Digital Sovereignty: From Discussion to Implementation

SAS and Notilyze Offer an European Alternative.

In recent years, discussions about digital sovereignty have shifted from theoretical topics to strategic necessities. While the topic was mainly discussed at conferences four years ago, governments and other organizations are now taking concrete steps to gain control over their data. Geopolitical developments and stricter European regulations have accelerated this movement.

Digital sovereignty is all about control: Who has access to data? Where is it stored? What legal regulations does it fall under? The EU is currently developing guidelines and assessment sheets to determine where data can be stored. The Netherlands has explicitly formulated the long-term goal of implementing a sovereign government cloud in its vision for digital administration. European governments no longer want to be completely dependent on American hyperscalers.

According to Colin Nugteren, the co-founder and CEO of Notilyze, the notion that there are no alternatives to the American hyperscalers is outdated. “We have built our own cloud together with a Dutch partner.” In the past, it was easy for governments and companies to say, “We’ll just choose one of the big three, and everything will be fine. Those days are over.”

Data classification is the key

In practice, data classification is crucial, and it is difficult to break away from the large American service providers. Contracts often last years, migrations are expensive, and many companies have integrated their services deeply with the major cloud providers. Vendor lock-in and tying arrangements make switching difficult. “This is especially true if you’ve invested heavily in such a cloud”, says Mathias Coopmans, Head of Customer Advisory Benelux at SAS. “It’s often unnecessary to abandon the hyperscalers. But you must know how you are using them. That’s why it’s important to accurately record what types of data exist, where they are located and what risks are associated with them. Scorecards that help classify the data are useful for this purpose. The most sensitive data should be protected as much as possible. These are European solutions for this.”

According to Nicole Mol, the first sheep have already crossed the dam wall, therefore others will now follow. Mol is responsible for the government and healthcare sector at SAS and, in this role, sees how government organisations access their important information internally. “This is a movement that has recently begun under the influence of geopolitical developments. I expect it to continue growing in the near future. However, migrating a large software system to another platform can be costly, especially if the contract has not yet expired. It’s not easy. As a government, you have to consider contracts expiration dates when making decisions about the future.”

Digital sovereignty goes beyond infrastructure. It encompasses a combination of hardware, software, management and compliance. Governments need to know who has access to data, how it is managed and how exit strategies are designed. Change-of-control clauses, audit trails and strict data deletion agreements are crucial to maintaining control. Flexibility also plays an important role. Instead of ten years, contracts with terms ranging from one to three years give organizations room for manoeuvre. At the same time, solutions must be scalable and comply with international laws and regulations.

The alternative: SAS and Notilyze

SAS and Notilyze together offer a powerful solution. Together, they provide advanced analytics and ‘Data Science as a Service’ via a pay-as-you-go cloud model. Notilyze hosts and manages SAS Viya environments, providing businesses with faster and easier access to AI, machine learning, and data visualization.

Their joint proposition combines international expertise with local roots:

• Freedom of choice and independence: SAS software runs on any infrastructure, whether on-premise, in a local cloud, or in a public cloud. This prevents vendor lock-in and gives organizations control over where their data is located.
  
  
• Compliance and transparency: SAS complies with international laws and regulations, providing a complete audit trail. Every action in the system is traceable, which is essential for governance and reliability.
  
  
• Local hosting and personal support: Notilyze manages of implementation and management in Dutch data centers and offers direct contact with experts. There are no anonymous call centers, only partners who know the region.
  
  
• Hybrid flexibility: From internal data centers to shared regional solutions, SAS and Notilyze offer options that meet businesses’ needs.

This collaboration offers the best of both worlds: the strength of a global technology company with 50 years of experience and the proximity and flexibility of a local partner.

Looking ahead: What will 2026 bring?

Digital sovereignty will remain on the agenda. Further European regulations will merge, including stricter data classification requirements and a growing demand for hybrid models. Governments will prioritize protecting the most sensitive data, while allowing less critical information to remain in shared environments. The movement has begun – now is the time to make strategic decisions.

About Notilyze 

Notilyze helps organizations unlock the value of their data with advanced analytics solutions, managed SAS Viya Cloud environments, and expert data engineering services. The company is committed to delivering secure, scalable, and high-performance analytics platforms tailored to EU compliance requirements.