A key objective is to create synergies through various measures, including the review of existing and emerging standards in the IPCEI technology stack, close cooperation with standardisation organisations such as CEN/CENELEC and ETSI, the development of reference implementations and the provision of open source results in accordance with common open source software licences.

The IPCEI-CIS aims to create innovative data processing solutions that rely on connectivity between data, sufficient bandwidth availability and ultra low latency. We achieve this by linking European data storage in a network of cloud and edge service providers and operating them in a decentralised manner. At the same time, we are improving the scalability and interoperability of application software and data originating from different infrastructure providers. The IPCEI-CIS thus makes an important contribution to the objectives of the European Data Strategy, in particular to the establishment of data processing activities of the High-Impact Project (HIP) on European data spaces and federated cloud infrastructures and services.

The IPCEI-CIS aims to integrate digital infrastructures into energy management in order to promote a sustainable EU digitalisation. This is done in line with the European Green Deal by developing green technologies along the value chain. Cloud-edge computing is crucial here and enables innovation in areas such as computing, data storage, communication and heat dissipation. Potential use cases include improved cooling for data centres, efficient use of waste heat and renewable energy technologies.

Cybersecurity is critical for trust, traceability, resilience and reliability in the multi-provider cloud edge continuum. We rely on identity management, robust encryption technologies and EUCC-certified hardware. Our goal: to develop AI-optimised security solutions for the next-generation cloud edge in diverse cloud environments. In this way, the IPCEI-CIS contributes to the objectives of the EU Cybersecurity Act.

The RoX collaborative project aims to establish a cutting-edge digital ecosystem for the development, deployment, and continuous evolution of AI-driven robotic systems. This ecosystem provides access to modular, generic software components, serving as foundational building blocks. Inspired by decentralized data ecosystem frameworks such as Manufacturing-X and Factory-X, the project seamlessly integrates various stages of the product lifecycle, including design, commissioning, operation, and maintenance. Adherence to established standards and leveraging existing technologies are pivotal to ensuring interoperability and compatibility of the project outcomes.

The consortium comprises 24 partners from industry and academia, including key enablers and end users, working in close collaboration with national and European stakeholders. Through more than twelve use cases across four application domains – loading and unloading, picking and kitting, production automation, and AI-enhanced robot commissioning – the project rigorously tests and validates the ecosystem's practical applicability and scalability.

A distributed cloud edge continuum, multi-party collaboration and a multi-cloud environment significantly increase the attack possibility for espionage, sabotage and cybercrime. In a trusted Cloud-Edge infrastructure and associated services, end-to-end protection of critical data must be guaranteed anywhere, anytime.
Adva Network Security GmbH's TRUE-SEC – TRUsted cloud connectivity Enabled by automated endpoint SECurity – project is developing customer-controlled key management and continuous network monitoring to enable secure connectivity for trusted applications in the Cloud-Edge continuum. The goal is to implement advanced security and automation capabilities for government customers, critical infrastructure operators and organizations with high protection needs. The connection between two endpoints takes place after successful authentication and key management via two VPN tunnels secured with strong quantum-safe cryptography. By monitoring the security of active connections and network resources, attacks can be detected at an early stage and countermeasures initiated.

Website: https://www.advasecurity.com/de-de/innovation/secure-cloud-infrastructure

Future generations of aircraft require better connectivity between aircraft and ground services to enable optimised operations and efficient and (cyber-)secure integration of services. A European, federated, open and decentralised Cloud infrastructure is essential here. Airbus Operations GmbH's AXIS project connects aircraft as "flying edge devices" to an IPCEI-CIS-compliant infrastructure. The project focuses on the integration and testing of technological components for communication and data processing in an aircraft on the one hand and on the prototypical definition, implementation and networking of connectivity services on the other. This creates new integrable services for passenger transport processes and "smart services". The connection of "on-board" communication systems, which enable new product functions, is to be trialled in an Airbus test aircraft (A350).

Economically and politically motivated cyber attacks and disasters pose an increasing threat. IT security and resilience are therefore prerequisites for a high level of trust in the emerging European cloud and edge services.
Amadeus Data Processing GmbH's RESCUE project is developing a pilot setup of cyber-resistant digital twins for data centres and edges. Based on the open cloud edge infrastruc-ture, an industrial-grade operating platform is being created that can host security- and business-critical applications on a large scale. This platform creates high availability across multiple regions - an essential prerequisite for cross-border business continuity. Automation functions allow critical services to be moved dynamically between regions, while less critical services, such as test environments, can be set up and taken down as required.

