IBM launches industry’s first AI-ready Sovereign Core to give enterprises full digital control

IBM’s new Sovereign Core platform addresses rising regulatory and data-control pressures by enabling organisations to build and operate AI workloads with local authority, continuous compliance, and verifiable governance across on-premises, cloud, and edge environments.

IBM has announced the launch of IBM Sovereign Core, positioning it as the industry’s first AI-ready, sovereign-enabled software platform aimed at enterprises, governments, and service providers seeking greater control over their digital and AI infrastructure.

The move comes as organisations worldwide face mounting regulatory pressures and heightened concerns around data control, jurisdiction, and accountability—particularly as AI workloads process increasingly sensitive information. IBM said Sovereign Core is designed to help customers build, deploy, and manage sovereign environments where operational authority remains firmly in local hands.

“As AI adoption accelerates in India, businesses will need to innovate while meeting tightening regulatory requirements and controlling sensitive data and AI workloads,” said Sandip Patel, Managing Director, IBM India & South Asia. “IBM Sovereign Core offers an AI-ready sovereign stack, providing organizations with control, ensuring compliance and operational autonomy.”

Sovereignty built into the software stack

Unlike traditional approaches that apply sovereignty controls as an overlay, IBM said Sovereign Core embeds sovereignty directly into the software architecture. Built on Red Hat’s open-source foundations, the platform enables organisations to modernise and re-host cloud-native and AI applications while retaining full authority over operations.

Key capabilities include a customer-operated control plane, in-jurisdiction identity and encryption key management, continuous compliance reporting with audit-ready evidence, and governed AI inference using local GPU clusters. The platform also supports rapid deployment, allowing enterprises to stand up isolated, multi-tenant sovereign environments within days.

“The sovereign AI conversation has focused on data residency, but that's only part of the equation,” said Sanjeev Mohan, Principal, SanjMo. “IBM Sovereign Core addresses the harder question: who controls the system and can you prove it to regulators?”

Deploy anywhere, maintain local control

IBM said Sovereign Core can be deployed across on-premises data centres, supported in-region cloud infrastructure, or via IT service providers. The company has begun working with partners such as Cegeka in Belgium and the Netherlands, and Computacenter in Germany, enabling localised operations while offering enterprises compliant, AI-ready environments.

“With IBM Sovereign Core, we can focus on configuring the software to each client's specific use cases rather than spending months piecing together disparate components,” said Christian Schreiner, Unit Director Cloud, Computacenter.

Industry analysts note that sovereignty concerns are rapidly moving from theory into daily operations as AI, geopolitics, and regulation converge. “The challenge is no longer a trade-off between openness and sovereignty,” said Erik Fish, Director of Geotechnology at Eurasia Group.

Availability and roadmap

IBM said Sovereign Core will be available in tech preview from February, with general availability planned for mid-2026, alongside additional capabilities. The company added that the solution aligns with its long-term hybrid cloud and open standards strategy, aimed at preventing vendor lock-in while supporting compliant AI innovation at scale.

“Businesses are facing growing pressure to innovate while meeting tightening regulatory requirements,” said Priya Srinivasan, General Manager, IBM Software Products. “With IBM Sovereign Core, we are helping clients move faster and with confidence—combining openness, compliance, and operational autonomy without sacrificing sovereignty.”