Europe is digitally dependent on “hyperscalers” like AWS, Microsoft, and Google Cloud. With OpenDesk and OpenCode, Berlin is promoting genuine alternatives for the first time. Europe is seeking answers at TransformIT Europe 2026 in Brussels.
By Jan Nintemann and Jochen Siegle; Photo: Xu Haiwei on Unsplash
The German government acknowledges: Germany and Europe are heavily dependent on US corporations in key areas such as cloud infrastructure, operating systems, and network technology.
So-called hyperscalers like AWS, Microsoft, and Google Cloud dominate the market – even German authorities and the federal police use their services. Even the Bundeswehr is considering Google Cloud – despite significant risks posed by the US Cloud Act.
European Alternatives: OpenDesk & OpenCode
To reduce dependence, the German government is currently investing in the open-source solutions OpenDesk and OpenCode. OpenDesk is a Microsoft 365 alternative and is being developed as an Enterprise Edition with the support of B1 Systems and StackIT. OpenCode, on the other hand, is to be expanded as a platform for administrative software, supplemented by a feasibility study on the German Administrative Cloud.
For 2025 alone, ten million Euros are earmarked for OpenDesk; in total, over 35 million Euros have flowed into the project so far. Goal: a sovereign, European IT infrastructure.
Europe Needs an Independent, Digital Future
Digital sovereignty is not a national issue, but a European task. Whoever controls the infrastructure controls data, innovation, and competitiveness. The urgency was highlighted by Prof. Dr. Harald Wehnes at TransformIT Europe 2025. “Digital sovereignty has never been more important than today”, explains the computer science professor from the University of Würzburg. “Europe must wake up.”
He warns of the dangers of massive dependence – from cost explosions to blackmailability (“kill switches”) – and at the same time shows how Europe can act independently, self-determined, and securely in the digital space.
Answers in Brussels
These questions are in the interest of the digital future of all of Europe and are also at the heart of the TransformIT Europe Conference & Expo 2026 from May 5. – 8. May in Brussels.
There, politics, business, startups, and research discuss how Europe can become more independent – from cloud sovereignty and open-source infrastructures to frameworks for sustainable digitalization.
Sources & Links
- https://www.deutschlandfunknova.de/beitrag/digitale-autonomie—deutschland-und-europa-stark-abh%C3%A4ngig-von-usa-und-china
- https://www.heise.de/news/openDesk-B1-und-StackIT-bieten-Enterprise-Variante-de
- https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/key/date/2025/html/ecb.sp250408~40820747ef.de.html
- https://www.heise.de/news/Bundeswehr-setzt-auf-Google-Cloud-10397414.html
- Prof. Dr. Harald Wehnes at TransformIT Europe 2025