In the digital railway system of the future, trains will run fully automatically. AI will control traf-fic and capacity management in real time. To facilitate those innovations a new concept of IT platforms is designed and tested as part of the Cloud4Rail project of “Digitale Schiene Deutschland”: The aim is a modular IT platform for safety-critical railway applications of digi-tal railway operations in the Cloud-Edge Continuum. The Cloud4Rail project will realise the first operational architecture design and demonstration of this concept for trackside applica-tions, e.g. in the Digital Railway Test Field in the Ore Mountains (Erzgebirge). This step from theoretical concepts and specifications to the first practical integration of all systems in a demonstrator is a major advance. It will validate the technical feasibility of the proposed de-sign and test for instance how the IT platform reacts automatically to hardware failures.

In the fully digitalised rail system of the future, trains will run fully automatically and AI will control traffic and capacity management in real time. Suitable IT platforms are required, especially for safety-critical functions on functionally secure computing platforms. A new concept is to be designed and trialled as part of the Cloud4Rail Operations project of “Digitale Schiene Deutschland”: The aim is a modular trackside IT platform for safety-critical applications for digital and automated railway operations in the Cloud-Edge continuum. The project follows the Safe Computing Platform standardisation concept developed as part of the European cooperation between the railways. In addition to laboratory tests, Cloud4Rail Operations also plans to demonstrate the functionality of the developed IT platform in a physical railway system, e.g. in the "Digital Test Field Railway" in the Saxon Erzgebirge. For example, the aim is to test how the IT platform reacts automatically to hardware failures.

European Cloud services operate in a largely fragmented environment that poses major challenges in terms of complexity, performance and security. In addition, applications are distributed across different locations in the Cloud-Edge continuum, while requiring high bandwidth and low latency. As part of the NEXUS project, DE-CIX Management is realising a neutral, secure and efficiently managed service platform that offers high-performance interconnectivity with low latency and high bandwidth. Management is based on a centralised dashboard, allowing companies to create and modify network segments, security policies and services with a single configuration approach. An innovative API automates real-time monitoring, telemetry, troubleshooting and reporting capabilities to identify and isolate performance and security issues. This reduces the barrier to entry and facilitates the free flow of data between users.

Website: https://www.project-nexus.de/

Under the IPCEI program DTAG will develop major technological innovations to establish a full-service stack as a pre-requite for providing sovereign and open Edge cloud services to customers and user communities after the IPCEI-CIS in mass production. Main focus will be on integration of services from cloud-to-edge (across on-prem/far/near/central edge) based on a new quality level of interconnections, mission-critical capabilities in orchestration and federation of workloads, highest and guaranteed standards in security and resilience/availability of services and significant improvements regarding efficiency and carbon-footprint of data processing. DTAG´s IPCEI-CIS contributions will provide a foundation for seamless digital services with high quality-of-services across EU borders and service providers.

Current Cloud environments are very heterogeneous and there is a lack of consistent mechanisms for maintaining data sovereignty and identity. Especially in the aviation sector, where security is of the highest relevance, secure integration and processing of data is required. The AdvantagE project from Diehl Aerospace GmbH is creating a new, secure level of data integration in the aircraft with a "flying edge" component. This extended data integration level can be used to create new, intermodal services, such as travel services (passenger comfort, customer corporate identity), or to optimize flight operations and maintenance. In addition, communication from the "flying edge" in the aircraft to the ground via a Cloud will be established to further increase data security. The "flying edge" itself and the new communication channels will be introduced and designed in accordance with aviation approval regulations.

www.fh.do/emulate

Potential users of Edge computing currently lack suitable tools to either assess the suitability of public Edge service offerings or to plan, design and build their own customised Edge computing solution. Testing suitability often requires the costly and time-consuming construction of a real infrastructure. The EMULATE project at Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts aims to provide a remedy by creating emulation and diagnostic platforms. On the one hand, the provision of a flexibly configurable emulation platform enables the creation of a digital twin of a Cloud-Edge infrastructure. On the other hand, the diagnostic platform supports the evaluation of existing environments with regard to their suitability for a Cloud-Edge continuum and simplifies troubleshooting in existing Cloud-Edge solutions. The project thus accelerates the planning process for customised Cloud- edge solutions and increases their quality.

