European cloud takes the lead in Denmark

In this article, you will read

• which key topics were discussed at the Cloud & AI Festival in Copenhagen 2025,  
• the role digital sovereignty plays for Denmark,
• and how the Open Telekom Cloud was received.

The Cloud & AI Festival 2025 was less about showcasing distant visions of the future and more of a reality check on where cloud and AI stand today—with all their opportunities as well as their open questions. Good coffee aside, the spotlight was firmly on sovereignty.

The Cloud Festival jokingly promotes itself for its outstanding coffee—but, of course, the event offers much more. Organized by Computerwoche, the conference draws thousands of IT professionals each year and provides a vital forum to keep pace with the fast-moving evolution of the cloud. On September 17 and 18, 2025, Copenhagen once again became the gathering point for the Scandinavian IT community. More than 2,400 participants exchanged insights on the latest developments in cloud and artificial intelligence. Over 90 speakers presented their experiences, visions, and best practices across three parallel stages. In 2025, five main themes emerged as particularly significant.

A core theme was how companies and the public sector can adopt cloud solutions without losing control over their data. Terms such as sovereign cloud, EU regulation, and data localization came up repeatedly. The geopolitical context—from Schrems II to the upcoming EU AI Act and security concerns with hyperscalers—is clearly forcing organizations to rethink their cloud strategies.

Beyond the public cloud, hybrid and multi-cloud scenarios gained new prominence. Many case studies showed how companies are strategically distributing workloads to optimize costs and reduce dependency on single providers. A recurring keyword was rightsizing: striking the right balance between performance, flexibility, and cost efficiency.

The keynotes and breakout sessions showed that in 2025, the conversation has moved beyond feasibility to concrete AI applications. Examples included automated document processing, vibe coding, and GPU-powered data analysis. The central challenge is scaling from prototypes to production—along with applying the right governance models.

Cybersecurity remained a perennial issue. Presentations covered identity and access management, zero trust, and cloud security frameworks. A hotly debated topic was how to integrate security and compliance into new AI-driven tools.

Denmark is seen as a frontrunner in e-government, and many public-sector representatives shared their experiences. They showed how cloud and AI are being used to streamline administrative processes while maintaining compliance with strict data protection requirements.

To put the audience’s reaction into context, it’s important to consider Denmark’s background. Like other Scandinavian and Baltic countries, Denmark is a pioneer in e-government, where cloud adoption naturally plays a central role.

The congress attendees were correspondingly sensitive to geopolitical shifts and the political aspects of the cloud. What if, for example, the USA were to underscore its reach toward Greenland by cutting off cloud services? It was clearly noticeable that Danish organizations want to free themselves from dependence on US hyperscalers. They are seeking European alternatives to ensure long-term service availability.

“Ideally, many participants wished for a region in Denmark,” Smets explains, “but deployment from Germany or the Netherlands is a realistic option for Danish organizations. Trust in Europe is strong.”

His conclusion:
“Sovereignty is not a topic for debate in Denmark—it is already a declared goal. A European cloud can pave the way. With the Open Telekom Cloud, we literally walked through open doors and were able to position it as a hyperscaler alternative.”