Contact Details
andreas_horst.riexinger@digits.schwarz
Mission Statement
To make digital sovereignty measurable, comparable, and manageable, empowering organizations with the absolute freedom to migrate or terminate IT services without unacceptable dependencies or risks.
Project Description
The ES³ Sovereignty Maturity Level (SML) Framework is a standardized, auditable, and evidence-based assessment engine designed to evaluate and verify the digital sovereignty of IT services and cloud infrastructures. Developed under the Institute for Cyber Security and Digital Sovereignty and Schwarz Digits KG, the project translates abstract geopolitical and technical sovereignty concerns into concrete, verifiable compliance standards.
At its core, the framework is built on a single, powerful premise: digital sovereignty is "the ability to walk away from the table at any time". This fundamental capability ensures that organizations retain the ultimate freedom to migrate, substitute, or terminate an IT service without facing unacceptable technical, legal, operational, or supply chain dependencies and risks.
Alignment to NeoNephos mission
Sovereignty in Action: ES³ & NeoNephos Alignment
Core Shared Vision:
The ES³ SML Framework acts as the verifiable auditing engine that measures and proves the open, sovereign, and interoperable cloud-to-edge continuum that the NeoNephos Foundation is building.
-
Strategic Autonomy & "Exit Readiness"
NeoNephos Goal: Creating a multi-provider ecosystem resilient against unilateral provider decisions and geopolitical shocks.
ES³ Alignment: Operationalizes the core philosophy of "the ability to walk away from the table". SML Dimension 1 (Strategic) and SML Dimension 5 (Supply Chain) audit exit strategies, securing independence from proprietary vendors.
-
Open Standards & Interoperability
NeoNephos Goal: Advancing an open-source, interoperable European data processing ecosystem based on the Apeiro Reference Architecture.
ES³ Alignment: SML Dimension 6 (Technology Sovereignty) directly audits the use of open standards and verifies portability, preventing technology lock-in and enabling smooth multi-cloud migrations.
-
Legal Integrity & Trusted Data Control
NeoNephos Goal: Fostering a secure, trustworthy European cloud environment aligned with EU strategic objectives (IPCEI-CIS).
ES³ Alignment: SML Dimension 2 (Legal) and SML Dimension 3 (Data Sovereignty) restrict data processing to approved jurisdictions and guarantee absolute, cryptographic customer control over data access.
Benefit to NeoNephos
Strategic Benefits of the ES³ SML Framework for NeoNephos
- A Turnkey Conformance Engine
The NeoNephos Charter authorizes its Governing Board to establish "Conformance Programs". The SML Framework provides the exact, evidence-based auditing mechanism required to objectively verify, measure, and certify that hosted cloud-to-edge projects meet concrete sovereignty standards.
- Guarding Interoperability & Preventing Lock-In
NeoNephos aims to build an open-source, multi-provider cloud-to-edge continuum (extending the Apeiro Reference Architecture). SML Dimension 6 (Technology Sovereignty) actively audits the use of open standards and workload portability, technically guaranteeing that users can migrate across the multi-provider ecosystem without proprietary blockades.
- Verifiable Alignment with EU Strategic Objectives
NeoNephos projects are designed to align with the European Union's IPCEI-CIS goals. Because the SML Framework natively operationalizes the EU Cloud Sovereignty Framework, it gives NeoNephos a standardized, highly recognized metric to prove sovereignty compliance directly to European regulators, sponsors, and partners.
- Operationalizing "Exit Readiness"
SML’s core philosophy—"the ability to walk away from the table at any time"—directly strengthens the resilience of the NeoNephos multi-provider ecosystem. By auditing supply chain transparency (Dimension 5) and strategic exit readiness (Dimension 1), it ensures that dependencies can be substituted dynamically during geopolitical or operational disruptions.
