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© Gennady Danilkin – stock.adobe.com FACIS Workshop in Berlin
The FACIS project (Federation Architecture for Composition Infrastructure Services), part of the 8ra Initiative, invites stakeholders to its workshop on next-generation Service Level Agreement (SLA) management. The workshop will explore how Europe can strengthen secure, transparent and harmonised SLA governance across the Multi-Provider Cloud-Edge Continuum.
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© NooPaew – stock.adobe.com NexusForum2025
NexusForum2025 “AI, Cloud & Sustainability for Europe’s Digital Sovereignty” brings together Europe’s AI, cloud-edge and sustainability communities to advance a value-driven, open and sovereign digital future. As part of the programme, the 8ra Initiative with the IPCEI-CIS funding programme will contribute insights on building a Multi-Provider Cloud-Edge Continuum.
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© Skórzewiak – stock.adobe.com CISERO Open Source Community Day 2025
The CISERO project, the support action for IPCEI-CIS, is co-organising the Open Source Community Day 2025 with the Eclipse Foundation and the CEI-Sphere project. This two-day event brings together open source advocates from industry, academia, and the EU research landscape, offering a platform to explore the role of open source in shaping Europe’s digital future.
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© Giovanni Frattini “Scale up, make technology usable!”
In this interview, Giovanni Frattini from the AVANT project, shares his vision for the future of digital infrastructure in Europe. He argues that the next wave of digital transformation must be scalable and usable, and that a federated model is designed to achieve this by building a “toolbox” of interoperable solutions.
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© CISERO Project CISERO online session on the IPCEI-CIS Reference Architecture
Following the release of Version 1.0 of the IPCEI-CIS Reference Architecture (ICRA), the next CISERO online session on 22 July 2025 will focus on the architecture’s role in advancing Europe’s federated, sovereign Multi-Provider Cloud-Edge Continuum.
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© DLR Laying the Groundwork for Europe’s Federated Cloud-Edge Future
With the release of Version 1.0 of the IPCEI-CIS Reference Architecture (ICRA), the 8ra Initiative marks a key milestone in building a sovereign, interoperable digital infrastructure for Europe. This initial version offers a structured framework to guide the development of a federated Multi-Provider Cloud-Edge Continuum for more than 100 partners across 12 EU member states.
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© NBIP “We have to get smart.”
Our monthly interview series highlights the leaders shaping the Multi-Provider Cloud-Edge Continuum across Europe. In June, we talked with Octavia de Weerdt, General Director at NBIP, a Dutch non-profit that helps digital infrastructure providers meet compliance and security needs through shared services. She explains how cybersecurity could become Europe’s strategic edge.
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© CISERO Project Workshop: Roadmaps for Europe’s Cloud-Edge Future
The CISERO project is hosting a roadmap workshop to explore synergies between key European initiatives working toward a federated, sovereign cloud and edge infrastructure. The session brings together voices from CISERO, NexusForum, and the European Alliance for Industrial Data, Edge and Cloud to share strategic directions and identify common priorities.
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© metamorworks – stock.adobe.com Accelerating AI Inference at the 5G Edge
This panel will bring together industry experts engaged in the 8ra Initiative to discuss strategies for deploying shared, accelerated hardware that supports both 5G virtualised RAN (vRAN) and AI inference workloads. Key topics include balancing the performance demands of AI with the specialised requirements of 5G networks and high availability.
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© NooPaew – stock.adobe.com Research Insight: 8ra – Europe’s Next Generation Cloud Infrastructure and Services
Hosted by Plattform Industrie 4.0, this online expert session introduces 8ra’s role in building a federated, sovereign Multi-Provider Cloud-Edge Continuum for Europe. The event will provide insights, present key technological goals and explore how research and industry can align to reinforce digital autonomy. The event will be held in German language.
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© metamorworks – stock.adobe.com Workshop on SLA Governance for Consumers
The FACIS project (Federation Architecture for Composition of Infrastructure Services) is hosting a dedicated workshop on SLA governance from the consumer perspective. The session will explore the evolving needs of users within federated, multi-provider cloud environments, and examine how SLA frameworks can better reflect consumer priorities.
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© DLR 8ra a Key Contributor at GITEX Europe in Berlin
From 21 to 23 May, Berlin hosted the very first GITEX Europe, bringing together innovators, industry leaders, and policymakers from across the continent and beyond. Known for its dynamic showcases of emerging technologies and pivotal discussions shaping the digital future, GITEX’s European debut provided an unparalleled platform for collaboration and new ideas.
