25/09/2025
Healthcare sector is concerned about access to their data by foreign governments and intelligence agencies
Digital autonomy is on the agenda, but healthcare institutions are stuck due to legislation and lack of resources
Alkmaar, 25 September 2025 - A large majority of the Dutch healthcare organizations (71%) are concerned about unwanted access to their data by foreign governments or intelligence agencies. At the same time, 80% say that digital autonomy is an explicit part of their IT strategy. This is evident from new research. at Uniserver among IT decision makers in the Netherlands. Although awareness is growing, the actual implementation of data policy in the healthcare sector appears to be lagging behind.
Healthcare sector wants control over data, but lacks resources and knowledge
Uniserver, the Dutch market leader in sovereign private cloud, investigated the need for and obstacles to digital autonomy among IT decision-makers. According to the study, 82% of healthcare organizations actively want more control over where data is stored and who has access to it. An equal number of organizations explicitly want to reduce their reliance on foreign cloud providers. 86% of IT decision-makers in healthcare believe that the current geopolitical context underscores the importance of digital autonomy, and 71% are sometimes concerned about unauthorized access to their data by foreign governments or intelligence agencies.
'Storage in Europe is not automatically legally safe'
Ronald Bezuur, CEO of Uniserver, about the research:
“It appears that a growing number of healthcare organizations are consciously choosing to store data within the Netherlands or Europe. This is often based on the belief that this offers protection against foreign legislation. But this trust isn't always watertight: legislation like the US Cloud Act can, under certain circumstances, still enforce access to European data even if the data isn't stored in a sovereign environment."
Costs often trump autonomy
The research results show that a large proportion (82%) would like to house their data in a fully sovereign environment. However, they face several practical barriers to achieving this strategic goal of digital autonomy. For example, 35% struggle with the complexity of laws and regulations, and a third (33%) indicate they lack the budget or resources to achieve digital autonomy. A quarter (26%) of healthcare IT decision-makers say they lack sufficient in-house technical expertise or capacity.
While autonomy is widely desired, in practice, other interests often take precedence. For example, half (50%) of respondents from the healthcare sector say that low costs and flexibility outweigh data sovereignty.
Advice: start with critical data and incorporate legislation into policy
Pim Kerstens, Director Healthcare at Uniserver, advises:
"Staff shortages and high workloads are forcing healthcare institutions to organize more intelligently. Digital change doesn't have to be grand or expensive. Choosing a sovereign cloud is often seen as complex or expensive, but in practice, that doesn't have to be the case. By starting small—think automating routine tasks, better integrating systems, and securely managing critical data—you create the space to gradually build a future-proof IT foundation."
About Uniserver
Uniserver is the market leader in Dutch sovereign private cloud solutions and has specialized in reliable and secure digital infrastructure for 25 years. From a fully Dutch-based environment, the company offers scalable solutions that empower organizations working with critical data to grow independently. With Fuse AI, Uniserver also delivers private AI within a sovereign environment, for future-proof applications with complete data control.
Ready for the next step?
Uniserver offers with Fuse AI a private AI solution specifically developed for organizations that want to innovate without compromising on privacy, control or compliance.
Curious about how Fuse AI fits your organization? In the inspiration guide you will find concrete example use cases for different sectors, explanations on how it works, and how you can safely use AI on your own terms.
