“A cloud-enabled, digitally resilient Europe transforms the protection of its citizens, infrastructure and strategic interests”

Christoph Siegelin, VP, Thales Digital Factory, explains the importance of cybersecurity and trust in the cloud, and the impact it has on the defence industry.

Continental resilience depends on the trusted, secure and efficient flow of information between nations. Given the current geopolitical climate, does this mean stakes have never been higher?

CS: Indeed. The good news is that this message is not falling on deaf ears. Decision makers are rallying around the threats caused by hybrid and grey-zone operations with unwavering fortitude and a shared sense of urgency. What is becoming increasingly clear, is that no one nation can go it alone.

One only has to consider ReArm Europe/Readiness 2030 and its plan to leverage over €800 billion through coordinated investment and national fiscal flexibility to bolster European defence capabilities.

If the warning from our adversaries is coming through loud and clear, so too is the response, reinforced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's own assessment that “Europe can no longer afford to be a bystander in its own security”. Such security will depend on how quickly we can build resilient ways to protect, trust and share information not only within but between nations.

This is highly dependent on how quickly governments can get their heads in (and around) the cloud.

How is the adoption of the cloud impacting the defence environment?

The impact of cloud technology is clear across society and the economy, and this naturally includes the defence sector. Though adopted gradually, cloud is now recognised - through strategies such as the UK’s Cloud Strategic Roadmap - as a critical part of the MOD’s Digital Backbone. As an enabler of AI and a driver of operational agility, it is reshaping how frontline operators decide, act and fight.

A cloud-connected force distributes decision-making rather than centralising it. With better access to timely, accurate information, personnel at the edge can act faster and more confidently. Commanders can harness their teams’ experience and intuition by giving them the data, resources and authority needed to respond to complex, fast-moving threats.

Can we say that the cloud is becoming a strategic enabler in Europe?

Yes, and the cloud revolution shows no sign of slowing down. Its impact on the defence business shows the art of the possible more widely, and advances in cloud capabilities mean that countries can now act with the same speed and flexibility as the operators that serve them.

The timing could not be better just as the need could not be clearer: joint and integrated operations demand closer cohesion between allies. Heightened geopolitical unrest – whether from climate, conflict or major power competition – calls for tighter, more streamlined communication between governments. Technical innovation is advancing rapidly, and pan-European businesses and developers must be able to plan, design, develop and deliver interoperable solutions in tandem, without bottlenecks or delays.

This demands a monumental effort with continental reach. A cloud-enabled, digitally resilient Europe does not just transform military operations; it reshapes how the continent protects its citizens, infrastructure and strategic interests. 

What is Thales doing to help European countries collaborate on sensitive projects?

Full collaboration is tantalising, motivating and not at all unattainable. Yet we are still some way off with classified data sent by courier because European nations struggle to share DR- or EU-Restricted projects efficiently and securely. 

This is what we have set out to solve with TrustNest R-Suite: a secure marketplace that turns the promise of the cloud revolution into real, measurable impact for companies and authorities working with sensitive data. It will enable collaboration and co-development on classified projects both within and between European countries – their businesses, their militaries and their administrations – in a more cost-effective, efficient way than ever before possible.

There are a couple of ways to think about TrustNest. Conceptually, it is about connecting people, teams, creativity and ideas into a worldwide web of talent on which our customers – and our customers' customers – can draw.

More pressing and practically, it is about rearming European nations with the tools to work together in pursuit of a common ambition: to defend yourself – and each other – in modern ways and so turn a technological edge into an enduring competitive advantage.

To ensure a better-connected Europe, do we still need to break down some barriers?

Yes, the technological frontier is advancing fast, with cloud computing as vanguard, but digital transformation of the kind that TrustNest R-Suite drives and thrives on counts for little without the necessary cultural adaptation. Aversion to disruption is natural, but it is not sustainable. If the strategies make clear the demand signal, then the skill and will of leaders and practitioners must mobilise to meet it. 

This is, after all, ‘business as unusual’ as much as it is a better way of doing business – breaking down technical silos, administrative bottlenecks, and bureaucratic inertia to keep Europe connected, protected, and ready for whatever may come our way. Without the fear of the navigation fail.