Bechtle develops index for digital sovereignty

• Strategic benchmark for IT architectures
• Identification of action areas and measures
• Rollout scheduled for Q1 2026

Neckarsulm, 29 September 2025 – Bechtle AG, Germany’s largest IT system house and one of Europe’s leading IT service providers, is developing a software-based methodology to quantify digital sovereignty. The Bechtle Index of Sovereignty will provide businesses and public-sector organisations with a clear framework for assessing their digital sovereignty and identifying concrete steps to strengthen it. Together with a complementary assessment, Bechtle is creating a comprehensive approach that supports the development of IT architectures that are sovereign, resilient and future-proof. The Bechtle Index of Sovereignty is set to launch in the first quarter of 2026.

Bechtle’s proprietary software will enable organisations in both the private and public sectors to analyse, assess and enhance their digital sovereignty. The Bechtle Index of Sovereignty focuses on three key dimensions: data ownership, technological independence and strategic autonomy. By applying the index, customers gain transparency around potential dependencies, can identify risks that compromise independent decision-making and action, and take meaningful steps to strengthen their digital sovereignty over the long term.

Digital sovereignty as a strategic imperative

“We’re seeing a growing need for guidance to help organisations maintain full control over their digital infrastructures while keeping them aligned with European standards, regulations and values. As a vendor-independent IT partner to organisations of all sizes and industries, we’ve taken on the responsibility of planning, building and operating robust, future-ready IT architectures for more than four decades. We see the Bechtle Index of Sovereignty as a strategic tool that enables us to support our customers with evidence-based insights and actionable direction,” says Dr Martin Kaloudis, Executive Vice President at Bechtle.

Rollout in Q1 2026

The software tool will be available from the first quarter of 2026 as part of a sovereignty assessment delivered by Bechtle’s nationwide network of IT system houses in Germany. Bechtle experts will support customers before, during and after the assessment to ensure thorough planning, smooth execution and meaningful follow-up—including a detailed analysis of risks and dependencies, along with recommendations for optimising their IT architecture. “We need to move beyond debate and focus on pragmatic action. Digital sovereignty calls for concrete implementation strategies across processes, data and technology. The Index of Sovereignty is a robust measurement tool for driving continuous progress, and it sets a new European benchmark for clarity and forward momentum,” says Dr Thomas Olemotz, CEO, Bechtle AG.

Principles of choice, robustness and resilience

Bechtle takes a holistic, architecture-centred approach to digital sovereignty to recognise and reduce existing and future dependencies, and effectively shape them in a way that ensures seamless, manageable and economically efficient operating models.

Three core principles are key to this approach:

• Ensuring freedom of choice across technologies from a diverse range of providers.
• Building robust systems that can withstand disruptions and external influence.
• Enhancing resilience through deliberate alternative strategies, minimised dependencies, and viable exit scenarios.

Bechtle’s understanding of digital sovereignty explicitly does not imply technological isolation. Rather, it involves developing resilient, end-to-end architectures. It represents a structured state characterised by transparency, informed decision-making, and a range of actionable options across different scenarios. Against this background, the Index of Sovereignty can become an integral part of enterprise risk management.

Further information on Bechtle’s positioning statement on digital sovereignty can be found at bechtle.com.