SaaS

In late summer 2025, the SaaS division was newly established to further strengthen the growing importance of Software as a Service within the Internet industry. The market for Software as a Service (SaaS) continues to evolve dynamically and is characterised by AI integration and cloud transformation. Many established software vendors face the challenge of transitioning from traditional licensing models to recurring service models in order to remain competitive and secure stable revenue streams.

In 2025, several workshops took place, leading to the establishment of the “EuroCloud Software Innovators Circle” (ESIC) in 2026. This new initiative by the eco Association aims to bring established software providers together with the expertise of the Internet industry.

The goal is to attract more software providers to the eco Association and EuroCloud and to support their transformation in order to strengthen the sector as a whole.

Culture & Diversity

The “Culture & Diversity” division was also newly defined as part of the expansion of the Executive Board. It encompasses previous activities such as the “Ladies in Tech” initiative and the “New Work” competence group. Their topics are now being integrated into an overarching initiative, “Future Skills @ eco”, with a broader perspective.

In a digital economy shaped by AI and transformation, diverse teams and cultures are gaining strategic importance as they foster innovation and increase resilience. Homogeneous structures carry the risk of overlooking blind spots, while diversity introduces new perspectives and improves adaptability to change – both essential for success in the tech and Internet sectors. This topic is of the utmost relevance to the member companies of the eco Association, as diverse teams offer direct competitive advantages in innovation and adaptability.

The Future Skills Initiative was launched in December 2025, with a kick-off event, the first meetup in January 2026, and since then several online formats such as webinars, with the first focus on “AI & Leadership”. These practice-oriented events connect AI integration, change management and human-centred transformation.

Interest from members and new prospective participants has been strong so far, as reflected in strong attendance, strong engagement on social media, and active exchange among tech leaders from academia, start-ups, SMEs and large corporations – positioning the initiative as an important, cross-competence-group platform.

Silke Kanes
Board Member for SaaS, Culture & Diversity