AWS Unveils European Sovereign Cloud To Meet Data Residency Needs

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 15 (Bernama) -- Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced the general availability of the AWS European Sovereign Cloud, a fully independent cloud located entirely within the European Union (EU), designed to provide governments and enterprises with sovereign control over sensitive data.

The new cloud is physically and logically separate from other AWS Regions, combining operational autonomy, strict data residency, and advanced technical and compliance controls, according to a statement.

The initiative launches with a region in Brandenburg, Germany, with planned expansion to Belgium, the Netherlands, and Portugal via new AWS Local Zones to support low-latency applications and strict data isolation.

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AWS European Sovereign Cloud customers can leverage over 90 services, including artificial intelligence (AI), compute, database, and networking, while maintaining compliance with EU data sovereignty requirements.

AWS’s sovereign-by-design infrastructure ensures that operations, talent, and governance remain entirely within the EU. All critical operations are managed by EU residents, with zero dependency on non-EU infrastructure. Advanced security is enforced through the AWS Nitro System, encryption, key management, and the independently validated European Sovereign Cloud-Sovereignty Reference Framework.

AWS plans to invest over 7.8 billion euros in Germany, supporting an average of 2,800 jobs annually and contributing an estimated 17.2 billion euros to Germany’s gross domestic product (GDP). Expansion across other EU countries will bring additional cloud and AI capabilities to support regional innovation and digital growth. (1 Euro = RM4.71)

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The European Sovereign Cloud builds on AWS’s existing EU regions that are sovereign-by-design, offering customers additional choice to meet stringent requirements without sacrificing the breadth of AWS services. Launch partners include Accenture, Adobe, Atos, Deloitte, NVIDIA, and SAP.

Public sector and regulated industry customers already adopting the solution include EWE AG, Medizinische Universität Lausitz – Carl Thiem (MUL-CT), and Sanoma Learning. The cloud targets sectors with strict compliance demands, such as government, healthcare, finance, defence, aerospace, energy, and telecommunications.

AWS emphasises that the European Sovereign Cloud allows organisations to maintain full control over the location and movement of data, with metadata, billing, and IAM systems fully resident in the EU. Customers can also use AWS Dedicated Local Zones, AI Factories, or Outposts in locations of their choice to meet more specific data residency requirements.

-- BERNAMA