UpCloud Joins the Digital Defence Ecosystem to Advance Europe’s Sovereign Digital Capabilities

At UpCloud, we believe that Europe’s security and resilience depend on strong, sovereign digital infrastructure. Today, we are proud to announce that UpCloud has joined the Digital Defence Ecosystem (DDE), a network of leading Finnish defense and technology companies and research institutes working together to shape the future of “New Defence“.

DDE connects defense, innovation, and finance to co-innovate and develop new capabilities for modern security challenges. Through collaboration, its members enable agile product development, strengthen resilience, and create value for the Finnish Defence Forces and NATO allies.

Supporting new defense with sovereign cloud infrastructure

The concept of New Defence reflects a shift in how security is built in Europe, blending traditional defense with dual-use innovation and digital capabilities.

As a European-owned cloud provider, UpCloud brings secure, high-performance infrastructure designed for regulated and security-sensitive environments. Our technology is developed and operated fully in-house and governed under European jurisdiction, ensuring the level of control, compliance, and operational resilience required for mission-critical workloads.

“Digital sovereignty is no longer a theoretical discussion. Public sector, defense, and critical industries increasingly require infrastructure that combines strong performance with clear jurisdictional control. Organizations want to keep their data close to home – without compromising on capability or scalability.”

Arno Schäfer, CEO, UpCloud

Building capabilities through collaboration

DDE was founded to bring together companies and research organizations across Finland, accelerating innovation and enabling export opportunities in defense and dual-use technologies.

For UpCloud, joining DDE is a natural step. Many of our partners and customers are already part of the ecosystem, and we see strong value in working together to develop shared capabilities.

“Strategic capabilities in defense and security cannot be built in isolation. Real value comes from collaboration – developing shared services, exchanging expertise, and strengthening European capabilities together. Active dialogue and solution-oriented cooperation are essential, and this ecosystem provides exactly that platform.”

Arno Schäfer, CEO, UpCloud

Strengthening Europe’s digital resilience

As digital technologies play an increasingly central role in defense, secure cloud infrastructure becomes a foundational layer for innovation. From AI-ready environments to scalable platforms for data-intensive workloads, cloud capabilities are critical for enabling faster development cycles and adaptable solutions.

Within DDE, members co-innovate across areas such as AI, cybersecurity, and autonomous systems, turning rapid prototyping into operational capability.

By contributing sovereign cloud infrastructure to this collaboration, UpCloud supports the development of solutions that are not only high-performing, but also aligned with Europe’s requirements for data sovereignty, security, and resilience.

A shared commitment to Europe’s future

The future of defense in Europe will be shaped by cooperation across industries, technologies, and borders. Initiatives like DDE demonstrate how public and private actors can come together to build capabilities that are smarter, faster, and more connected.

At UpCloud, we are excited to be part of this journey. Together with other members of the ecosystem, we look forward to contributing to the next generation of European defense and security capabilities – built on trust, collaboration, and sovereign technology.

Learn more about how UpCloud supports defense and security workloads with sovereign cloud infrastructure on our defense and security page. If you are exploring collaboration or want to discuss your requirements, you can contact our team directly through our contact form.