Powered by: CIONET and FSAS
During an exclusive CIONET Executive Dinner, CIOs and IT leaders from various ministries, large municipalities, and other government agencies joined experts from Fsas Technologies for a sharp dialogue. The central question: The world is changing dramatically how can we achieve digital sovereignty and accelerate innovation with AI while mitigating dependency of autocratic countries in realizing strategic IT autonomy? The conclusion was clear: sovereignty is no longer a luxury, but a strategic prerequisite.
Fsas Technologies, formerly a part of Fujitsu's Data Center Platform Business, has evolved into a key player in the market for sovereign IT solutions. It focuses on empowering organizations to achieve digital autonomy by offer robust platforms, securing critical data and ensuring operational independence.
Ambitions within the Dutch public sector are high, but the infrastructure often lags behind. As Jeroen Kleinhoven noted during his introduction, the strategic mandate for government IT requires accelerating innovation while guaranteeing operational autonomy.
However, a pressing question dominated the table: How can we manage the speed of innovation while benefiting from AI, without surrendering the data we own? The consensus was that AI is, first and foremost, a "data cleanup" mission. You cannot have effective AI without getting your data in order first.
The discussion moved away from traditional "sourcing" views. One participant noted that 70% of government data is likely irrelevant; the challenge lies in the remaining 30% of critical data that can be seen as " sovereign data" and should be stored at full Dutch controlled environment, preferably on-prem. The discussion explored how many organizations are still trapped in old patterns where data is often considered supportive rather than a core asset. Consequently, analyses remain reactive and focused on historical data, while technology is primarily deployed to automate existing, legacy processes.
Organizations need to make fundamental changes:
A key highlight was the alignment of values between Japan and Europe. Both regions prioritize privacy, stability, and democratic control over technology.
Japan - with Fsas Technologies - offers a stable, high-trust corridor. This partnership presents a unique opportunity: by leveraging Japanese hardware expertise with European data governance, we can create a "third way" that avoids the risks of global hyperscaler dependency. It’s not just about finding a new vendor; it’s about fostering a market opportunity where European and allied companies provide the sovereign alternatives we so desperately need.
AI is the ultimate test of our digital foundations. FSAS Technologies demonstrated that On-Premise AI and Private GPT are no longer future concepts but current realities. This allows the government to improve services using sensitive data while ensuring that data never leaves its sovereign sphere.
The challenge now is not technology, but awareness. How do we get the necessary "buy-in" at the very top of policy-making and executive decision-making to invest in these sovereign foundations?
The evening in The Hague made one thing clear: "Control" is not about isolation - it is about the ability to continue making your own choices.
To maintain control, organizations must now:
Are you ready to bridge the gap toward an outcome-driven, sovereign IT strategy? Contact CIONET to learn more about the topic following this session.