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German enterprises reshape hybrid cloud infrastructure for AI workloads
German enterprises are redesigning private and hybrid cloud environments to support AI workloads while gaining greater control over sensitive data and meeting operational requirements, according to Information Services Group( ISG).
The 2026 ISG Provider Lens Private / Hybrid Cloud – Data Center Services report for Germany finds AI is reshaping infrastructure strategies as computing demands rise and regulation and energy shortages constrain capacity, location and governance.
“ German enterprises can no longer treat AI as a separate technology layer,” said Matthias Paletta, Director, ISG.“ It needs to be integrated with the entire stack. Organizations are redesigning infrastructure and operating models for performance, control and accountability in the age of AI.”
IT operations are moving from reactive maintenance towards predictive and increasingly autonomous models. AI-enabled monitoring detects anomalies and anticipates maintenance, while GenAI copilots simplify troubleshooting and capacity planning.
Companies are reconsidering workload placement as hyperscalers increase costs, alter licensing terms and datacontrol requirements grow. Sensitive systems are increasingly moving to private or hybrid environments, particularly in regulated sectors requiring local control and traceable governance.
Industrial enterprises are adding edge infrastructure to process data closer to factories, enabling local AI inference for timesensitive applications while maintaining consistent management and governance.
Sustainability is becoming a formal sourcing criterion as AI computing becomes more power intensive. Enterprises increasingly assess colocation providers on high-density capabilities and transparent energy and water efficiency.
Ulrich Meister, report lead author, said providers offering evidence on consumption, cost and compliance across hybrid environments would be better positioned to support informed infrastructure decisions.
Pony. ai and Uber to deploy more than 2,000 robotaxis across Europe
Pony. ai and Uber have expanded their strategic partnership with plans to deploy more than 2,000 robotaxis across Europe as the companies target commercial scale for autonomous mobility.
The agreement builds on their existing collaboration in Zagreb, Croatia, where a commercial robotaxi service is due to join the Uber platform. The partners plan to extend operations to four additional European cities, with rollout details to be announced in phases. The agreement also includes future deployment plans for the Middle East.
Local fleet partners may handle day-today operations, while vehicle funding and ownership can vary by market. Pony. ai said the approach combines autonomous driving technology, mobility platforms and fleet operations in a structure designed to support large-scale deployment.
Pony. ai currently operates paid, fully driverless robotaxi services across four tier-one cities in China and said it has achieved city-wide breakeven unit economics in multiple markets.
The companies first announced plans to bring Pony. ai robotaxis to Uber’ s international platform in May 2025. In 2026, they partnered with Croatian mobility company Verne on the Zagreb service, with Verne acting as fleet owner and operator.
Pony. ai CEO James Peng said the expanded agreement reflected a shared commitment to delivering safe, reliable robotaxi services across more European cities and creating sustained commercial operations at regional scale.
Under the expanded model, Pony. ai will provide Level 4 autonomous driving technology alongside rider experience and operational expertise developed through its existing robotaxi deployments. Uber will provide access to customers through its mobility platform, including booking, payment and customer service capabilities.
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