By Laurent Benarousse and Alexis Deveza

Corporate sovereignty ensures the freedom to act in a changing world. Yet today's, economic environment is gradually constraining that freedom: rising geopolitical tensions, concentration of critical technologies, and evolving regulation. Dependencies once viewed as efficient — a single supplier, a dominant digital platform, or a specific cloud provider — can now become a weakness. These dependencies slow down decision-making, weaken operational resilience, and reduce the strategic room for manoeuvre of executive leadership.

Sovereignty does not mean isolation or self‑sufficiency. It is about regaining a form of chosen, relative independence within an economy that is structurally interconnected. Sovereignty also means restoring agility and the ability to steer in a world that is changing at unprecedented speed. European companies still possess significant assets –deep markets, a robust industrial base, and a rich scientific talent pool–but these fundamentals are no longer enough to guarantee future performance. Organizations must identify the assets that truly shape their long‑term success, understand where their critical vulnerabilities lie, and reclaim the strategic levers that secure their freedom to act.

In this sense, sovereignty becomes a major strategic driver: it enables companies to transform inherited dependencies into deliberate choices, protect key assets, and simultaneously strengthen competitiveness, resilience, and investment capacity.

Corporate sovereignty asks a simple question: Do we control what is essential to our business, or do we let others decide for us? The souvereignty compass provides a structured way to assess and quantify that control. It examines eleven sovereignty levers across three dimensions: strategic assets, value chain, and influence. It shows where dependency exists and how companies can expand their freedom to act.

Each lever is assessed through two diagnosis questions. Every positive answer grants one point. The score indicates the current level of autonomy. In the following sections we'll explain what drives that score and where focused action can strengthen strategic freedom. Each sovereignty lever includes a short diagnosis and examples of how companies reduce dependency in practice

Dimension 1: Strategic assets

Physical assets

Infrastructure determines how resilient operations are when conditions change. A concentration on a limited number of sites (production facilities, logistics sites, data centers, etc...) may appear efficient but creates fragility when disruption occurs. Companies with alternatives can swiftly adapt without losing control, especially when one site is shut down.

Guiding questions:
• How many independent sites support the majority of our critical operations (production sites, data centers, logistics sites, ...)?
• For how long, and to what extent, can operations continue if one site is shut down?

Dependency example:
Operations rely on a limited number of sites, systems, or pieces of equipment. The company's activity is economically dependent on a small number of regions or sub-regions around the world.

Sovereign practice:
Critical activities can be shifted to an alternative site or setup without disruption and in a limited timeframe.

Recommended actions:
Identify operations tied to a limited number of sites and build redundancy where needed. This can include contracted standby capacity or duplicated critical equipment.

Intangible assets

Technology and intellectual property form the quiet foundation of sovereignty. When ownership or key rights sit outside the company, strategy depends on others' priorities, constraints and timelines. Creating a dependency risk.

Guiding questions:
• Do we control the technologies that are essential to our activities?
• Could we continue to operate if access to technologies or licensing conditions were to change?

Dependency example:
Core technology is licensed; continuity depends on third-party decisions.

Sovereign practice:
The company owns or co-owns IP and can modify or replace components independently.

Recommended actions:
Clarify which technologies are owned and which are licensed. Regarding partnerships, secure documentation access. Establish a comprehensive audit of the intellectual property and technologies most frequently used by the company.

Human capital and skills

A company is the sum of its distributed capabilities, and it must ensure that they are properly allocated and secured. Critical expertise is sometimes concentrated in the hands of a limited number of individuals. When responsibility or know-how is centralized, the organization becomes vulnerable to shifts in priorities or unexpected departures.

Guiding questions:
• To what extent would we face difficulties if one or more key profiles were to leave the company?
• How do we ensure backup/succession for key people covering critical skills?

Dependency example:
A limited number of individuals hold skills or knowledge that are critical to the
continuation of operations.

Sovereign practice:
Knowledge is shared, documented, and transferable across the organization's various functions.

Recommended actions:
Identify expertise holders, document critical knowledge, and ensure its dissemination through structured responsibility sharing. Organize systematic succession planning and redundancy for key individuals.

Innovation and R&D

R&D defines what a company will be capable of tomorrow. When R&D depends on external partners or funding lines, priorities can shift toward others' agendas, generating a dependency risk. Control of R&D roadmap ensures that innovation follows the company's strategic intent and safeguards its competitive edge.

Guiding questions:
• How are innovation priorities defined? How is technology watch organized?
• Are the technologies developed contractually protected?

Dependency example:
R&D is partially subject to the priorities of external stakeholders (e.g., their research agendas).

Sovereign practice:
The company defines its research agenda and controls access to results and data.

Recommended actions:
Clarify ownership of R&D direction and secure IP rights to results and data upfront. Build dedicated internal expertise to strengthen market differentiation. Manage technology watch and R&D innovation internally and integrate them into Executive Committee priorities.

Data governance

Data sovereignty extends beyond storage location. Applicable jurisdiction, access
rights, encryption keys, and infrastructure control determine whether data can be
used freely or are subject to externally imposed rules.

Guiding questions:
• Which regulatory regimes apply to our critical data?
• Who controls physical access to the company's data?

Dependency example:
Sensitive data is stored under foreign jurisdiction with limited internal control (e.g., USA – Cloud Act).

Sovereign practice:
The company controls access, keys, and storage decisions, with full clarity on its exposure to non-European jurisdictions.

