CloudFest 2026 Recap: Sovereign Cloud, Green AI and the Reality of Infrastructure

Cloud Ecosystem in Motion: Infrastructure, AI, and Real-Time Decisions

Walking into the Dome on the first morning feels overwhelming. Not only because of the size, but because of the intensity. Within seconds, it becomes clear that everything is happening at once. Conversations overlap, screens flicker, and ideas move quickly.

From above, you see an entire cloud ecosystem in action: infrastructure providers, AI specialists, partners, and customers.

At our shared booth with Insight, this ecosystem became tangible, as conversations naturally moved between infrastructure, AI use cases, and real customer challenges. 

Different approaches exist side by side, shaped by regulatory requirements, market dynamics, and technical priorities.

Nothing feels static, and that is exactly what makes it valuable.

CloudFest does not feel like a sequence of presentations. It feels like an industry actively working through its next phase in real time, especially when it comes to topics like sovereign cloud infrastructure, AI deployment, and data control.

 As Daniel Baumann, Client CTO at Insight, describes it:
“The particular value of this event lies in the strategic depth of the discussions between leading experts from various disciplines. It not only highlights current developments, but also the key trends and priorities that will shape the market and business decisions in the coming years.” 

 What becomes clear very quickly is the depth and relevance of these discussions. 

Conversations rarely start planned. A short comment or a shared observation is often enough to lead into deeper discussions about AI workloads, infrastructure strategy, or regulatory pressure.

And these conversations rarely stay superficial.

As Anna Gnemmi, Channel Marketing Manager at Yorizon, describes it:
“You see so many different perspectives from different countries come together here, and that’s exactly what makes it so exciting to understand where the market is heading.”

CloudFest creates a space where questions are explored collectively, and that is what makes it so relevant.

From Conference to Reality: How Conversations Evolve On-Site

The setting adds another layer to the experience.

Sunlight fills the park, people gather outside between sessions, and there is a sense of early spring energy. Just a few hours later, the weather shifts to rain, wind, and even hail.

The environment keeps changing, and so do the conversations.

They move from outside to inside, from booths to evening events. There is no clear start or end, just continuous exchange across different contexts.

It reflects the cloud and AI industry itself: dynamic, sometimes unpredictable, but always evolving.

From Attention to Interaction: What Makes a Booth Work in a Cloud Environment

Our booth, which we shared with our partner Insight, stood out in a different way. Not because it was louder, but because it offered contrast.

It wasn’t just a physical space, but a shared environment where different perspectives came together. Conversations didn’t stop at company boundaries. They expanded across infrastructure, AI strategy, and real-world implementation.

While many booths relied on screens and visual overload, ours focused on clarity. Wood, real plants, and a calm, natural design created an environment that invited people to pause.

And that made a difference.

People slowed down, stopped, and engaged.

As Soner Emec, Head of AI Strategy at Yorizon, put it:
“We had real plants. I didn’t see that anywhere else at the event. People stopped because of it and that’s how conversations started.”

Frederik Hottner, responsible for strategic partnerships at Yorizon, observed the same:
“You could feel that the booth was a magnet. People stopped, got curious, and were often surprised by what was behind it.”

These moments matter because most conversations don’t start with a clearly defined need. They start with curiosity.

Sabrina Breidert, Head of Sales at Yorizon, described it like this:
“We had an incredible variety of conversations with very different customers and partners. That was one of the biggest highlights.”

This is where design becomes more than aesthetics. It becomes the starting point for meaningful conversations around infrastructure, AI, and real-world use cases.

Key Topics at CloudFest: Sovereignty, Infrastructure, and AI Workloads

Across the event, several themes kept coming up again and again.

Cloud infrastructure is no longer just a technical layer. It has become a strategic decision point for companies dealing with AI, data, and compliance.

Key questions are becoming unavoidable:
Who controls the infrastructure?
Where is the data processed and stored?
How are AI workloads deployed and managed?

The dominant theme behind all of this is digital sovereignty.

