CTO Craft Bytes Discussion about Data Sovereignty
European Data Sovereignty is quickly moving from abstract policy debate to a pressing reality for technology leaders across the continent. In this conversation, Janne Kalliola from Coonti joined Andy Skipper from CTO Craft for a discussion on what is really driving this urgency, from shifting regulations to geopolitical risk, and what sovereignty actually means in practice beyond the buzzwords.
We had a candid and grounded exchange that challenged some of the common assumptions around cloud, control, and compliance, while tying the topic back to real-world decisions that CTOs and engineering leaders are already making today.
We also had a practical exploration of trade-offs, constraints, and architectural choices that shape how organisations build and operate modern digital systems.
What you took away from the session included a clear and practical understanding of what “data sovereignty” really means—and what it does not. We explored the regulatory and geopolitical forces shaping Europe’s data landscape, and looked at how these pressures translate into concrete architectural and operational considerations.
We also examined the realities of hyperscalers, vendor lock-in, and the trade-offs involved in different infrastructure strategies. Finally, we discussed practical first steps organisations can take to assess and improve their sovereignty posture in a structured and realistic way.
The recording of the discussion can be watched in YouTube: