Nextcloud and Cloudwise announce partnership on a European cloud for education

The companies aim to make a future proof cloud alternative from European soil available to the education sector, based on Nextcloud technology and Cloudwise’s education expertise and platforms. The first step is to assess market support and willingness within the education sector in a concrete way. This responds to the frequently voiced demand from Dutch education institutions and stakeholders such as SIVON and Kennisnet for alternatives that combine local data storage with advanced cloud functionality.

This call for alternatives has also reached the Dutch House of Representatives, as reflected in the State Secretary for Education’s letter to Parliament of 3 February 2026: “At present, there are no one to one alternatives to the all in one solutions offered by major tech companies.” Cloudwise and Nextcloud are convinced, however, that it is possible to build a secure and innovative ecosystem using the technology that is already available.

A partnership that helps education move forward

At Nextcloud Enterprise Day, the partnership was explained by Rogier Borggreve, CEO of Cloudwise:
“Cloudwise has held an independent position in the Dutch education and IT landscape for 26 years. We have always supported multiple technologies and platforms, and we previously operated our own cloud as well. In light of current geopolitical developments, we are seeing renewed demand for a Dutch based cloud. This partnership therefore fits the strategy we have pursued for years. In the coming period, we will investigate whether there is sufficient demand within the education sector to establish this solution on a solid footing. If that proves to be the case, we will be able to offer schools the control and freedom of choice that are essential for the future of digital education.”

Jeroen Krikke, Director of Portfolio and Technology, adds:
“By joining forces, we can provide not only a secure home for education data, but also a user friendly and functionally mature alternative. We would therefore very much like to connect with school boards that are serious about taking this further.”

Frank Karlitschek, CEO and founder of Nextcloud, explains that Nextcloud’s background in education was a crucial factor in shaping the partnership:
“Nextcloud has been active in education for the past ten years, where secure storage of sensitive research data is critical. Since then, Nextcloud has grown into a complete digital workplace solution focused on privacy and control, supporting the learning and collaboration of millions of students and teachers in primary, secondary and higher education around the world. In the Netherlands, awareness is growing that students and schools do not automatically want to entrust their data to US technology companies. Together with Cloudwise, we want to offer a fitting response to this need for independent, secure and privacy friendly digital workspaces.”

Collaboration on European soil

Previder, a sister company of Cloudwise, also plays an important role in the partnership between Nextcloud and Cloudwise. Together, these parties bring all the necessary components to the table for a unique ecosystem that offers schools in primary and secondary education a fully fledged and sovereign alternative to established cloud platforms. The three companies complement one another across software, integration and infrastructure:

• Nextcloud provides a fully open source platform for file storage and communication. This enables schools to retain control over their own data, including essential tools for office collaboration and video conferencing, fully in line with European legislation.
• Cloudwise bridges the gap to educational practice. With deep sector knowledge and technical solutions such as COOL Sync and identity integrations, Cloudwise has all the ingredients needed to successfully embed Nextcloud in the classroom.
• Previder delivers the high quality infrastructure required for this solution through four high end Dutch data centres. This ensures that data is physically stored in Europe, which is essential for organisations that do not want to compromise on data security and compliance.

Future proof education

Dutch education is characterised by a high degree of digitalisation. In that context, larger cloud platforms such as Microsoft 365 have become the standard. At the same time, more and more questions are being raised about this model. Who truly controls the data, and how dependent have we become on the functionality these platforms provide? By investing in European cloud alternatives, Cloudwise is anticipating both market developments and increasingly strict European regulations.

Putting control back into the classroom

A sovereign cloud solution helps schools comply with stricter regulations around open standards and privacy. Looking ahead, the challenge lies in further integrating these sovereign solutions into day to day teaching practice. Jeroen Krikke concludes:
“At Cloudwise, we are very curious to see whether educational institutions are truly willing to make the transition to a sovereign cloud platform. With this partnership, we have all the ingredients in place to turn this into a strong solution for education.”