Cisco Unveils Sovereign Critical Infrastructure Portfolio for Europe

Cisco has announced a new portfolio designed to address growing European concerns over data sovereignty, compliance, and digital autonomy. The company’s Sovereign Critical Infrastructure offering, unveiled this week, is aimed squarely at governments, banks, healthcare providers, and other organizations operating in highly regulated industries where local control and operational resilience are paramount.

The portfolio allows customers to deploy Cisco technologies in fully air-gapped, on-premises environments under their own supervision, without the risk of remote disablement or external dependency. It covers Cisco’s core product lines – routing, switching, and wireless – while also extending into collaboration tools, endpoint devices, and integrated security and observability capabilities supplied through Cisco and Splunk. The breadth of the offering reflects an effort to provide customers with end-to-end control, while still maintaining the option to operate in hybrid or cloud-based setups when required.

For European governments, the solution is designed to support sovereignty in mission-critical systems, offering new pathways to compliance with stringent regulatory frameworks. It also addresses one of the most pressing challenges in the region: creating infrastructure to support Europe’s ambitions in artificial intelligence. With the portfolio, Cisco and its partners envision the development of sovereign data centers capable of serving as foundations for AI innovation across the continent.

Gordon Thomson, President of Cisco EMEA, emphasized that the move reflects a broader shift in priorities across Europe. “Our clients desire autonomy over their data and digital infrastructure, as well as the flexibility to select the deployment models that best suit their operations, security postures, and strategic objectives,” he said. Thomson added that the announcement ensures organizations now have the “tools and adaptability necessary to create safe, reliable digital systems.”

Autonomy, Compliance, Air-Gapped Deployment

Key features of the portfolio include customer-managed encryption, on-premises deployment under local control, and licensing designed specifically for air-gapped environments. According to Cisco, the company will not retain the ability to remotely disable the systems once deployed, thereby shifting full authority to customers. The solutions are also being aligned with national and EU certifications, including the forthcoming European Union Cybersecurity Certification (EUCC). Many of the offerings already hold Common Criteria and IPv6-ready certifications, signaling a clear focus on compliance and interoperability. Availability across Europe is expected in September 2025.

Industry partners and analysts have underscored the significance of the announcement. Albi van Zyl, Head of Technology Solutions for Europe and Latin America at NTT DATA, said the launch represents a milestone for European digital sovereignty. “As a strategic partner, NTT DATA understands the significance of this launch and the special value it offers our clients by fusing deep configuration and compliance with safe, air-gapped infrastructure,” she said, noting that demand for autonomy and control has been steadily increasing.

Rahiel Nasir, IDC’s Lead Analyst for Global Digital Sovereignty and Research Director for European Cloud, noted that despite the rise of hybrid and multicloud adoption, many European enterprises continue to prioritize on-premises IT spending. That reality, he argued, has amplified the need for solutions that deliver network sovereignty, particularly for institutions managing critical national infrastructure. “Connectivity is still necessary for on-premise IT,” said Rahiel Nasir. “Network sovereignty is crucial, especially for organizations that require additional controls, safeguards, and autonomy. Operational resilience is essential, and this portfolio addresses gaps that many network infrastructure providers have struggled to solve.”

Cisco’s announcement comes as Europe intensifies its push to assert greater control over digital infrastructure and reduce dependency on external technology providers. By combining its networking portfolio with new guarantees around autonomy, compliance, and air-gapped deployment, the company is positioning itself to meet both the regulatory environment and the strategic ambitions of European governments and enterprises.

As the September 2025 launch approaches, the success of Cisco’s Sovereign Critical Infrastructure portfolio will likely depend on how effectively it can balance performance and flexibility with the rigorous sovereignty requirements emerging across the continent. For now, it probably represents one of the most comprehensive moves by a global networking vendor to adapt its offerings to the specific sovereignty demands shaping Europe’s digital future.