Cloud and data centres: the value of infrastructure supporting digital sovereignty

The digital transformation of businesses and public administrations is becoming one of the main factors of competitiveness of the country system, redefining priorities, organisational models and investment strategies. In this scenario, technological sovereignty emerges as an increasingly central issue: it no longer only concerns IT security, but directly affects economic stability and Italy's ability to maintain control over its digital assets in a complex geopolitical context. European regulatory developments - from GDPR to the Data Act to NIS2 - have marked a turning point, confirming that digital data, infrastructures and services cannot be entrusted to subjects without European jurisdiction. It is a question of protection, certainly, but also, if not above all, of autonomy and strategic independence.

The sovereign cloud and the evolution of hybrid models 

The Italian model of digital sovereignty is also developed on these bases, which focuses on the management of data within national borders and the role of local operators: controlled infrastructures, owned data centres, governance exercised on the territory. An approach that goes beyond the traditional concept of hosting and embraces an end-to-end approach, in which the entire supply chain - from networks to cloud architectures, from operational processes to connectivity systems - becomes an integral part of a sovereign ecosystem. Businesses, for their part, are demonstrating a growing awareness: they no longer seek only protection, but demand transparency on data location, clarity of operational responsibilities and guarantees of full regulatory compliance. In this regard, the Cloud Transformation Observatory of the Politecnico di Milano shows how the demand for control and sovereignty is strongly driving the market for services in the cloud: the Private Cloud is growing by 23% and is now close to 1.4 billion euro (out of a total cloud market value of 8.1 billion euro) and at the same time the sovereign cloud is consolidating as a strategic element within corporate technology choices.

In parallel, the cloud is confirmed as the enabling platform for artificial intelligence: dedicated environments, expanding IaaS services and increasing use of APIs and AI-as-a-Service applications are changing development and adoption models.

The ongoing innovation process also means responsibility. Today, a significant internal policy gap remains and is confirmed by the 59% of organisations that have not yet defined rules to prevent the leakage or misuse of sensitive information through generative AI tools. At the same time, 46% of large organisations are moving towards hybrid and selective strategies, which require platforms capable of guaranteeing isolation and protection of the most sensitive data, without sacrificing scalability, interoperability and flexibility. In an increasingly complex ecosystem, local providers are therefore assuming a strategic role: not simply technology service providers, but true mediators between the needs of national markets and the reliability and governance requirements of the European Union. And it is precisely in this balance between innovation and control that the game of Italian digital sovereignty is played.

Projects in Italy

The cloud is assumed to play the role of an enabling platform for the processes of public bodies, industrial supply chains and accessible digital services for citizens and businesses. The challenge of the ecosystem is to combine flexibility and autonomy, guaranteeing security and full data governance. And it is in this direction that the sovereign cloud model is asserting itself: an infrastructure in which sensitive information, cryptographic keys and operations remain under national jurisdiction, while at the same time maintaining an open and interoperable approach, also compatible with hyperscalers and able to avoid lock-in logics.

The National Strategic Pole fits naturally into this paradigm. Participated by TIM, Leonardo, CDP and Sogei, it represents one of the most advanced projects in Europe in the sovereign public cloud. Based on four data centres in a dual region between Lombardy and Lazio, PSN ensures business continuity, real-time replication and advanced encryption systems, offering the PA a reliable and transparent infrastructure for a modernisation process consistent with European regulations. This sovereign cloud model thus becomes a concrete lever of digital transformation, supporting public bodies in migrating critical services and applications and preserving full control over data and processes.

Security, sustainability and business continuity according to TIM Enterprise

Digital sovereignty cannot, however, disregard a solid physical base, capable of guaranteeing resilience, performance and data protection. TIM Enterprise, the TIM Group's business unit that provides companies and Public Administrations with Italy's largest ICT platform, with end-to-end digital solutions on cloud, edge, cybersecurity, AI, 5G and IoT, stands as a reference point in this technological transformation scenario. A 'digital factory' that has a Data Centre network of proprietary data centres unrivalled in our country and a portfolio of infrastructure solutions and expertise entirely located in Italy. There are 16 infrastructures (soon to become 17 with a new site specifically designed for the computational needs of AI) currently in operation with a total capacity that will reach 125 MW; eight of these are of the latest generation and certified Tier IV or Rating 4 to ensure the highest level in terms of redundancy and fault tolerance. These sites are built to the strictest international standards, with physically separated paths, 24-hour monitoring systems, and a business continuity that meets SLA levels of over 99.985%.

In addition to resilience, sustainability also plays an increasingly important role: TIM Enterprise's entire data centre network is powered by 100% renewable energy and uses intelligent climate control technologies, free cooling and photovoltaic systems to optimise consumption, with energy efficiency levels reaching PUE values of less than 1.3. The most recent flagship is the Santo Stefano Ticino Data Centre, opened in 2022 and already recognised as a national model for efficiency and sustainability. With a total area of 54,000 square metres and the possibility of expanding by a further 20,000 square metres, the structure represents one of the most advanced poles at a national level and is characterised by its three distinct backbones that ensure total redundancy of TLC connections. The range of solutions connected to TIM Enterprise's data centre network also includes colocation and housing services, which differ in terms of management and application security and allow the required capacity in terms of computing power and data storage to be scaled up over time, giving companies and PA the advantage of maintaining logical control of their IT platforms within a highly certified environment.