EuroCloud Pulse Check 2026 confirms growing trend towards digital sovereignty in AI

AI boom as a catalyst

The development and operation of AI applications are emerging as the strongest growth drivers in the IT industry, prompting companies to reassess their infrastructure strategies. According to the study, 53% of surveyed companies plan to use European cloud providers for AI models and applications within the next two years (currently 40%). For the first time, European providers have overtaken international hyperscalers in corporate preferences, with the latter accounting for just 48%.

Geopolitical developments are a key factor behind this shift: 56% of respondents consider US foreign policy and geopolitical tensions a source of uncertainty influencing their infrastructure decisions.

“The study findings demonstrate that digital sovereignty has also become a guiding principle in the adoption of AI,” explains Dr. Elisabetta Castiglioni, CEO of A1 Digital. “A major driver behind the choice of European cloud providers is the desire for legal protection and independence. 70% of companies rate protection against access to their data under non-European legislation (such as the US CLOUD Act) as highly important for their future cloud strategy. It is encouraging to see that digital sovereignty has evolved from a buzzword into a decisive selection criterion in a future-oriented field such as AI.”

A paradigm shift in selection criteria: Simplicity outweighs excessive functionality

Beyond data protection and geopolitics, the study’s MaxDiff analysis reveals another fundamental shift in priorities when selecting cloud providers.

While specialized AI and data services, such as Exoscale’s “Dedicated Inference,” rank first among the selection criteria, “ease of use without additional effort” has climbed from fifth to second place year-on-year. Cost transparency follows closely behind. Meanwhile, an especially broad product portfolio has fallen from second to fifth place.

Companies are increasingly frustrated by the excessive complexity and unpredictable pricing models of many providers. Instead, they are looking for high-performance, specialized alternatives that can be deployed immediately without lengthy consulting projects.

As a result, more companies are moving away from reliance on a single hyperscaler. According to the study, planned adoption of multi-cloud models is set to more than double, rising from the current 10% to 21%. In addition, 66% of decision-makers demand “manageable complexity” in their IT environments.

Among the resilience criteria companies consider when selecting a cloud provider, financial resilience plays a particularly important role alongside technical factors. It is identified as an important consideration by 28% of respondents.

Strong willingness to switch meets organizational challenges

The willingness to switch cloud providers is substantial: 66% of companies are currently planning or considering migrating significant workloads or changing their primary cloud provider.

However, implementation often presents considerable challenges. These extend beyond technical interfaces. Existing data structures, access permissions, and individually configured platform services can also complicate migration.

The study therefore provides companies with another compelling reason to select infrastructure partners that support open-source solutions, open standards, and open interfaces.

Methodology

The study “EuroCloud Pulse Check 2026 – Europe’s Cloud Opportunity in the Age of AI” was conducted in August 2026 by the independent research and analyst firm techconsult GmbH on behalf of EuroCloud Deutschland_eco e. V. and its partners A1 Digital (Exoscale), IONOS, and plusserver.

The empirical findings are based on a representative survey of 250 IT and business decision-makers from German companies with at least 50 employees. All respondents were either primarily responsible for or significantly involved in their organizations’ cloud strategies, including CIOs, CTOs, IT directors, and managing directors.

About A1 Digital

A1 Digital is a trusted European partner for digital infrastructure and solutions, specializing in cloud, connectivity, IoT, networking, and cybersecurity, with the aim of guiding businesses towards a sovereign digital future.

As part of the A1 Telekom Austria Group, A1 Digital supports businesses and public sector organizations across Europe with secure and scalable digital solutions.