 Daniel Baumann, Client CTO at Insight, describes this shift:
“We are clearly seeing a shift from abstract discussions about sovereignty to real, implementation-driven strategies across industries. In parallel, sovereign AI is emerging as a key priority in Europe — not only from a regulatory perspective, but as a fundamental enabler for trusted, scalable innovation.” 

This topic is closely linked to other key areas such as energy efficiency, infrastructure design, regulatory requirements, and the need for scalable, production-ready AI environments. 

These are no longer theoretical discussions. They directly influence how companies design and operate their cloud infrastructure today.

As Soner Emec adds:
“Many companies want to regain control over their infrastructure and their AI models. That’s exactly where our strategy resonates.”

Green AI in Practice: Infrastructure, Efficiency, and Real Workloads

This shift became especially visible during the masterclass and keynote sessions. While perspectives differed, the direction was clear: less focus on hype, more focus on execution.

One key idea stood out: Green AI starts with infrastructure.

As Soner Emec explains:
“Most GPU capacity today isn’t fully used. A large part is idle and that’s where massive efficiency potential lies.”

This highlights a structural issue.

Many companies build GPU infrastructure for future demand, but actual AI workloads often require far less capacity. As a result, large parts of infrastructure remain underutilized.

“A large share of GPU infrastructure is reserved without real clarity about actual workloads.”

This leads to overcapacity, inefficiency, and unnecessary energy consumption.

What emerges instead is a shift toward more intentional infrastructure design. Companies are focusing on better utilization, more efficient models, and aligning infrastructure with real workloads.

Another important insight reinforces this:
“Most AI workloads today are inference tasks like summarizing, retrieval, or clustering. They don’t require massive GPU clusters.”

This changes how infrastructure should be planned.

If most workloads do not require maximum scale, infrastructure strategies need to reflect actual usage patterns rather than assumptions.

“If we achieve similar results with smaller models, we reduce cost, energy consumption, and complexity.”

And as Sabrina Breidert summarized it:
“Sustainability and sovereignty are no longer separate discussions. They are part of the same decision.”

Green AI is no longer just a concept. It is becoming a competitive advantage driven by better infrastructure decisions.

Why Collaboration Drives Modern Cloud and AI Solutions

Another strong impression from CloudFest is how real collaboration has become.
It is clearly visible across the event and especially where complex solutions require multiple perspectives. 

As Daniel Baumann adds:
“For us at Insight, these conversations confirm one thing: customers are no longer looking for isolated technologies, but for integrated, sovereign solutions that combine infrastructure, security, and AI into a cohesive operating model.” 

Challenges around cloud infrastructure, AI, and data do not exist in isolation. They intersect across multiple domains, and that makes collaboration essential.

This was also visible at our own booth, where sales, marketing, technology, and operations worked closely together. Roles overlapped, and different perspectives came together.

As Heiko Lüders, Head of Data Center Operations at Yorizon, said:
“In the end, we’re not just here as companies. We’re here as a community. And that’s how the best solutions are created.”

Beyond the Event: How the Cloud Community Connects and Evolves

CloudFest is not only about sessions or content. It is about continuity and community.

As Heiko describes it:
“It’s like a class reunion every year. We meet as a technical community and reflect the market together.”

Conversations do not start from zero. They continue, evolve, and build on previous discussions.

And across all topics around infrastructure, AI, and sovereignty, one thing remains clear: business is still built between people.

Key Takeaways: What CloudFest Means for Infrastructure and AI Strategy

After days full of movement, conversations, and impressions, there is a moment of quiet.

The halls empty, the pace slows down, and what remains is clarity.

Digital sovereignty is no longer theoretical.
Sustainable cloud infrastructure is no longer optional.
AI is no longer separate from infrastructure decisions.

Everything is connected.

The opportunity lies in understanding these connections and turning them into action.

Many of these conversations were shaped by the close exchange with partners like Insight, where different perspectives helped turn abstract topics into practical approaches.

CloudFest did not feel like an ending. It felt like a transition point.

From discussion to execution.

Next Step: Experience Sovereign Cloud Infrastructure in Practice

If these topics matter to you, the next step is to move beyond conversation.

Test your own AI workloads in a sovereign cloud environment and see how infrastructure decisions impact performance, cost, and control.