Outsourcing has entered a new era. Under the combined pressure of geopolitical tensions, tighter regulation (DORA, the AI Act, ESG requirements), and the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, reliance on third parties has become a strategic issue of sovereignty, resilience, and competitiveness.
Long viewed as a lever for operational efficiency, outsourcing now directly affects business continuity, regulatory compliance, and organizations’ capacity to innovate.
Value chains are increasingly fragmented and interconnected. Cloud service providers, data suppliers, technology vendors, and strategic partners play a critical role in corporate operations. This interdependence exposes organizations to systemic risks: cyberattacks, service disruptions, regulatory sanctions, or loss of digital sovereignty.
By 2026, the question will no longer be whether to outsource, but how to effectively manage third-party risk.
New European regulations are fundamentally reshaping third-party management:
- DORA requires continuous oversight of ICT service providers and critical third parties;
- The AI Act strengthens governance, transparency, and auditability requirements for AI solutions, whether developed in-house or outsourced;
- ESG and duty-of-care obligations extend corporate responsibility across the entire value chain.
Compliance is becoming an ongoing management discipline, embedded in strategic decision-making.
This position paper explains how Third Party Risk Management (TPRM) and Know Your Supplier (KYS) are evolving toward more advanced models: continuous monitoring, collaborative platforms, data and AI-driven insights, and stronger governance.
When effectively managed, third-party oversight becomes a driver of trust, resilience, and sustainable performance—supporting long-term organizational leadership.
Download the Outsourcing, Sovereignty, and AI position paper to discover how to turn third-party dependencies into a lever for sovereignty, sustainable performance, and trust.
