SAP and Fresenius to build sovereign AI backbone for healthcare

SAP and Fresenius are building a sovereign AI platform for healthcare that brings secure data processing to clinical settings.

For data leaders in the medical sector, deploying AI requires strict governance that public cloud solutions often lack. This collaboration addresses that gap by creating a “controlled environment” where AI models can operate without compromising data sovereignty.

Moving AI from pilot to production

The project aims to build an open and integrated ecosystem allowing hospitals to use AI securely. Rather than running isolated experiments, the companies plan to create a digital backbone for a sovereign and AI-supported healthcare system.

Michael Sen, CEO of Fresenius, said: “Together with SAP, we can accelerate the digital transformation of the German and European healthcare systems and enable a sovereign European solution that is so important in today’s global landscape.

“We are making data and AI everyday companions that are secure, simple and scalable for doctors and hospital teams. This creates more room for what truly matters: caring for patients.”

The technical base uses SAP Business AI and the SAP Business Data Cloud. By leveraging these components, the platform creates a compliant, sovereign foundation for operating AI models in healthcare. This infrastructure handles health data responsibly, a requirement for scaling automated processes in patient care.

The partnership tackles data fragmentation through SAP’s “AnyEMR” strategy, which supports the integration of diverse hospital information systems (HIS). Using open industry standards like HL7 FHIR, the platform connects HIS, electronic medical records (EMRs), and other medical applications.

This connectivity allows Fresenius to develop AI-supported solutions that increase efficiency across the care chain. The goal is to build an individual, scalable platform that enables connected, data-driven healthcare processes.

Investing in sovereign AI to advance healthcare

Both companies intend to invest a “mid three-digit million euro amount” in the medium term. The funds target the digital transformation of German and European healthcare systems using AI-supported solutions.

Plans include joint investments in startups and scaleups, alongside internal technological developments. This approach aims to build a broader library of tools that plug into the sovereign platform.

Christian Klein, CEO of SAP SE, commented: “With SAP’s leading technology and Fresenius’ deep healthcare expertise, we aim to create a sovereign, interoperable healthcare platform for Fresenius worldwide.

“Together, we want to set new standards for data sovereignty, security, and innovation in healthcare. Thanks to SAP, Fresenius can harness the full potential of digital and AI-supported processes and sustainably improve patient care.”

This deal indicates that the next phase of healthcare AI in Europe will focus on sovereign infrastructure. Industries like healthcare require a controlled environment to satisfy regulatory demands—without a sovereign data backbone, AI initiatives risk stalling due to compliance concerns.

See also: Scaling AI value beyond pilot phase purgatory

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