An institutional understanding of the concept of digital sovereignty was developed for the University of Regensburg:
Digital sovereignty refers to the ability …
- to act in the digital world in a self-determined, independent and secure manner, and
- to retain control over key digital resources (data, systems, processes).
Digital sovereignty encompasses …
- organisational and technological self-determination,
- the shaping and control of the technological landscape, as well as
- IT security, operational security and data protection.
At the University of Regensburg, digital sovereignty is operationalised on the basis of the following characteristics:
- Organisational self-determination (including authority over one’s own data, transparency and control over it, the usability of alternative solutions, and their functionality and user-friendliness)
- Technological self-determination (including flexibility of one's own infrastructure, operational expertise, technical data sovereignty and security)
- Supporting characteristics (resilience, cost-effectiveness of system operation, and the external impact of technological decisions)
Based on this institutional understanding and the characteristics on which the members of the IT Architecture Commission were able to agree, the following further steps were taken:
- Selection of critical IT systems, digital processes and infrastructures from the IT domains of the University of Regensburg
- Assessment of the selected systems, processes and infrastructures
- Identification of initial measures to be taken in the event of breaches of digital sovereignty
- Establishment of digital sovereignty as a key consideration in the future selection of IT systems