Cloud technology is the foundation of digitale overheid. Dependence on foreign providers makes that foundation vulnerable, especially now that geopolitical and technological developments are following each other in rapid succession. The question of how the Netherlands can gain more control and sovereignty is therefore more urgent than ever.
Led by Ron Kolkman, theCloudAcceleration Team is working on a joint strategy that will make the government future-proof and less dependent on external parties. "The government has been working with cloud technology for years, but the need to organize this collectively, securely, and independently is rapidly increasing. Now is the time to do this together."
Kolkman is CIO at Rijkswaterstaat within the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. In his role as chair of the Cloud Task Force, he participates in the NDS Council. In that task force, he also represents the CIO Council of the Dutch Government. In that role, he provides direction for the government-wide acceleration of cloud adoption. "Cloud is not a new concept, of course," says Kolkman. "But we are only now really beginning to feel how dependent we are on it. And it's time to do something about that."
Kolkman has been working on government IT for years. His affinity with cloud development stems from that experience. And from his conviction that this theme plays a crucial role in the digital infrastructure of the Netherlands. "Cloud is not a niche topic. It has become the backbone of almost everything we do. If that backbone falters, the entire digitale overheid falters."
The vulnerabilities associated with dependence on foreign providers are becoming increasingly apparent. Kolkman cites examples where foreign political or commercial decisions have a direct impact on the Dutch digital infrastructure. "If major suppliers decide to change or shut down something, the effects can be enormous. Everything comes to a standstill. The dependence is great and only growing."
It is precisely this dependence that makes sovereignty essential: maintaining control over crucial digital facilities. Not by building everything ourselves, but by making conscious choices and designing technology in such a way that the Netherlands is not taken by surprise by external parties. "Sovereignty means that you are in control. That you are not completely at the mercy of the whims of a supplier or geopolitical developments."
The Cloud Task Force has one central mission: to develop a sovereign cloud facility for the entire government. This includes exploring possible forms of a 'marketplace' in which government organizations can choose from reliable, secure cloud options from internal government providers and external suppliers that comply with joint agreements.
The government cloud is not a physical building with servers labeled "Government Cloud." Kolkman emphasizes that it is a layered concept. "It is a way to support the government's IT world, with layers that match different security levels and data types. Confidential information must be able to run completely independently. Other services may be located elsewhere, as long as the risks are clear and manageable."
We want to create something that everyone wants to be part of. Persuasion works better than coercion. Ron Kolkman, chair of the Cloud Task Force
The first step toward a sovereign government cloud is to clearly define what that actually is. This is being done in collaboration with the market and other government bodies. “We have now started a broad market dialogue. We are inviting suppliers, integrators, and knowledge institutes to contribute their ideas. The cloud has already been invented thousands of times. We don't need to reinvent the wheel. The technology already exists. The Ministry of Defense is already working with these kinds of solutions. It's about bringing everything together in a smart way. We want to use all the insights from the market to determine how the government can set this up in a smart way."
The cloud affects almost all other priorities of the Dutch Digitization Strategy (NDS). The AI task force, the team working on cybersecurity, and the teams focusing on generic facilities: they all depend on a solid cloud foundation. Kolkman therefore sees his team not so much as a linchpin, but as a prerequisite. "If the cloud provision is not in order, you cannot develop a government-wide AI platform. Nor can you properly organize cybersecurity without a reliable infrastructure. Everything is interconnected."
The task force itself consists of representatives from all levels of government. Municipalities, water boards, implementing organizations, provinces, and the national government are all sitting at the same table. According to Kolkman, this is essential because there are separate cloud initiatives all over the country. Bringing them together is perhaps the biggest challenge. "Everyone is already on their way. That makes it exciting. We want to create something that everyone wants to be part of. Persuasion works better than coercion."
According to Kolkman, there is a lot of energy in existing initiatives, such as the four current government data centers that are already working together. “We don't have to start from scratch. The building blocks are there. The trick is to bring them together. Now is the time. We all feel that we can't wait any longer. The urgency is so great that everyone wants to participate.”
Kolkman expects three things from members of the promotion team: to actively contribute ideas, to provide input from their supporters, and to help spread the word. "This is not a discussion group. It's about building something. That requires commitment, communication, and persuasiveness. Getting people on board is just as important as the technology itself."
He sees his role as chair as one of driving and connecting. “I make sure everything comes together. That we make progress. That we maintain momentum and that everyone plays their part.”
Kolkman hopes that by the end of next year, the concept of the sovereign government cloud will have been fully developed, including technological choices. He also hopes that the first small steps will have been taken to actually put parts of it into use. "It will be a step-by-step process. But I am confident that it will succeed. The ambition is high and the will to succeed is strong."
Kolkman concludes with a clear warning and an opportunity. "Our dependence on non-European suppliers is simply too great. That dependence is not only about geopolitics, but also about price increases and other choices made by suppliers. We cannot continue to take those risks. We have to do this now."
At the same time, he sees a major collective benefit. “If we organize this properly, we will also save a lot of money together. It prevents everyone from having to reinvent the wheel. This movement is good for sovereignty and for efficiency.”