Project description will be available soon.

The public sector needs to be digitalised. To achieve this, there is a lack of digitally savvy staff – for example, there is a shortage of around 330,000 employees in the public sector. There is also a need for trustworthy infrastructure that functions in accordance with European data protection guidelines.
The AIDED – Artificial intelligence in a secure, distributed cloud for the public sector – project is implementing AI-based automation of repetitive administrative tasks to reduce the staff shortage. To this end, the project is building a multi-provider edge-cloud continuum that enables a unique, highly available, secure, GDPR-compliant and decentralised server structure for public administration. Data is structured and anonymised using machine learning and information is extracted and processed for administrative tasks. In addition, the project aims to automate the transfer of administrative tasks both between customers and sectors, e.g. local authorities, with individual requirements. Up to 70 per cent of the software and AI models used should be reusable for different customers, which offers enormous savings potential.

European industries are facing major challenges in digitalisation, such as in Industry 4.0 – where the control of production machines and robots requires closed and secure control loops. In addition to the Cloud, this also requires a wireless connection for communication via 5G. Ericsson's KeeCEK project is developing technologies to make the Cloud-Edge nodes smaller, more energy-efficient and effective. More effective means developing Cloud-Edge systems for business and industry-critical applications in order to be able to process very large amounts of data with very low latency in a particularly reliable manner. KeeCEK enables the use of existing mobile networks as a platform for providing Cloud services for critical applications. Lower latency times and the direct connection of devices with applications in the Cloud-Edge enable improved and new business processes.

Healthcare can significantly benefit from digital innovations in cloud and edge computing. These technologies hold great potential for improvement, especially when processing large volumes of data. A prime example is the analysis of long-term ECG recordings, where approximately 100,000 heartbeats are measured per session.
The FACE project, led by GETEMED Medizin- und Informationstechnik AG, is developing solutions that leverage the advantages of artificial intelligence (AI), edge computing, and cloud computing to make ECG analysis more efficient and improve patient care. The project’s innovative approach lies in a two-stage analysis process that intelligently distributes the workload between edge and cloud systems. This involves creating interfaces that ensure seamless integration of ECG data between edge and cloud models, enabling fast and precise data transfer and continuous model improvement.
By employing state-of-the-art machine learning models, the project supports a continuous learning process that aids experts in evaluating and interpreting ECG findings. To ensure that the developed models are not only technologically advanced but also clinically relevant, the project collaborates closely with medical professionals and research institutions.

The ECOTWIN (Edge-Cloud Operative Digital Twin) project is developing a hybrid platform for implementing technical digital twins in industrial and building technology applications. Its goal is to enable efficient, AI-driven analysis, monitoring, and optimization of time-critical technical processes, such as chemical reactors, industrial furnaces, or building climate control systems. ECOTWIN leverages the computational power of the cloud for AI training and simulations while utilizing the real-time responsiveness of edge computing to create robust, reliable, and transparent AI systems. A modular architecture ensures seamless integration of new applications and technologies.

The consortium consists of three core partners: IANUS Simulation GmbH, serving as the project lead, alongside TU Darmstadt and TU Dortmund, supported by numerous technology partners. Use cases from industrial and building technology domains, such as optimizing chemical reactors and intelligent climate control in buildings, demonstrate the platform’s practical applicability. ECOTWIN contributes to strengthening Europe’s digital sovereignty, lowering entry barriers for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and advancing sustainable, future-oriented technologies.

IONORA is planning to collaborate with energy providers to build an innovative and sustainable data centre that evaluates, implements, and tests synergies between data centres and energy producers/consumers. This initiative aims to reduce energy transmission losses, enhance redundancy concepts through proximity, and sustainably utilise waste heat with district heating networks and advanced liquid cooling systems. The project also focuses on optimising cloud-specific infrastructure at the server rack level across the public to edge cloud continuum. It involves developing integrated cooling rack-scale designs, which are crucial for increasing energy efficiency, reducing CO2 footprints, and improving performance/cost ratios. This includes overhauling supply chains to minimise CO2 impacts and integrating open blueprints like Open19 and OCP to streamline hardware automation and telemetry for workload optimisation. Additionally, IONORA is developing a provider-agnostic API for orchestrating cloud platforms that will enable its integration with edge infrastructures. This system incorporates AI to optimise workload impacts on infrastructure, focusing on reducing energy use and CO2 emissions. Lastly, IONORA is establishing a Gaia-X compliant open cloud-edge PaaS layer to foster a sovereign European platform that supports rapid innovation cycles in various data ecosystems. This includes providing open-source services and developing a standardized runtime environment conducive to future ecosystem expansions.