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© Konrad – stock.adobe.com Europe needs a Sovereign Digital Infrastructure – and the 8ra Initiative is building it
A recent study reveals rising demand for European cloud providers. Up to now, Europe’s digital economy has been powered by technologies that, in large part, are controlled elsewhere. The appetite for a European alternative is unmistakable. Two out of three businesses now say that Europe needs its own infrastructure. This is where 8ra comes in.
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© Gennady Danilkin – stock.adobe.com Cloud-Edge Continuum Conference 2025
On 5 June 2025, Berlin will host the Cloud-Edge Continuum Conference – Cybersecurity and Industrial Applications, organised by the Siemens Research and Innovation Ecosystem Berlin, Deutsche Telekom and TU Berlin. Following a successful inaugural event in 2024, this year’s conference focuses on the secure deployment of industrial edge-cloud systems.
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© KAOUN International GmbH 8ra Initiative at GITEX Europe 2025
GITEX Europe is a key European platform showcasing the latest technological advancements and fostering connections among leaders driving the continent’s digital evolution. As the European edition of the globally renowned GITEX Global, it provides an unparalleled opportunity to explore these advancements and connect with key players. The 8ra Initiative was present at Hall 2.2-D90.
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© metamorworks – stock.adobe.com Advancing Joint SLA Governance for Federated Cloud Services
Effective Service Level Agreement (SLA) governance is essential for ensuring interoperability and trust in distributed cloud-edge environments. Two digital roundtables will bring together stakeholders to discuss frameworks for SLA management across multiple providers, building on a recent expert workshop held in Cologne.
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© Gennady Danilkin – stock.adobe.com Hybrid Event: Spain’s Role in Shaping Europe’s Sovereign Cloud and Data Ecosystem
On 9 May 2025, this hybrid event will highlight Spain’s strategic contribution to Europe’s next-generation digital infrastructure. Held on Europe Day, this session explores how national and EU-level strategies are driving the development of a secure, federated and energy-efficient Multi-Provider Cloud-Edge Continuum.
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© metamorworks – stock.adobe.com SAP Webcast: Strengthening Digital Sovereignty for Europe
On 8 May 2025, SAP will host a public webcast introducing the Apeiro Reference Architecture (ApeiroRA) – a strategic architecture contributing to the development of a Multi-Provider Cloud-Edge Continuum across Europe. The session will also present the newly launched open-source NeoNephos Foundation.
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© NooPaew – stock.adobe.com Panel Discussion: Enabling a Multi-Provider Sovereign Cloud for AI
On 30 April 2025, OpenNebula Systems hosted a panel discussion bringing together cloud service providers to share insights into the challenges of building a resilient and adaptable multi-provider ecosystem. A video recording of the panel discussion is now available.
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© DLR Strong Presence at Hannover Fair
At this year’s Hannover Fair, the 8ra Initiative made a lasting impression on a diverse audience with exciting projects and innovative demonstrators. International delegations, as well as leading representatives from business, industry and politics showed particular interest. Many were enthusiastic about the new approach of a scalable multi-provider cloud-edge continuum.
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© NCRD, Poland 8ra General Assembly in Gdańsk
From 27 to 28 March 2025, the 8ra community convened in Gdańsk, Poland, for the General Assembly of the 8ra Initiative under the Polish presidency of the Council of the European Union. Hosted at the Gdańsk University of Technology, the event brought together representatives from all IPCEI-CIS-funded projects as well as other stakeholders.
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© sirichai – stock.adobe.com Advancing SLA Interoperability
On 5 March 2025, experts from across Europe convened in Cologne for a FACIS project workshop on Joint SLA Governance – a key pillar for fostering seamless service delivery in federated cloud-edge environments. The session addressed a fundamental question: How can federated ecosystems ensure consistent service quality, legal clarity, and cross-border interoperability?
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© DLR MWC25 Recap: Advancing Cloud-Edge Innovation and European Digital Sovereignty
The Mobile World Congress 2025 (MWC25) in Barcelona once again served as a global stage for ground-breaking discussions on cloud, edge computing and the future of digital infrastructure. From 3 to 6 March, the 8ra Initiative was at the heart of these conversations, engaging with key stakeholders, policymakers and technology leaders.
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© ParinApril – stock.adobe.com Hello world! Welcome to the new 8ra website
The 8ra Initiative is expanding, and so is our digital presence. Our new website is now live, providing a central hub for everything related to Europe’s next-generation cloud infrastructure and services. Whether you are looking for key insights, project details, or the latest updates, this is the place to stay informed and engaged.
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© Konrad – stock.adobe.com Building Europe’s Super Cloud
Europe is facing a cloud dilemma: the continent has limited control over cloud data centres and risks falling behind in the development of AI. To remain competitive, Europe urgently needs a sovereign, cross-border infrastructure that efficiently pools computing power and meets the real-time demands of industry.
