FRANKFURT: Europe must urgently catch up with the United States in digital capabilities according to German software giant SAP.
The company announced a twenty billion euro investment in cloud computing on Tuesday while warning about Europe’s technological lag.
SAP board member Thomas Saueressig emphasised the immediate need for action during a press conference.
“We cannot wait five years,“ he stated bluntly to reporters. “Europe is far behind.”
European leaders have grown increasingly concerned about their dependence on American technology firms since Donald Trump’s re-election.
Trump’s tariffs on European goods and repeated criticism of European tech regulations have intensified these worries.
SAP’s ten-year investment plan will enable customers to store data exclusively on European cloud infrastructure.
Clients can alternatively choose to keep all data within their own premises according to the new offering.
Martin Merz, head of cloud computing at SAP, stressed the importance of European technological independence.
“Data sovereignty ensures that all data remains within the European Union, upholding strong data protection and compliance with European Union regulations,“ he explained.
German defence electronics company Hensoldt has already become one of the first customers for this new service.
Although American competitors like Microsoft offer similar data localization options, Saueressig argued European oversight provides greater security.
“This is actually the critical point,“ he said regarding SAP’s expanding cloud operations. “It’s fully operated by SAP.”
The software giant employs approximately 110,000 people and remains Germany’s most valuable company at 285 billion euros. – AFP