Water utilities, such as municipal waterworks and public utilities, face the challenge of increasing pump performance, minimizing failures, and enhancing safety. To meet these demands, KSB SE & Co. KGaA is integrating pump applications into the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) through their project "IoT-Panda." The goal of the project is to develop solutions for connected pump applications.

A key initiative in this project is the development of an open interface for the KSB Cloud, which will enhance interoperability with various cloud systems and enable secure real-time analysis and control of pump data. Technologies such as the Industry 4.0 administration shell will provide standardized descriptions of pump components and functions to facilitate integration into IT systems and promote networking within the industrial Internet of Things. This is expected to lead to optimized process efficiency, easier preventive maintenance, and sustainable resource use.

The next generation of Cloud-Edge infrastructure and services must be more decentralized, greener and smarter networked, as this is the only way Europe can take a pioneering role in the decade of sustainable digitalization and the ICT sector can reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. LIMEBIRD's GREC project develops and establishes heterogeneous and decentralized Edge data centers in wind/solar parks as well as in customer properties and industrial sites. The project uses artificial intelligence and decentralized optimization methods to orchestrate the Edge data centers intelligently and automatically. A self-organizing swarm platform is the key to resilience, sustainability and automation as well as to harmonizing the Edge data centers in terms of energy management, work distribution and dynamic workload migration. Open source, compatibility and common standards (e.g. GAIA-X) enable scaling and a multi-provider approach.

Website: https://www.green-edge-cloud.de (under construction)

Enormous amounts of electrical energy, including fossil fuels, are used to power computing systems and operate their cooling systems, 100 percent of which is released into the atmosphere unused in the form of waste heat. Lindner SE's BIGREEN project is working on highly innovative, modular Edge-Cloud computing systems that can be seamlessly integrated into the building technology of new and existing buildings. The waste heat emitted during utilisation is used directly on site for heating buildings, hot water or process heat. The energy should primarily come from local, renewable energy sources. The "swarm" of distributed Edge-Cloud systems is intelligently controlled in order to optimise the relationship between renewable energy, the use of the waste heat generated and the available computing power. In addition, a completely new, multi-dimensional security and access concept, known as multi-layer confidential computing, protects the systems.

Website: https://www.bigreen.io/

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly faced with the challenge of obtaining real-time data from their customers. Machine manufacturers, for example, can monitor the use of their machines and systems in the customer environment and thus open up new digital business models. This increases the need to utilise Cloud technologies. At the same time, customers are concerned about transferring data to a single cloud provider. The GREEN-TWIN project from N+P Informationssysteme GmbH implements digital twins in the building and factory sector as a sovereign cloud solution. By setting up and managing hybrid platform environments and their data rooms as a combination of on-premise and Cloud components, the project aims to create multi-provider infrastructure scenarios that guarantee the trustworthy cross-company use of data. In order to support interoperability and data sovereignty, the project integrates basic GAIA-X components and standards. The aim is to develop specific use cases in the areas of digital buildings, digital factories and digital products.

Website: https://www.nupis.de/loesungen/plattform

The increasing level of digitalisation in industry, administration and mobility means that systems are being networked with each other, creating more and more points of attack to the outside world. In security-critical applications, such as driverless, teleoperated driving, the highest demands are placed on security, latency and availability, including with regard to post-quantum secure encryption methods. The PoQuaSIA project at the Rheinmetall Technology Center is developing modules for a generic IoT platform for secure connection to decentralised Edge-Clouds or central Clouds. On the one hand, the project is creating the necessary secure computing infrastructure with sufficient computing power and security against connection interruptions and cyberattacks. Secondly, the post-quantum secure and particularly low-latency communication between the subsystems involved is guaranteed by an embedded system. This generic IoT platform is applied to use cases from the mobility sector, e.g. the teleoperation of cars, simulatively and in the form of field tests.

