Cegeka Selected by IBM as European Launch Partner for IBM Sovereign Core

From January 20 to 24, global leaders, policymakers and technology partners convene at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos to discuss the world’s most pressing economic, geopolitical and technological challenges. In this context, Cegeka joined IBM to share their joint perspective on digital sovereignty and AI-ready cloud architectures.

IBM has selected Cegeka as one of the first European IT service providers to offer IBM Sovereign Core in Belgium and the Netherlands. The collaboration builds on Cegeka’s long-standing investments in sovereign cloud and data center services, designed to manage sensitive data within controlled, compliant and locally governed environments. Together, the partners provide a concrete response to Europe’s evolving sovereign cloud framework, enabling organizations to adopt future-proof cloud solutions that meet the highest standards of digital sovereignty. 

IBM Sovereign Core is a software-based capability that allows organizations to run AI-ready workloads under full operational control, within a single jurisdiction. It can be deployed across Cegeka’s in-country private cloud and data center environments, or in dedicated, customer-specific environments. The solution strengthens existing capabilities around governance, compliance and digital autonomy. 

As organizations accelerate the adoption of Data & AI, requirements around data governance, transparency and operational control become increasingly critical. Sovereign cloud architectures provide the foundation needed to scale AI responsibly, ensuring that data, models and workloads remain auditable, compliant and under local jurisdiction. 

“Digital sovereignty and regulatory compliance are no longer peripheral considerations — they are foundational elements of modern cloud strategies,” says Gaetan Willems, Vice President Cloud & Digital Platforms at Cegeka. “The challenge for organizations is to address these requirements without constraining innovation. Our role is to enable that balance: supporting technological progress within clear, verifiable and locally governed frameworks.” 

“The rapid adoption of Data & AI puts sovereignty at the heart of technology strategy,” says Gregory Verlinden, Vice President Data & AI at Cegeka. “In 2026, trust becomes more important than ever. Trust in governance, control and accountability. It’s our responsibility, together with our partners, to enable that trust and ensure AI can scale in a responsible way.” 

IBM echoes the importance of operational autonomy as a core pillar of digital sovereignty. 

“Digital sovereignty goes beyond data localization — it is about who controls, operates and can demonstrably comply with regulatory requirements,” says Priya Srinivasan, General Manager, IBM Software Products. “With IBM Sovereign Core and partners like Cegeka, we provide organizations with an AI-ready software foundation that combines operational autonomy with continuous compliance, within their own jurisdiction.” 

Over recent years, Cegeka has made significant investments in local cloud and data center services, with a strong focus on auditability, transparency and operational control. The collaboration with IBM aligns closely with this long-term strategy and further reinforces Cegeka’s position as a trusted partner for organizations with stringent compliance and digital sovereignty requirements.