Schwarz Digits opens sovereign cloud campus in Bad Friedrichshall

Schwarz Digits, the IT and digital arm of the Schwarz Group, inaugurated a new technology campus in Bad Friedrichshall, Germany. The 15.5‑hectare site can host up to 5,500 staff and consolidates cloud, artificial‑intelligence, cybersecurity and data‑management units under one roof. The company describes the complex as a “souveräner Technologie‑Stack” that will give European businesses and public bodies full control over where their data are stored, positioning the firm as a home‑grown alternative to US hyperscalers such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud.

The venture is backed by an €11 billion investment and follows a fiscal year in which Schwarz Digits reported €2.2 billion in revenue, a 16 % increase driven by rising demand for cloud services. CEO Christian Müller said at the opening, “We are here to stay” and expects strong future growth. Political leaders, including German Minister Dorothee Bär, praised the project as a boost for the country’s high‑tech agenda and for European digital sovereignty. While the EU has delayed certain funding programmes, the campus signals a major push to reduce reliance on non‑European cloud providers.

Existing customers already include Lidl, Kaufland and other Schwarz Group units, with plans to expand services to external firms and government agencies seeking data‑hoist under European privacy rules.