The functionality of vehicles is increasingly defined by software, which leads to increased computing effort and energy consumption. The use of Edge and Cloud capacities offers the opportunity to reduce the embedded electronics in vehicles and offer functionality more cost-effectively. This requires solutions for dealing with latencies and ensuring availability, especially for real-time applications. The Cube-C project from Bosch is developing methods, components and tools for the realisation of safety- and time-critical cyber-physical systems (CPS) in a Cloud-Edge continuum. On this basis, the vehicle and Cloud infrastructure can be optimally utilised so that vehicles can be operated in a resource-saving, energy-efficient and safe manner. This includes development environments, operating concepts and real-time-critical functions with quality of service assurance and methods for distributing functionalities during operation. The project is also developing initial applications for such a Cloud-Edge continuum in the areas of powertrain, driver assistance systems and cooperative driving.

Website: https://www.bosch.com/research/news/ipcei-cis-project/

Project description will be available soon.

With the ApeiroRA project, SAP aims to develop a reference blueprint for an open, flexible, powerful, and secure next generation cloud-edge infrastructure. The project will include the use of intelligent monitoring and optimization methods in order to achieve energy efficiency and support sustainability. The project will strengthen the goal of a Multi Provider Cloud-Edge Continuum in and for Europe, and will also provide a strong fundament for future software development, deployment, and usage in cloud-edge environments.

Website: https://apeirora.eu

For future highly secure Cloud-Edge solutions, scalability, interoperability and trustworthiness as well as increasing energy efficiency through computing at the point of energy generation are highly relevant. The secunetEdgeCloud project from secunet Security Networks AG will develop fully integrated and automatically networked Cloud-Edge infrastructure modules that are characterized by maximum security. The nodes can be automatically connected to each other to form large computer networks, so that scaling networks can be created to provide computing power at low operating costs. This is achieved through security-conscious code development and selection, the use of state-of-the-art encryption and virtualization technologies and cryptographic isolation of workloads. This combination of highly secure, energy-efficient, easy-to-use and open source-based technology closes a technological gap and is certifiable.

Edge technology shows great potential for decentralized data analysis and digitalization of production processes across industries. The setting of factories is characterized by heterogenous systems, diverse machinery and highest security requirements. The project Kicks4Edge by Siemens Digital Industries aims to promote interoperability of systems as well as to advance and support the extension of software and service offerings for an open industrial Edge technology so that manifold players in IT and OT can create business with Edge technology as part of the Cloud-Edge continuum. The project applies a novel approach for technology adoption in SMEs, derives industry requirements to be fed into the IPCEI-CIS technology development and enables new app and device builders to participate with Edge technology with its three building blocks Edge Build & Connect, App & Device Test Ecosystem and Edge Kick-Start.

Project description will be available soon.

The networking of safety-critical systems in the rail sector, for example in signal processing in rail network or data processing in rail vehicles, requires the use of intelligent and therefore safe and functional connectivity platforms, such as Cloud services, among others. This is where the SuzECK project comes in by creating a safe computing platform (SCP). A platform-independent application programming interface (PI API) is planned between safety-relevant areas in the rail sector and Cloud and Edge applications. This creates a safety layer and supports portability between applications from different providers. The safe computing platform is supported by a functional open source reference implementation and other proprietary safety adaptations. The project is based on the SCP PI standard, which was developed in collaboration with European railroads (Germany, France, Netherlands, Switzerland).

Data centers face major challenges as they are the engine of a digital society. Hyper-scalers define the easily accessible service offering, but serve hardly any customer sovereignty when it comes to meeting individual sustainability or regulatory requirements. In order to offer a better counterbalance in the European and German market, a cooperative and sustainable Cloud ecosystem must be created. WestfalenWIND IT's SDEC project is researching data center Edge infrastructures within wind turbines for this purpose. The central challenge is to establish the architecture and integration in a cross-location co-location operating model. The project looks at issues that should lead to an architecture that meets the requirements. The aim is to create a distributed co-location ecosystem and enable the seamless merging of the solution into an energy generation infrastructure. The provision of these resources on the market also supports use cases for smart city platforms or non-profit cultural platforms.

Website: https://www.windcores.de/forschung/

Project description will be available soon.