Recommended actions:
Map critical datasets and the legal frameworks that apply. Retain control of encryption keys and internal authorization. Assign clear responsibility for data decisions to avoid uncertainty during audits or customer requests. Have robust internal control over data governance, supported by tools, audits, and traceability.

Dimension 2: Value chain

Funding sources

Financing influences decision-making. When a lender or investor can shape priorities, strategic freedom shrinks. Diversified funding ensures that decisions serve company goals, not external agendas.

Guiding questions:
• Does one of our financial partners have the ability to limit or condition certain of our tactical or strategic decisions?

Dependency example:
One or several financing partners can restrict strategic choices for the future of the company.

Sovereign practice:
Funding is sufficiently diversified so that no single actor can influence core decisions.

Recommended actions:
Identify where financing can influence critical decisions. Expand funding options and establish internal criteria that protect long-term priorities.

Supply chains

Supply chains connect a company to the world, but can also expose it to disruption risks. Dependence on a single supplier, logistic route, platform, or component creates a critical weak link.

Guiding questions:
• Do we have dependencies on a limited number of suppliers, logistics routes, digital service providers, etc...?
• Have alternatives been identified, secured, and are they operational in the event of a failure?

Dependency example:
Supply or access relies entirely on one external provider on a critical flow (upstream or downstream).

Sovereign practice:
For flows considered critical, the company maintains a balanced portfolio of subcontractors (for contract logistics and multimodal transportation).

Recommended actions:
Identify concentration risks and secure credible alternatives before disruptions occur. Integrate a reversibility clause allowing, in the event of an identified risk, a switch to an alternative supplier with no major customer impact and no significant additional cost. Maintain a contractually secured multi-source supplier portfolio.

Distribution and market access

Control over access to customers and markets is a major strategic lever. When the customer interface is controlled by intermediaries or when market access conditions change (e.g. tariffs, non-tariff barriers), this can significantly impact pricing levels and the positioning of offerings.

Guiding questions:
• To what extent do we depend on intermediaries that structure our distribution network?
• Would we be able to maintain our level of sales if market access conditions were to change (e.g. tariffs, non-tariff barriers)?

Dependency example:
Customer access depends on a limited number of partners or digital platforms.

Sovereign practice:
The company diversifies its distribution channels to strengthen direct access to its customer base.

Recommended actions:
Secure at least one direct touchpoint with customers to preserve visibility. When working with partners, ensure access to customer data and maintain the option to shift channels when needed. Have the ability to switch rapidly with no major customer impact and no significant cost or time implications if certain market access barriers were to arise.

Customer base and geographic footprint

Revenue can appear strong while the underlying structure is fragile. Dependence on a few major accounts or regions creates exposure to external decisions and weakens the company's economic resilience.

Guiding questions:
• What is the level of revenue concentration by country?
• What would be the impact on revenue of the downscaling/loss of a key account?

Dependency example:
A limited number of key accounts or regions account for the majority of revenue.

Sovereign practice:
Revenue is balanced across customers, segments, or regions.

Recommended actions:
Monitor concentration and build adjacent segments proactively. Treat diversification as tactical anticipation rather than a reaction to lost demand.

Dimension 3: Influence

Legal and regulatory framework

Regulation shapes the scope of corporate action and influences execution speed. When teams do not fully master current regulatory requirements or fail to anticipate changes from regulators, compliance becomes an operational constraint and can slow down growth momentum.

Guiding questions:
• What is our level of influence over regulations related to our business?
• How quickly can we replace a segment of our business in the event of a regulatory change?

Dependency example:
Standards and regulation hamper medium‑term growth trajectory.

Sovereign practice:
Regulatory changes are anticipated by swiftly implementing effective actions.

Recommended actions:
Monitor regulatory developments and participate in industry alliances to strengthen the company's visibility at key moments. Have a structured and effective influence activity at the industry and regulatory levels.

Brand image and reputation

Reputation influences access to partners, capital, talent, and customers. When the company's story is imposed from the outside, or shaped by exogenous forces, the organization may lose control over its narrative and brand perception.

Guiding questions:
• Do we have a strong brand image to support our ambitions? How is it perceived by customers?

Dependency example:
External actors shape the narrative and can influence how it is collectively perceived.

Sovereign practice:
The company owns its message and communicates it consistently to all its stakeholders.

Recommended actions:
Be mindful of the gap that may exist between the narrative or performative messaging and operational reality or customer experience. Proactively define the structuring messages that will shape the overall narrative and be relayed by external stakeholders. Identify the relevant channels to disseminate them and ensure narrative consistency. Regularly monitor external perception and adjust positioning as needed.

Conclusion

Corporate sovereignty is one of the key levers of long-term business resilience, just as essential as competitiveness and the strength of the company's value proposition.

Roland Berger's Compass helps leadership teams identify where freedom of choice exists and where it is at risk. Once these levers are visible, teams can focus on the actions that deliver the greatest tactical impact.

Every company's situation is different. Some dependencies enable speed or scale and are worth maintaining. Others undermine control and require active management. The Compass provides the clarity to distinguish between the two and to turn that insight into practical action. By proactively managing sovereignty, organizations preserve the freedom to pursue their priorities on their own terms — and to stay resilient when circumstances shift.

At Roland Berger, we partner with companies to assess their sovereignty and reinforce their freedom of action. Let's explore together how to make strategic autonomy a foundation of your future success.