Free Research Note

Reality Check: Sovereign Data Management – Made in Europe?

This BARC research note examines whether European cloud providers can compete with established hyperscalers: Where are the clear strengths of STACKIT's data management offering with Dremio, and where is there still potential for development? Evaluated as part of this practical hands-on test are technical performance, scalability, costs, and data sovereignty.

This study explores the following questions:

  • Can a European cloud provider compete in an international comparison?
  • What does data sovereignty truly mean in terms of legal, strategic, and technological dimensions for your IT architecture?
  • How does the lakehouse principle work in practice?
  • What role do open standards play?

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Further information

Data is the most valuable raw material of digitalization – but those who lose control over it risk their future viability. EU regulations such as the Data Act and NIS2 tighten compliance requirements, while geopolitical tensions and laws like the US CLOUD Act raise questions about who actually has control over data. In a recent BARC survey, 84 percent of companies rated data sovereignty as strategically important. But can European cloud providers really keep pace with AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud?

This study goes beyond theoretical debates. BARC conducted an in-depth practical evaluation of the STACKIT cloud platform (Schwarz Group) and its Dremio-based lakehouse solution – from performance measurements to scalability tests and cost assessment. The goal: an honest, practice-oriented assessment without marketing filter, enabling decision-makers to judge whether sovereign alternatives are already a serious option for European enterprises today.

Author(s)

Thomas Zeutschler
Senior Analyst Data & AI
As an analyst and technology expert, Thomas supports his clients in adapting modern data & analytics concepts and technologies and in developing data-driven processes and business models.

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