Continuity of our Digital Backbone

November 28, 2025

The digital backbone of the Netherlands and Europe is under pressure. What was long considered a technical matter is increasingly developing into a strategic issue. Digital dependency affects not only operational reliability but also continuity, autonomy, and long-term value.

The NCTV warned today about the risks of excessive reliance on a limited number of international technology providers. https://2cm.es/1k9LO In a world where geopolitical tensions increasingly directly impact digital systems, reliance can be used as a means of asserting power. This makes the digital backbone a vulnerable component of our economic and societal structure.

The recent acquisition of the Dutch cloud company Solvinity by the American IT group Kyndryl demonstrates how quickly ownership can shift . This came as a surprise to many organizations, not because the quality of service was in question, but because it became clear how relatively "local" can be when ownership changes.

Technology alone is not enough

The discussion about digital autonomy often focuses on technology: cloud models, architecture, and vendor choices. This is understandable, but it's insufficient.

The digital backbone is formed not only by systems, but also by ownership and entrepreneurship. Ownership determines the direction. Entrepreneurship sets the pace. Investment sets the horizon.

Technology can be robust, but become vulnerable as soon as ownership changes. Systems can run locally, but be strategically managed elsewhere. Digital stability, therefore, arises not only in server rooms, but also in boardrooms.

Continuity in coherence

Continuity requires coherence between three factors.

• Technology must be reliable and manageable.

• Entrepreneurship requires investments in people, quality and innovation.

• Ownership ultimately determines whether these investments remain structurally possible or become subordinate to temporary return targets.

It is precisely this connection that is still insufficiently addressed in many discussions. This is where the difference between temporary solutions and lasting stability arises.

Another model for value creation

Many investment models are geared towards arbitrage and resale. This is legitimate in numerous sectors, but it's problematic when it comes to companies that form part of the digital backbone. There's a need for capital with a longer horizon. For ownership that focuses primarily on development, not exit.

Erik Leus, Managing Partner at DEC-Alliance: "The DEC-Alliance Evergreen Fund is designed for organizations that prioritize continuity over short-term growth cycles, collaboration over fragmentation, and careful ownership over financial engineering. This is not driven by conservatism, but by the understanding that sustainable growth is only possible when investments are not dictated by an end date."

Nathan Kotek, Partner at DEC Alliance: "Continuity doesn't mean stagnation at DEC. Quite the opposite. It means room for focused ambition, growth, and innovation: investing in technology, people, and market position—with an eye for returns, but without everything being subordinated to sales opportunities."

A mature alternative

In this sense, DEC-Alliance offers a mature alternative to traditional private equity. Not a counter-model, but a complementary one. For entrepreneurs and investors who view technology not as a commodity, but as a strategic domain with social relevance and long-term potential.

Ultimately, digital autonomy does not arise from policy, but from choices.

• Choices about ownership.

• About investment horizon.

• About responsibility.

The digital backbone requires entrepreneurship and ownership.