IBM has unveiled its latest innovation, IBM Sovereign Core, designed to help enterprises and governments manage AI-ready environments whilst maintaining operational control. This announcement comes as organisations face increasing pressure to comply with complex regulatory and data sovereignty requirements. The software, launched on 2 February 2026, is built to embed sovereignty directly into its architecture, allowing users to maintain authority over software deployments across various infrastructures.
IBM Sovereign Core offers several key features, including the ability to keep identity, access management, and encryption keys within jurisdictional boundaries. It also provides secure AI workload management under local governance, complete with traceable audit trails and continuous compliance evidence. This approach enables organisations to deploy sovereign environments swiftly, with flexibility in hardware and infrastructure choices.
Catherine Lian, General Manager and Technology Leader at IBM ASEAN, highlighted the urgency for sovereign, AI-ready environments, stating that businesses need greater control over sensitive data and AI workloads. “With IBM Sovereign Core, clients can advance AI initiatives with confidence, balancing openness and agility with the compliance and operational autonomy required for sovereignty,” she said.
The software is designed to offer operational independence, allowing deployment in on-premises data centres, supported in-region cloud infrastructure, or through IT service providers. IBM is collaborating with global IT service providers, starting with Cegeka in Belgium and the Netherlands, and Computacenter in Germany, to ensure local operational independence and compliance management.
As digital sovereignty becomes a critical concern, IBM Sovereign Core aims to provide a comprehensive solution that addresses the need for control over technology infrastructure, data access, and governance. This initiative is expected to accelerate trusted AI adoption whilst reducing regulatory risks for organisations worldwide.
