Cloud Ecosystem & Sovereignty

Cloud as an enabler of Digital Transformation and key business services: current trends analyzed by the Cloud Ecosystem & Sovereignty Observatory of the POLIMI School of Management.

Goals

Activities

Work Group

Supporters

Objectives of the Observatory

Now in its seventeenth edition, the Observatory Cloud Ecosystem & Sovereignty aims to create and disseminate knowledge that supports companies in reinterpreting the Cloud in an ecosystemic and geopolitical key, seizing all opportunities offered by the Cloud, now a true enabler of digital transformation at the heart of industrial and institutional strategies.

In recent years, the cloud has increasingly established itself as a strategic element for access to digital innovation, playing a crucial role in shaping the technological future. However, in line with the growing strategic importance of the cloud, the issue of digital sovereignty has taken on increasing importance, becoming central to a delicate geopolitical balance worldwide. In this scenario, the Observatory serves as a point of reference to explore the evolution of the business models of supply chain players, the sourcing strategies adopted by end-user organizations ,as well as cost management, and the implementation of new technologies such as AI in business models. Furthermore, it aims to offer a privileged perspective on big tech and digital sovereignty, with the goal of analyzing the strategies of the main players involved in this strategic scenario.

Cloud Ecosystem & Sovereignty Observatory Research

Within the 2026 Research The Cloud Ecosystem & Sovereignty Observatory aims to:

Quantify the Cloud market in Italy and Europe and identify the main trends in progress, in particular through a census of the main European IaaS and PaaS providers.
Analyze the European computing landscape, examining the direction Europe is taking in this area.
Analyze the technology investment strategies of big tech companies.
Define a taxonomy and a definition of Sovereign Cloud, attempting to quantify the market.
Monitor Italian and European initiatives to safeguard data sovereignty and security.
Analyze the role of Cloud as an enabler of digital transformation and main innovative technological trends, such as Artificial Intelligence and Analytics.
Develop a framework on the enabling role of Cloud for AI (e.g., AIaaS Solutions, PaaS, etc.).
Create a Cloud Cost Management Model within organizations.
Analyze the role of Cloud in corporate ecological transformation.
Understand the paths of Cloud adoption in companies and the impacts of this paradigm on Information Systems, with particular focus on Cloud Migration strategies and on Hybrid and Multi Cloud.
Understand Hybrid & Multi Cloud governance models.
Analyze the state of adoption of Cloud Native architectures in the various business applications and application evolution strategies.
Understand the transformation of work methods towards Agile and DevOps and how they integrate into a secure application development framework.
Understand the impact of the Cloud on the IT Management role and which new skills are required.
Analyze the state of Cloud adoption in Italian SMEs.
Analyze the current state and evolutionary trends of the Cloud market, focusing on the impact that new technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence, are having on their business model.
Outline the evolution of Cloud solutions offering supply chain, analyzing their main products and/or services.

The Observatory Cloud Ecosystem & Sovereignty Research is based on empirical analysis which involves approximately 1,000 user companies through surveys and case studies, with the participation of CIOs from large and very large Italian enterprises and IT Managers from medium-sized Italian enterprises, and over 350 companies operating in the Cloud market.

Lastly, through targeted studies and a series of workshops, Research aims to test and consolidate frameworks and methodologies that enable companies to adopt a more mature approach to the Cloud, by understanding its strategic importance and the sourcing implications it entails.

Activities

Cloud Ecosystem & Sovereignty Observatory activities

The events planned by the Cloud Transformation Observatory are:

Digital Leaders Summit, in which in-depth analyses of themes relevant to corporate digital decision-makers are presented, such as future scenarios for IT sourcing, IT cost management, implementation of new technologies in business models (e.g., AI)
This first stream includes a private research workshop (on the theme of new Cloud costs, particularly those related to AI and digital sovereignty) and an executive workshop (on strategic sourcing) with limited attendance, as well as an open workshop where companies supporting the research can present a client use case.
Digital Sovereignty Meeting, presenting insights on the topic of Cloud Sovereignty through an analysis of the infrastructural supply chain (hardware, chip supply chain, etc.) and the development of a Cloud sovereignty taxonomy.
This second strand includes a closed-door workshop (on the topic of digital sovereignty analysis within the Cloud supply chain) and an Executive Dinner (a networking event in collaboration with other Observatories dealing with related topics, such as Data Center, Software & Digital Native and Quantum Computing & Communication)
The two strands merge in the Conference presenting the final results of the Research activity, an event featuring round tables and presentations by leading figures from user companies and Cloud provider sectors.
The Observatory benefits from the participation of the Advisory Board; a steering group of Observatory activities composed of C-level executives and managers from large companies operating in Italy. Advisory Board members are
- Christian Altomare, Head of PBC International Strategy & Architecture, Head of IT Architecture, Engineering and Cloud Italy, Deutsche Bank
- Antonio Arnau, Chief Technology Officer, Carrefour
- Massimo Bertolotti, Senior Director of Communications & Infrastructure, Sky
- Cristian Bionda, Head of Architecture, BI & Application Operations, Saras
- Alessandro Bottin, Group Infrastructure & Operations Director, Prysmian Group
- Alessandro Bruno, Cloud Architect Lead, Head of Multicloud Management Platform and Cloud Migration program lead, Intesa Sanpaolo
- Alessandro Caronia, Infrastructure Operations, Eni Plenitude
- Laura Casagrande, Investment Portfolio & Cost Performance Monitoring, Eni Plenitude
- Franco Cerutti, IT Director ABG — Global Maritime & Environmental Compliance Carnival Corporation, Costa Crociere
- Andrea Chiarottino, ICT Project Manager, CNH Industrial; Head of B2B and B2C Digital Channels Technology, MSC Cruises
- Gabriella Cobianchi, ICT — Infrastructure and Telecommunications, Edison
- Paolo Della Schiava, VP Digital Transformation, Fincantieri Marine Group
- Andrea Fumagalli, Cloud Transformation and Innovation Lead, A2A
- Tommaso Manzeni, Head of Cloud Centre of Excellence, ENI
- Riccardo Marchiani, Head of IT Enterprise Architecture, Head of Agile, Digital Innovation and IT Group excellence, Autostrade per l’Italia
- Massimo Moroni, IT Infrastructure, Architecture & Cybersecurity Vice President, Barilla
- Marco Pia, ICT Architecture & BI, Saras
- Simone Procopio, CTO, Il Giornale
- Stefano Regaglia, Head of Engineering Services, Infrastructure and Technological Services, Enel
- Francesco Sini, Head of FinOps and Digital Sustainability Leader, AXA
- Luigi Vassallo, Chief Operating Officer, Sara Assicurazioni
- Veronica Viviani, Cloud & Finops Manager, Carrefour
- Francesco Zoletto, Advanced Engineering Programs Director, Alstom
The Executive Workshop and Research Workshops are closed-door events and therefore exclusive to Research supporters and a select number of user companies. For information about the detailed plan and registration, please email: jacopo.polverino@polimi.it / alberto.maffei@polimi.it

Become a supporter of the Cloud Ecosystem & Sovereignty Observatory

The Cloud Ecosystem & Sovereignty Observatory is supported by several sector partner and sponsor companies. Take part in the Research, access Observatory exclusive data before anyone else, network with companies and qualified experts and gain visibility in our events.

For more information please contact Luca Dozio (luca.dozio@polimi.it) and Marina Natalucci (marina.natalucci@polimi.it).