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Innovation does not happen by itself. Breakthroughs require vision, courage, perseverance and strong leadership. That is why the Breakthrough Festival 2026, taking place on 17 September, brings together current and future IT, Digital, Data, Cyber and Technology Leaders for an inspiring afternoon of real-world stories, fresh perspectives and valuable networking opportunities.

Digital autonomy is often presented in discussions—including on this platform—as a strategic objective. The conversation typically revolves around sovereignty, dependence on hyperscalers, or the extent to which an organization still maintains control over its data and infrastructure. At the same time, organizations tend to discuss these themes primarily in strategic terms. The translation into concrete architectural decisions and design criteria for execution often lags behind.

A new Asterès study, commissioned by Cigref, shows that the prices of cloud and software services in Europe are rising structurally and significantly — well above inflation — with substantial consequences for European organisations and the economy. This provides yet another reason to further strengthen the availability of European alternatives. 

CIO Platform Nederland, in collaboration with Brabers, has submitted a consultation response to the European Commission’s draft Merger Guidelines. We have done so to clearly bring forward the perspective of business users of digital technologies. For organisations that depend on cloud, software and digital infrastructure, it is crucial that merger control better takes into account dependencies, lock-in and limited switching possibilities. 

When multiple models could do the (AI) trick for your use case, which one would you choose? Do you take an open source small model, the most sovereign solution or will you go for the greenest option? Using Grok via Gas fueled turbines in the US versus selecting Mistral operating on the 'Nuclear' French grid will yield very different carbon outcomes!