Digital sovereignty is no longer an abstract idea. It has become a strategic success factor for companies, public institutions, and the Swiss economy as a whole. Understanding how digital dependencies emerge — and how to avoid them — is essential for building a resilient and future-proof digital landscape.
Why sovereignty is especially relevant for Switzerland
Switzerland has earned a strong reputation as an innovative, trustworthy, and independent IT location. However, this position becomes vulnerable when organisations make technology decisions that lock them into single vendors or proprietary platforms.
Vendor lock-ins reduce flexibility, slow down innovation, and weaken control over data and processes — challenges that are particularly visible in the Swiss SME and public-sector environment.
Open technologies enable independence
Open-source software (OSS) offers a sustainable path forward. It provides transparency, long-term control over critical systems, and reduces reliance on proprietary cloud or software vendors.
For Swiss companies, this translates into:
Planning security: No surprise price hikes or unexpected contract changes.
- Sustainable investments: Solutions can be extended, integrated, or migrated freely.
- Security and quality: Open code increases transparency and auditability.
- Support for the local ecosystem: Swiss service providers can operate, develop, and maintain OSS-based systems long term.
- Digital self-determination through real choice
Digital sovereignty does not mean building everything in-house or avoiding proprietary solutions altogether. It is about choice — the ability to evaluate technologies deliberately, understand risks, and maintain alternatives.
Open standards and open-source technologies provide exactly this freedom, fostering competition, innovation, and the resilience of Switzerland’s entire ICT ecosystem.
Conclusion: Open technologies strengthen Switzerland’s digital future
Digital sovereignty is a strategic topic for government, businesses, and society. Open technologies help Swiss organisations remain flexible and independent — while reinforcing Switzerland as a strong ICT hub.
Those who choose transparency, openness, and interoperability today create the foundation for a sovereign and sustainable digital future.
Further reading
The full, extended original article is available on the Karakun AG website: https://karakun.com/en/understanding-digital-sovereignty/