The 8ra Initiative will be represented at GITEX AI EUROPE 2026 in Berlin, bringing Europe’s emerging Multi-Provider Cloud-Edge Continuum into one of the continent’s key forums for AI, digital infrastructure and innovation.
Event details
Date: 30 June to 1 July 2026
Location: Berlin
Format: in person
Further information and registration: click here
From 30 June to 1 July 2026, GITEX AI EUROPE will bring together companies, policymakers and technology experts at Messe Berlin to discuss the future of AI, digital transformation and next-generation infrastructure. For 8ra, the event provides an opportunity to show how Europe’s vision for a sovereign, federated digital infrastructure is moving from strategic concept to practical implementation.
A central part of 8ra’s presence will be the panel discussion “8ra Initiative: From Vision to Reality – Deploying AI Across a Federated Cloud-Edge Continuum.” The session will take place on 1 July 2026, from 13:00 to 13:30 on the Intelligence Stage.
The panel will bring together perspectives from policy, architecture, infrastructure and applied AI. It will highlight how collaborative efforts among 120 partners from 12 European countries are creating the first building blocks of the Multi-Provider Cloud-Edge Continuum – from the IPCEI-CIS Reference Architecture and federated testbeds to open-source software components and practical AI use cases.
Panel details
Title: 8ra Initiative: From Vision to Reality – Deploying AI Across a Federated Cloud-Edge Continuum
Date: 1 July 2026
Time: 13:00–13:30
Location: GITEX AI EUROPE 2026, Messe Berlin, Intelligence Stage
Speakers:
- Ernst Stöckl-Pukall, BMWE
- Mike Cosse, SAP – Architecture & NeoNephos
- Javier Arnaez, Arsys – Providing infrastructure to pilots such as Lab8ra and Virt8ra
- Alessio Manca, Villanova.ai – Ambiti8n
Moderator: Dr. Sophia Helmrich, DLR Projektträger
Key topics
The session will focus on:
- the transition from strategic vision to practical implementation
- federated testbeds and real infrastructure, including Lab8ra and Virt8ra
- open-source foundations for digital sovereignty, including NeoNephos
- AI workloads across the Multi-Provider Cloud-Edge Continuum
- practical requirements such as architecture, portability, compliance, latency and availability
Beyond the panel, several companies involved in IPCEI-CIS will also be present at GITEX AI EUROPE 2026. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet IPCEI-CIS partners such as Leaseweb, IONOS and CloudFerro at their booths and learn more about their contributions to Europe’s evolving cloud and edge ecosystem.