Benefit to Project
Strategic Benefits of NeoNephos for the ES³ SML Framework
- Vendor-Neutral Credibility & European Governance
Transitioning to a non-profit foundation governed by Linux Foundation Europe (LFEU) grants the framework immediate, vendor-neutral credibility. This resolves market skepticism regarding single-vendor bias, paving the way for adoption by public administrations and competing cloud providers.
- Fast-Track Market Penetration & Multiplier Effects
NeoNephos connects the framework directly to an established ecosystem of cloud and edge industry sponsors. This network acts as a powerful distribution channel, sparking a network effect that dramatically accelerates standard adoption across Europe.
- Institutional Standard Status
By utilizing the framework to power the official Conformance Programs authorized by the NeoNephos Charter, ES³ SML transitions from a voluntary guideline into a necessary compliance standard for all funded and hosted open-source projects.
- Crowdsourced, Agile Evolution
Accessing NeoNephos’ Technical Advisory Council (TAC) and its developer community enables the project to crowdsource feedback. This ensures that the binary audit criteria and mapping tables are continuously co-developed and refined by top-tier technical experts.
- Legal & Administrative Protection
As a project supported by LFEU, the framework benefits from a turnkey legal protective shield. LFEU manages trademarks, provides anti-trust compliance frameworks, and protects intellectual property from fragmentation.
Is this a new project or an existing one?
Existing Project
Project Leadership
Sofie Schoenborn - Digital Sovereignty Manager
Jo-Ann Sophie Gosemann - ES³ Program Lead
Project Sponsors
No response
Release Methodology
No response
Current Infrastructure
https://github.com/es3-sml/es3-sml
Security Response
No response
External Dependencies
No response
Infrastructure Needs
No response
Current Project License
CC BY-SA 4.0
Project Type
The ES³ Sovereignty Maturity Level (SML) initiative is best defined as an operationalized, tool-supported framework.
Rather than being a static industry standard or a pure technical specification, it represents an integrated compliance ecosystem. It bridges the gap between a multi-dimensional governance standard and a rigorous assessment specification, delivered through a collaborative documentation platform, and fully activated by an interactive, WebAssembly-driven software utility.
Code of Conduct
CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
End Users
No response
Trademark Inventory
Will be submitted later if available.
TAC Supporters
Martin Schüßler
Good Faith
Contact Details
andreas_horst.riexinger@digits.schwarz
Mission Statement
To make digital sovereignty measurable, comparable, and manageable, empowering organizations with the absolute freedom to migrate or terminate IT services without unacceptable dependencies or risks.
Project Description
The ES³ Sovereignty Maturity Level (SML) Framework is a standardized, auditable, and evidence-based assessment engine designed to evaluate and verify the digital sovereignty of IT services and cloud infrastructures. Developed under the Institute for Cyber Security and Digital Sovereignty and Schwarz Digits KG, the project translates abstract geopolitical and technical sovereignty concerns into concrete, verifiable compliance standards.
At its core, the framework is built on a single, powerful premise: digital sovereignty is "the ability to walk away from the table at any time". This fundamental capability ensures that organizations retain the ultimate freedom to migrate, substitute, or terminate an IT service without facing unacceptable technical, legal, operational, or supply chain dependencies and risks.
Alignment to NeoNephos mission
Sovereignty in Action: ES³ & NeoNephos Alignment
Core Shared Vision:
The ES³ SML Framework acts as the verifiable auditing engine that measures and proves the open, sovereign, and interoperable cloud-to-edge continuum that the NeoNephos Foundation is building.
Strategic Autonomy & "Exit Readiness"
NeoNephos Goal: Creating a multi-provider ecosystem resilient against unilateral provider decisions and geopolitical shocks.
ES³ Alignment: Operationalizes the core philosophy of "the ability to walk away from the table". SML Dimension 1 (Strategic) and SML Dimension 5 (Supply Chain) audit exit strategies, securing independence from proprietary vendors.
Open Standards & Interoperability
NeoNephos Goal: Advancing an open-source, interoperable European data processing ecosystem based on the Apeiro Reference Architecture.
