for resilience and sovereignty in European business.
3. The rapid adoption of AI, accelerated by tools like ChatGPT.

Together, these factors illustrate how crises can serve as catalysts for transformation. A prime example is the swift advancement of e-learning during the pandemic. AI and cloud technologies are central to the future – but sovereignty is quickly becoming a baseline requirement.

Many European businesses are currently re-evaluating their cloud strategies. Growing awareness of dependency risks has sparked concern that they could one day face a "kill switch" – a sudden loss of access to critical resources. This is not merely a theoretical threat: In May 2025, Microsoft, acting on instructions from the Trump administration, blocked ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan’s access to his email account.

Cloud providers are taking note of the rising demand for sovereign alternatives. European vendors are repositioning their offerings, while US hyperscalers are also responding with new initiatives tailored to the European market. AWS, for example, plans to launch the AWS European Sovereign Cloud by the end of 2025.

The d.velop SUMMIT stood out as a strong counterweight to the US-dominated IT landscape – demonstrating how digital sovereignty can thrive in Europe. With a dynamic ecosystem of European software vendors (ISVs), cloud platforms like the Open Telekom Cloud, and a strong emphasis on open source, the event presented a compelling vision for independent, sovereign IT.