EuroCloud Pulse Check 2026: European Cloud Providers Gain Importance in the AI Era

AI is driving the diversification of cloud strategies - European providers are gaining importance, particularly as an additional option in multi-cloud environments

• 53% of companies plan to use European cloud providers for AI applications and models
• Multi-cloud is gaining importance: 21% intend to use multiple public cloud providers in future
• 66% are considering switching providers, but only 42% believe migration would be straightforward

Artificial intelligence is transforming the cloud strategies of German companies and creating new opportunities for European cloud providers. Over the next two years, 53% of the companies surveyed plan to use European cloud providers to run AI applications and models.

At the same time, the cloud landscape is becoming more diverse. Rather than relying on a single cloud model or category of provider, companies are increasingly combining platforms according to specific use cases.

These are the findings of the new EuroCloud Pulse Check 2026, entitled "Europe's Cloud Opportunity in the AI Era - Between Innovation, Digital Sovereignty and European Resilience". The study was conducted by techconsult GmbH among 250 IT decision-makers at German companies on behalf of EuroCloud Germany and eco - Association of the Internet Industry.

AI creates new opportunities for European providers

The findings do not suggest that international platforms are being replaced. Instead, they point towards an increasingly diversified cloud landscape in which different providers fulfil different roles. Companies are placing greater emphasis on selecting the most suitable platform for each workload.

European providers are particularly attractive where data control and legal certainty are important. Some 63% of companies would prefer a European provider for business process software, 62% for identity and access management and 61% for compliance and data residency solutions.

For AI workloads, however, the competitive landscape is more open. Alongside sovereignty, computing power, the availability of AI models and integration with existing ecosystems are particularly important factors.

"AI opens up considerable growth opportunities for European cloud providers. This is not about choosing between European and international platforms. Companies need freedom of choice and the ability to select the right solution for each workload. Sovereignty therefore becomes a competitive advantage when it is combined with technical performance, straightforward integration and genuine portability," says Dr Nils Kaufmann, Board Member of EuroCloud Germany.

Multi-cloud is growing, with portability becoming a key test

Hybrid cloud remains the most widely used model, accounting for 46%. At the same time, exclusive use of private cloud is gaining importance, with its share rising from 14% to 22%. This development is being driven primarily by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as well as data and AI workloads.

Meanwhile, the proportion of companies pursuing a multi-cloud strategy is expected to more than double, from the current 10% to 21% in future.

Rather than indicating a return to a single operating model, these developments point towards greater differentiation across the cloud landscape.

As companies use an increasing number of platforms, interoperability and portability are also becoming more important.

However, the study shows that this strategic importance has so far had only a limited impact on actual procurement decisions. Some 66% of companies are considering migrating significant workloads or switching their primary cloud provider within the next 12 to 24 months. Of these, 20% have concrete plans to switch, while a further 46% are evaluating the possibility.

At the same time, only 42% consider migration with a manageable level of effort to be very or fairly straightforward.

Open, vendor-neutral technologies and flexibility when switching providers are each considered important by 62% of companies. However, these factors play a comparatively minor role when companies actually select a cloud provider. Instead, specialised services, ease of use and cost transparency dominate their decisions.

Europe's cloud opportunity depends on implementation

For European providers, these developments represent both an opportunity and a challenge.

Around three-quarters of companies already see European cloud providers as playing a primary, equal or important complementary role in their cloud strategies.

At the same time, high migration and transition costs, along with uncertainty about providers' long-term market position, are among the biggest barriers to adoption, each cited by 29% of companies.

"Europe's cloud market is entering a new phase. Greater choice and a strong European cloud ecosystem can provide a valuable complement to the existing global provider landscape. Above all, digital sovereignty means keeping technological dependencies manageable and ensuring that companies retain their ability to act independently over the long term," says Felix Höger, Board Member of EuroCloud Germany and eco Association.

Download the EuroCloud Pulse Check 2026 free of charge:

https://www.eco.de/studie-eurocloud-pulse-check-2026-europas-cloud-chance-im-ki-zeitalter/