Reference deployments of European cloud-edge services (industrial IoT Edge and Telco Edge developments) -

Deliverables

• Deployments and Implementation of Edge solutions evenly distributed across the European territory and demonstration of its use in key applications and sectors.

• A robust strategic industrial cooperation in diverse Edge computing architectures and standards, critical to establishing a mature European supply chain.

• Demonstration of seamless interoperability, uptake and scaling-up of diverse edge computing solutions.

Edge computing is the essential technology to cope with the requirement for highly distributed and decentralised data processing identified in the European Data Strategy. Edge computing will process and extract value from the ongoing data deluge triggered by the widespread deployment of connected objects and sensors, such as connected cars, home appliances or manufacturing robots. Because it is an emerging market, edge computing represents a significant opportunity for European leadership, in economic, competitiveness, sustainability and data sovereignty terms.

Specifically, Telco Edge deployment, i.e. the deployment led by telecom operators of joint 5G and edge deployments, has the potential to be a driving force behind the growth of ultra-low latency data processing enabled by edge computing.

Telco edge deployment – combined with industrial IoT edge solutions where appropriate – will ensure access to data services with low latency (few milliseconds) across the entire European continent, providing European digital infrastructures that meet the needs of citizens, businesses, and public administrations.

The objective of this action is to setup one pilot demonstrating Telco Edge deployment and benefits obtained in key application areas and sectors. Furthermore, this topic intends to incentivise the balanced deployment of climate-neutral highly secure edge nodes across the EU (as per the Digital 37 Directive (EU) 2016/1148 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 July 2016 concerning measures for a high common level of security of network and information systems across the Union (OJ L 194, 19.7.2016, p. 1–30). 38 Directive (EU) 2022/2555 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 December 2022 on measures for a high common level of cybersecurity across the Union, amending Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 and Directive (EU) 2018/1972, and repealing Directive (EU) 2016/1148 (NIS 2 Directive) (OJ L 333, 27.12.2022, p. 80–152). 37 Decade objectives), by focusing on integration and interoperability of Telco Edge and IoT Edge technologies (including open technical specifications and standards), and by targeting concrete use cases from a broad stakeholder base (including telecom operators, telecom equipment manufacturers, cloud service providers, and industrial IoT equipment providers). Wherever possible, this action should build on the results of the IPCEI on Cloud Infrastructures and Services (IPCEI-CIS). This action should foster integration of different edge solutions coming from the telecom and industrial sectors and ensure their effective interoperability, in view of overcoming siloed business strategies.

Proposals for a pilot project should target the deployment, take-up and up-scaling of Telco Edge Cloud, including their hardware and software frameworks, focusing on far Edge and near Edge installations (for example as part of 5G deployments) under real life conditions, and demonstrating smooth interoperability with on-device and on-premises Edge. Actions should showcase cross-border and balanced deployment across the EU and address key applications and sectors crucial for Europe’s competitiveness and strategic autonomy, such as industrial IoT.

Such systems will create value by demonstrating a tight technology integration that includes everything from the most constrained devices at the Edge, to the interaction with highly performant cloud, demonstrating seamless integration and seamless interoperability of Telco Edge developments with Industrial Edge solutions. Ultimately, the aim is to incentivize the realisation of an adequate European Edge nodes deployment density. In particular, the pilot project should avoid siloed approaches to edge computing technology developments. The pilot project should be co-designed and co-created in close cooperation between all the stakeholders involved, representing the complete value chain of Edge and Cloud computing both from the telco edge (including industrial edge) on the supply side, and addressing innovative and concrete services and solutions on the demand side.

The pilot project should address, when necessary, the standardization efforts needed to drive a transparent interoperability among these diverse edge computing environments and clouds. The pilot project should as well, where possible, re-use components of Simpl, and in any case, ensure that its outputs feed into its associated Open-Source community.

The selected project should act as a showcase for the whole of the Union, providing examples of Edge nodes deployment at adequate densities, and show how it could be taken up in multiple application sectors by clearly demonstrating its added-value and its impact.

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