Can emerging AI power centres reduce dependence on US hyperscalers and build more independent infrastructure? Fabrizio Del Maffeo and Mehdi Ghissassi explore the realities of creating local AI ecosystems, From custom hardware to edge and distributed compute architectures that shift intelligence closer to where data is generated. Together, they discuss what it means for digital sovereignty when regions move beyond centralised hyperscale models and begin shaping their own foundational AI infrastructure.