# The cloud is not a chemical plant

DevFeed: [The cloud is not a chemical plant](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/the-cloud-is-not-a-chemical-plant-36554.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://berthub.eu/articles/posts/the-cloud-is-not-a-chemical-plant/>)

Published: 2025-07-11T08:20:53Z

Content type: opinion

Language: en

Sources: [Bert Hubert's writings](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/bert-hubert-s-writings.md>)

Topics: [Cloud](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/cloud.md>), [digital](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/digital.md>), [amazon](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/amazon.md>), [Google](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/google.md>), [Microsoft](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/microsoft.md>)

Tags: [amazon](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/amazon.md>), [autonomy](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/autonomy.md>), [cloud](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/cloud.md>), [digital-autonomy](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/digital-autonomy.md>), [europe](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/europe.md>), [google](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/google.md>), [microsoft](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/microsoft.md>), [policy](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/policy.md>), [providers](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/providers.md>)

## AI overview

The article argues that Europe is not hopelessly behind American cloud providers despite their greater breadth, technical performance, and scale. It contrasts cloud services with European chemical and manufacturing industries that were outcompeted by cheaper suppliers, arguing that the comparison does not apply to cloud computing.

## Source excerpt

There is a lot of recent discussion about digital autonomy and Europe's "position in the cloud". Here, I want to break down and refute a commonly made argument: that the lead of American cloud providers is so great that we can never catch up. In the recent and excellent policy initiative "Clouds on the Horizon" (by Dutch political parties GL-PvdA and NSC), we can read on page 23 why this can't be a reason to just give up.