SIMONE LARSSON
THE DATA CENTRE INTERVIEW
Data sovereignty has emerged as a priority for IT decision-makers across EMEA as legislators examine how to ensure data stored on European soil remains subject to local governance structures rather than foreign jurisdictions.
The principle that data must comply with laws in the country or region where it is collected, stored or processed is driving changes in how organisations plan infrastructure – including data centres.
Simone Larsson, Head of Enterprise AI, EMEA at Lenovo, says:“ The issue of where in the world data is stored and processed is set to be one of the defining debates of technology in the 21st century.
“ Data sovereignty is an increasingly high priority both for legislators and IT decision-makers, not least because of the growing masses of data being produced.”
Lenovo research indicates that 88 % of IT decision-makers view data sovereignty as a priority, with 99 % expecting it to remain critical over the next five years.
The pressure to localise cloud infrastructure in EMEA stems from evolving legislation and concerns about legal reach over data. There is the issue of foreign jurisdictions having legal reach over data stored on European soil and legislators are looking at ways for data to be stored natively.
Simone says:“ Data sovereignty is becoming a defining factor in how trust
SIMONE LARSSON
TITLE: HEAD OF ENTERPRISE AI, EMEA
COMPANY: LENOVO INDUSTRY: TECHNOLOGY
Simone Larsson is Head of Enterprise AI, EMEA at Lenovo and is a seasoned AI expert with a robust background in software ecosystems, AI architecture and business integration.
26 January 2026