AWS has expanded the AWS European Sovereign Cloud and made its overall structure as European as it can make it. The company is setting up a new venture led by Kathrin Renz, who will be responsible for sovereign cloud operations as managing director. The service is scheduled to go live in Brandenburg, Germany, by the end of 2025.
Renz brings more than 20 years of experience in the technology sector. She currently serves as vice president of AWS Industries and will become the first managing director of the new company. As a German citizen, she will be bound by local laws and will oversee all decisions regarding governance, compliance, and security.
The message is clear: AWS is letting go of its American identity as much as possible for specific customers to facilitate a digitally autonomous Europe. Not just for Europeans, but also with European leadership.
Operational independence in Europe
The AWS European Sovereign Cloud will have a fully European governance structure. In addition to Renz, the management team consists of a government security and privacy official, all of whom are EU citizens residing in the EU. An independent advisory board of four members, at least one of whom is not affiliated with Amazon, will oversee operations.
AWS promises that all infrastructure, talent, technology, and leadership will be based in the EU. Only AWS employees residing in the EU will have access to data centers and be able to provide technical support. This distinguishes the AWS European Sovereign Cloud from its competitors.
Dedicated Security Operations Center
For security, there will be a dedicated European Security Operations Center that follows European security practices. A European security leader, also an EU citizen and resident in Europe, will advise customers and regulators on security issues. AWS is also introducing the Sovereign Requirements Framework, a comprehensive set of technical, legal, and operational sovereignty controls.
The service is designed to operate without interruption, even in the event of connectivity issues with the rest of the world. Authorized AWS employees in Europe will have independent access to copies of source code to maintain the services. For networking, there will be a separate infrastructure with European connectivity providers via AWS Direct Connect.
Response to European demand
“Customers don’t want to choose between limited solutions or the full power of AWS,” said Renz. The AWS European Sovereign Cloud must meet European digital sovereignty requirements without compromising on services, security, or performance. It is a response to growing concerns about data sovereignty in Europe, where US providers are not welcome. All these steps should put that idea in the background.
The previously announced investment of approximately €8 billion by 2040 already demonstrated that AWS sees Europe as a priority. The company also has 25 years of experience in Europe and employs 225,000 people on the continent. The European Sovereign Cloud builds on this presence with a full service package and AWS Partner Solutions.
This positions AWS as a competitor to other sovereign cloud initiatives in Europe. While Dutch projects such as ECOFED are developing federated European clouds, AWS has opted for a fully integrated approach within its own infrastructure. Most importantly, the public cloud remains intact with all its capabilities. AWS is likely to find a way to meet all requirements, thereby preventing an exodus to European players.