SAP and Fresenius are building a sovereign AI platform for healthcare that brings secure data processing to the clinic.
For healthcare data leaders, AI adoption requires rigorous governance, which public cloud solutions often lack. This collaboration addresses that gap by creating a “controlled environment” in which AI models can operate without compromising data sovereignty.
Move AI from pilot to production
The project aims to create an open and integrated ecosystem that allows hospitals to safely use AI. Rather than running separate experiments, the companies plan to build a digital backbone for a sovereign, AI-assisted healthcare system.
Fresenius CEO Michael Sen said: “By working together with SAP, we can accelerate the digital transformation of German and European healthcare systems and deliver European sovereignty solutions, which are of great importance in today’s global situation.
“We provide doctors and hospital teams with safe, simple, and scalable data and AI as everyday partners, giving them more room to do what really matters: caring for patients.”
The technology foundation uses SAP Business AI and SAP Business Data Cloud. By leveraging these components, the platform creates a compliant and sovereign foundation for operating AI models in the healthcare sector. This infrastructure processes medical data responsibly. This is a requirement for scaling automated processes in patient care.
The partnership will address data fragmentation through SAP’s “AnyEMR” strategy, which supports the integration of diverse hospital information systems (HIS). The platform connects HIS, electronic medical records (EMR), and other healthcare applications using open industry standards such as HL7 FHIR.
This connection will enable Fresenius to develop AI-supported solutions that improve efficiency across the care chain. The goal is to build a discrete, scalable platform that enables connected, data-driven healthcare processes.
Investing in sovereign AI to advance healthcare
The two companies intend to invest “in the mid-triple digits of a million euros” over the medium term. The fund aims to digitally transform German and European healthcare systems using AI-supported solutions.
Plans include co-investing in startups and scale-ups alongside in-house technology development. This approach aims to build a broader library of tools that plug into sovereign platforms.
Christian Klein, CEO of SAP SE commented: “Leveraging SAP’s cutting-edge technology and Fresenius’ deep healthcare expertise, we aim to build a sovereign, interoperable healthcare platform for Fresenius around the world.
“Together, we want to set new standards for data sovereignty, security and innovation in healthcare. SAP will enable Fresenius to leverage the full potential of digital and AI-supported processes to continuously improve patient care.”
The deal signals that the next phase of healthcare AI in Europe will focus on sovereign infrastructure. Industries like healthcare require a controlled environment to meet regulatory demands. Without a sovereign data backbone, you risk stalling your AI efforts due to compliance concerns.
See also: Expanding the value of AI beyond pilot purgatory
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