ES³ Alignment: SML Dimension 6 (Technology Sovereignty) directly audits the use of open standards and verifies portability, preventing technology lock-in and enabling smooth multi-cloud migrations.
Legal Integrity & Trusted Data Control
NeoNephos Goal: Fostering a secure, trustworthy European cloud environment aligned with EU strategic objectives (IPCEI-CIS).
ES³ Alignment: SML Dimension 2 (Legal) and SML Dimension 3 (Data Sovereignty) restrict data processing to approved jurisdictions and guarantee absolute, cryptographic customer control over data access.
Benefit to NeoNephos
Strategic Benefits of the ES³ SML Framework for NeoNephos
The NeoNephos Charter authorizes its Governing Board to establish "Conformance Programs". The SML Framework provides the exact, evidence-based auditing mechanism required to objectively verify, measure, and certify that hosted cloud-to-edge projects meet concrete sovereignty standards.
NeoNephos aims to build an open-source, multi-provider cloud-to-edge continuum (extending the Apeiro Reference Architecture). SML Dimension 6 (Technology Sovereignty) actively audits the use of open standards and workload portability, technically guaranteeing that users can migrate across the multi-provider ecosystem without proprietary blockades.
NeoNephos projects are designed to align with the European Union's IPCEI-CIS goals. Because the SML Framework natively operationalizes the EU Cloud Sovereignty Framework, it gives NeoNephos a standardized, highly recognized metric to prove sovereignty compliance directly to European regulators, sponsors, and partners.
SML’s core philosophy—"the ability to walk away from the table at any time"—directly strengthens the resilience of the NeoNephos multi-provider ecosystem. By auditing supply chain transparency (Dimension 5) and strategic exit readiness (Dimension 1), it ensures that dependencies can be substituted dynamically during geopolitical or operational disruptions.
Benefit to Project
Strategic Benefits of NeoNephos for the ES³ SML Framework
Transitioning to a non-profit foundation governed by Linux Foundation Europe (LFEU) grants the framework immediate, vendor-neutral credibility. This resolves market skepticism regarding single-vendor bias, paving the way for adoption by public administrations and competing cloud providers.
NeoNephos connects the framework directly to an established ecosystem of cloud and edge industry sponsors. This network acts as a powerful distribution channel, sparking a network effect that dramatically accelerates standard adoption across Europe.
By utilizing the framework to power the official Conformance Programs authorized by the NeoNephos Charter, ES³ SML transitions from a voluntary guideline into a necessary compliance standard for all funded and hosted open-source projects.
Accessing NeoNephos’ Technical Advisory Council (TAC) and its developer community enables the project to crowdsource feedback. This ensures that the binary audit criteria and mapping tables are continuously co-developed and refined by top-tier technical experts.
As a project supported by LFEU, the framework benefits from a turnkey legal protective shield. LFEU manages trademarks, provides anti-trust compliance frameworks, and protects intellectual property from fragmentation.
Is this a new project or an existing one?
Existing Project
Project Leadership
Sofie Schoenborn - Digital Sovereignty Manager
Jo-Ann Sophie Gosemann - ES³ Program Lead
Project Sponsors
No response
Release Methodology
No response
Current Infrastructure
https://github.com/es3-sml/es3-sml
Security Response
No response
External Dependencies
No response
Infrastructure Needs
No response
Current Project License
CC BY-SA 4.0
Project Type
The ES³ Sovereignty Maturity Level (SML) initiative is best defined as an operationalized, tool-supported framework.
Rather than being a static industry standard or a pure technical specification, it represents an integrated compliance ecosystem. It bridges the gap between a multi-dimensional governance standard and a rigorous assessment specification, delivered through a collaborative documentation platform, and fully activated by an interactive, WebAssembly-driven software utility.
Code of Conduct
CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
End Users
No response
Trademark Inventory
Will be submitted later if available.
TAC Supporters
Martin Schüßler
Good Faith