Bottom line: Organizations in the EMEA region recognize AI sovereignty as a business necessity, but are factually locked into proprietary systems and lack sufficient transparency over their vendor dependencies.
A global study by the IBM Institute for Business Value shows that AI sovereignty has become business-critical for EMEA organizations – yet most remain bound to proprietary AI systems whose replacement is barely possible. At the same time, they lack transparency regarding their vendor dependencies.
The IBM study documents a central dilemma: while organizations in the EMEA region have recognized AI sovereignty as a strategic necessity, they are factually trapped in AI systems that significantly impede migration or switching to alternative solutions. This constrains their freedom of action in shaping their AI infrastructure.
A major problem lies in the lack of transparency over dependencies. Many organizations do not have sufficient visibility into their ties to specific vendors, models, and underlying infrastructure characteristics. These knowledge gaps make it difficult for them to identify risks and evaluate strategic alternatives.
This is relevant for Chief Data Officers and regulatory stakeholders, as AI sovereignty increasingly touches on compliance, control, and risk management requirements. The inability to break free from proprietary systems can jeopardize regulatory requirements for data security and independence.
Source: itwelt.at · Published June 22, 2026
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