In Europe, digital autonomy is increasingly seen as a survival strategy rather than a desire, according to Bernd Wagner, CEO of cloud company Stackit, in the FD.
According to Wagner, dependence on American cloud giants has become risky in a world where geopolitical tensions can directly affect digital infrastructure.
Stackit is part of Schwarz Digits, the digital subsidiary of the Schwarz Group. This, in turn, is the parent company of supermarket chains Lidl and Kaufland. Schwarz Digits was founded to maintain control over digital infrastructure and now leads large-scale projects in the fields of data centers, cloud, and AI. Stackit itself manages seven data centers in Germany and Austria and is investing billions in expansion.
A 200-megawatt data center will be built in Lübbenau, south of Berlin. Kaufland has had a large logistics center in this location since 1996. Initially, the campus will house local data from Schwarz brands Lidl and Kaufland, but there will also be space for third-party data processing.
Own cloud as a strategic necessity
According to Wagner, who was previously responsible for Google Cloud in Germany, the decision to build its cloud was driven by strategic necessity. In the FD, he refers to recent incidents in which US pressure led to a sudden interruption of IT services for European officials, such as in the case of the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. Such examples underscore that digital dependence on foreign players can have consequences for both sovereignty and continuity.
Stackit promises customers complete control over their data and infrastructure. The source code is accessible, the technology is based on open source, and all data remains subject to European law. This approach differs significantly from the practices of American hyperscalers, who are required by the Cloud Act to hand over data to US authorities, even if it is physically stored in Europe.
IPO ruled out
An IPO is out of the question for Stackit, according to Wagner, because foreign investors would once again create external dependencies. The company will therefore remain wholly owned by the Schwarz Group.
The Netherlands is now on the radar for expansion, including a sales office and possibly also R&D. The recent announcement by the Dutch government to focus on a sovereign cloud prompted Stackit to enter into talks with parties from the healthcare and public sectors, among others.