Thales Brings SAP Cloud ERP Private to France on S3NS Trusted Cloud

SAP said SAP Cloud ERP Private (formerly RISE with SAP), will be available on the S3NS platform in the second half of 2026, with French defense and aerospace company Thales, as the first customer adopting the offering as part of a broader digital transformation.

S3NS, which itself is a joint venture between Thales and Google Cloud, provides a French “trusted cloud” environment designed to meet SecNumCloud standards for handling sensitive data in highly regulated industries such as defense and aerospace.

With this move, Thales aims to modernize core operations while meeting strict data sovereignty requirements for sensitive workloads. This aligns with SAP’s broader aim to enable cloud ERP and AI adoption in sovereignty-constrained environments through compliant, locally governed deployments.

The deployment underscores SAP’s ability to run cloud ERP under French sovereignty requirements, offering a model for regulated industries to adopt cloud and AI.

SAP Brings SAP Cloud ERP Private to Sovereign Infrastructure

SAP said SAP Cloud ERP Private will be deployed by SAP Sovereign Cloud on S3NS’s PREMI3NS trusted cloud platform, with availability expected in the second half of 2026.

The offering will enable organizations to run mission-critical workloads in a cloud environment that meets strict French and European regulatory requirements, including data residency, encryption, and jurisdictional control.

Under the model:

• Data is hosted, processed, and secured entirely within France
• Operations are governed under French jurisdiction
• Customers retain access to SAP innovations, including Business AI

Thomas Saueressig, chief customer officer and member of the executive board of SAP, said, “This partnership represents a major step forward for our customers in France and sends a strong signal across Europe. Customers can combine SAP’s innovation and scalability within an environment that meets the highest regulatory requirements, enabling transformation without compromise.”

This approach is intended to allow enterprises to modernize ERP systems without compromising on compliance or sovereignty requirements, particularly in industries such as public sector, healthcare, aerospace, defense, and critical infrastructure.

Thales leads with full ERP transformation on trusted cloud

As the first customer, Thales is migrating its SAP ERP landscape to the S3NS trusted cloud as part of a broader transformation program.

The company said the initiative will standardize core processes across finance, supply chain, manufacturing, and procurement, adopt a clean core approach to improve agility and maintainability, and support long-term resilience and compliance across complex industrial operations.

Thales’ adoption signals a shift toward sovereign cloud at scale, particularly for organizations managing sensitive data and mission-critical operations.

Pascal Bouchiat, senior executive vice president and chief financial officer of Thales, said, “SAP is a cornerstone of Thales’ transformation, with a proven track record in supporting complex industrial operations and supply chain environments. Leveraging SAP within a trusted cloud platform such as PREMI3NS by S3NS is a natural step in our transformation journey, delivering the security, resilience, and compliance the Group requires.”

S3NS expands ecosystem to support sovereign cloud for SAP workloads

S3NS, the Thales–Google Cloud joint venture, offers a French “trusted cloud” service aligned with SecNumCloud 3.2, the country’s highest sovereignty certification.

SecNumCloud 3.2 is the highest-level security and sovereignty qualification for cloud service providers (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS) in France, developed by the National Cybersecurity Agency (ANSSI). Launched in March 2022, version 3.2 is designed to protect sensitive data from non-European extraterritorial laws (such as the US Cloud Act) and establishes a “Trusted Cloud” (Cloud de Confiance) standard. 

The platform operates on infrastructure that is physically and logically isolated in France, ensures data protection against extraterritorial laws, and combines hyperscaler capabilities with local operational control.

It is primarily intended for “Operators of Vital Importance” (OIVs), public administrations, and businesses handling highly sensitive or strategic data.

SAP’s integration into this environment expands S3NS’s software ecosystem and positions the platform as a viable option for enterprise ERP workloads requiring strict compliance.

SAP Expands Sovereign Cloud Strategy Across Europe

The S3NS deployment builds on SAP’s broader sovereign cloud strategy across Europe, where the company has been expanding partnerships and infrastructure to meet rising regulatory requirements.

In France, SAP recently launched a sovereign cloud offering with Bleu, a national cloud provider, to support public sector organizations and critical infrastructure operators handling sensitive data under the SecNumCloud framework.

SAP has also expanded its sovereign cloud capabilities in Germany, including securing IT baseline certification for its data centers and advancing infrastructure designed to support classified and highly regulated workloads. Together, these initiatives reflect a coordinated push to deliver country-specific cloud models that align with local regulatory and data governance requirements.

As part of this strategy, SAP is enabling enterprises to modernize ERP systems, adopt AI capabilities, and scale operations in the cloud while maintaining strict control over data residency, legal jurisdiction, and operational governance, addressing a key barrier that has historically limited cloud adoption in regulated industries.

What This Means for SAPinsiders

Sovereign cloud moves from concept to execution. With SAP workloads running on SecNumCloud-certified infrastructure, organizations can now adopt cloud ERP without compromising on data residency or regulatory requirements. This shifts sovereign cloud from pilot to production reality.

ERP modernization aligns with regulatory-first architectures. The integration of RISE with SAP into trusted cloud environments signals a growing need to design ERP transformations around compliance constraints, especially in defense, public sector, and critical infrastructure.

AI adoption becomes viable in regulated environments. By combining SAP Business AI with sovereign infrastructure, enterprises can begin deploying AI capabilities on sensitive datasets while maintaining strict governance, unlocking new use cases previously limited by compliance concerns.