European Commission approves major European cloud project

Joint Press Release

5th of December 2023

European Commission approves major European cloud project

The European Commission gave the go-ahead today for the Next Generation Cloud Infrastructure and Services IPCEI (the Cloud IPCEI) under State aid rules. The Cloud IPCEI is a central industrial and digital policy project for Europe. It is being coordinated by Germany and France. The project will build up the next generation of a sovereign cloud-edge infrastructure in line with European values. This high-performance and real-time-capable digital infrastructure is to result in the establishment of energy-saving, highly efficient, automated and interconnected services which are not yet possible, but will become possible as providers and users are able to link up and jointly use their computer capacity and solutions in a standardised way.

Economic Affairs and Climate Action Minister Robert Habeck: “The approval by the European Commission means that the next major European project for the digital transition of our industry can now get going quickly. The Cloud IPCEI is a key project and will make a decisive contribution to safeguarding Europe’s digital and technological sovereignty, and strengthening the competitiveness of European industry, for example, in the use of Industrie 4.0 and autonomous driving.”

Deputy Minister for the Digital Transition and Telecommunications Jean-Noël Barrot: “This project is essential as it paves the way for European leadership on digital infrastructure. Our companies, academia and labs will collaborate on developing new technologies that will serve the interests of the whole European digital sector, and more broadly, all sectors of the economy. Through this endeavour we will support the emergence of technological champions in the cloud sector, and thus create value for the whole EU.”

New, highly complex data-based business models and processes are urgently needed for the sustainable transformation of European industry. This is made possible by the Cloud IPCEI. It is based on openness, interoperability, transparency and trust, and promotes carbon-reducing technologies and sustainable applications in the Cloud.

The project was jointly prepared by twelve EU Member States: Belgium, Croatia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia and Spain are part of this project and have brought together more than 100 organisations, including many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and research institutes. Some of the projects are co-funded with NextGenerationEU European funding.

About IPCEI Cloud:

The IPCEI-CIS is the key digital initiative for Europe driven by more than 100 companies and research organizations from 12 EU Member States aiming to establish the first-ever “Multi-Provider Cloud-Edge Continuum”. The main objective is the creation of an entirely new decentralized environment, which will enable software infrastructure for the advanced use of data processing resources from Cloud to Edge. This novel open ecosystem operated by multiple providers will reduce technological dependencies as well as lock-in effects. Moreover, it will enable a whole new dimension of data-driven business models, e.g., AI- and IoT-related, for a broad spectrum of domains and industries such as manufacturing, mobility, energy and

tourism. During the course of the IPCEI Cloud projects,  a total volume of several billion Euros will be invested. For further information please visit www.ipcei-cis.eu.

Press contacts:

BMWK Press Office :

pressestelle@bmwi.bund.de - +49 30 18615 6121 und 6131

Cabinet of Jean-Noël Barrot :

presse@numerique.gouv.fr - +33 1 53 18 43 42