Tech exec admits not dead cert it'll find the right solution
EXCLUSIVE Airbus is preparing to tender a major contract to migrate mission-critical workloads to a digitally sovereign European cloud – but estimates only an 80/20 chance of finding a suitable provider.
The aerospace manufacturer, which has already consolidated its datacenter estate and uses services like Google Workspace, now wants to move key on-premises applications including ERP, manufacturing execution systems, CRM, and product lifecycle management (aircraft designs) to the cloud.
"I need a sovereign cloud because part of the information is extremely sensitive from a national and European perspective," Catherine Jestin, Airbus's executive vice president of digital, told The Register. "We want to ensure this information remains under European control."
The driver is access to new software. Vendors like SAP are developing innovations exclusively in the cloud, pushing customers toward platforms like S/4HANA.
The request for proposals launches in early January, with a decision expected before summer. The contract – understood to be worth more than €50 million – will be long term (up to ten years), with price predictability over the period.
Digital sovereignty has become more critical since Donald Trump's return to the White House in January. His policies created volatility in trade and geopolitical relations, prompting European customers to reduce reliance on US providers.
While Microsoft, AWS, and Google have created solutions to address these concerns, fears persist about the US CLOUD Act, which allows authorities to request data held by American corporations in overseas datacenters.
Microsoft admitted in French court last July it couldn't guarantee data sovereignty under this legislation.
Jestin is waiting for European regulators to clarify whether Airbus would truly be "immune to extraterritorial laws" – and whether services could be interrupted.
The concern isn't theoretical. Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Karim Khan reportedly lost access to his Microsoft email after Trump sanctioned him for criticizing Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, though Microsoft denies suspending ICC services.
Beyond US complications, Jestin questions whether European cloud providers have sufficient scale. "If you asked me today if we'll find a solution, I'd say 80/20."
This puts pressure on European providers to collaborate, though whether they can navigate such complexities in Airbus's timeframe remains uncertain. ®