In this blog series, we have moved from the fundamental insight into the need for digital control and sovereignty, via the decisive role of procurement, to the challenges of practically managing open solutions and handling data sharing. These are all critical parts in building a more independent digital future. But for these efforts to have a lasting effect and not just become isolated projects, the issue of digital sovereignty must be elevated to the strategic level and anchored in the organization’s governance.

Digital sovereignty is not primarily a technical issue. It is a matter of power, independence, and strategic resilience. In a world where digital infrastructures and services are increasingly controlled by a few global players, and where geopolitical tensions can have direct consequences for access to digital tools and data, an organization’s ability to exert control over its digital environment becomes a business-critical survival factor.

Who in your organization has the ultimate responsibility for your digital destiny? Is it the IT department? Legal counsel? The management team? Without clear ownership and a high-level strategy, the work on digital sovereignty risks falling between the cracks, being reduced merely to compliance with minimum requirements (like GDPR), or allowing innovation to proceed in a way that increases rather than reduces risks and dependencies.

The risks of not having a conscious strategy for digital sovereignty are tangible:

• Increased vendor lock-in: Without requirements for open standards and interoperability, it becomes increasingly difficult and expensive to switch vendors or integrate new solutions, reducing the organization’s flexibility and negotiation power.
• Geopolitical exposure: Data and systems subject to jurisdiction in countries with different laws (e.g., cloud services covered by foreign intelligence acts) can be exposed to unwanted scrutiny or even inaccessibility during conflicts.
• Supply chain cybersecurity risks: Lack of insight and control over third-party vendors’ security processes constitutes a significant vulnerability that can be exploited in cyberattacks.
• Limited innovation capability: Difficulties in sharing data internally or with external partners hinder the ability to develop new data-driven services and processes.
• Loss of trust: Particularly for public organizations, citizen trust in how data is handled is central. Dependencies on external, non-transparent actors can undermine this trust.

Establishing strategic governance for digital sovereignty means that these risks are identified, analyzed, and systematically managed at the leadership level. It is about:

1. Clear ownership and responsibility: Define who in the management team or on the board has the overall responsibility for digital dependencies and sovereignty issues.
2. Integrated risk analysis: Regularly evaluate digital dependencies (technical, vendor, geographical) as part of the organization’s overall risk management.
3. Strategic principles and policies: Develop guiding principles for, e.g., cloud service selection, data management, the use of open source and standards, acceptable risk levels, which govern procurement and architecture at a high level.
4. Competence development at the leadership level: Ensure that leadership has sufficient understanding of the strategic implications of digital choices and dependencies.
5. Long-term architectural planning: Work with a digital architecture that actively reduces critical lock-in and promotes substitutability and flexibility over time.

It’s a balancing act. No organization can or should be entirely self-sufficient digitally. The strategic goal is not total isolation, but managed independence – the ability to make conscious decisions about which dependencies are acceptable, which must be minimized, and how to maintain freedom to act despite complex digital ecosystems.

Beginning the journey towards strategic governance of digital sovereignty requires an honest discussion at the highest level about the organization’s exposure and ambitions. It requires insight into the complex interplay between technology, law, geopolitics, and business/operational goals.

Having an external partner with experience in facilitating these strategic discussions, conducting structured risk analyses of digital dependencies, and developing frameworks for digital governance can be crucial for lifting the issue from the IT department to the boardroom and translating it into concrete action.

Your organization’s digital destiny is being written in the strategic decisions made today. Are you proactive in governing your digital future and ensuring your long-term sovereignty?