The future of the cloud is decentralised and digital value creation is becoming widespread. Large IT players in Germany and across Europe have been investing in the design of decentralised, collaborative data ecosystems even before Gaia-X. This development is also being fueled by the increasing influence of edge computing and the use of artificial intelligence processes. But how can we achieve a truly collaborative mode in which all stakeholders trust each other and share data for the benefit of the economy and society? What hurdles exist today and how can we overcome them?