Cloud and edge computing are essential technologies in a computing continuum to ensure data is managed more efficiently – closer to the originating source rather than transmitting raw data to data centres. As recent studies suggest, data processing is moving closer to the edge.
Thus, advancing the IoT can reduce communication and storage costs, energy consumption and produce benefits for citizens and businesses thanks to the integration of AI and Machine Learning. These trends call for a shift towards the technical and business convergence of the so-far formally separated Cloud, Edge and IoT domains.

Emerging Cloud, Edge and IoT computing technologies can help an increasing number of businesses to optimise their systems by shifting data processing to the sources rather than depending on remote endpoints. CEI technologies also ensure quicker and smoother data access avoiding speed and connectivity issues, thus improving user experience and reducing hindrances. Moreover, through their decentralised systems, they enhance data security and reduce operational costs due to the minimal need to move data to the cloud.

Cloud, Edge and IoT technologies are critical for Europe’s future in different domains, leveraging low latency responses that can positively impact several domains – from energy infrastructures to national security to healthcare and economics in larger terms. These technologies also play an essential role in achieving sustainability goals in both rural and urban contexts. From an industrial perspective, the cloud, edge and IoT convergence creates a wide range of opportunities for different companies by significantly improving network latency and traffic.

However, because this is still a relatively fragmented market with no dominant player, EU policies can influence its future shape. Currently, Europe is a strong leader in some technology fields (e.g. Telecom Network Technologies), but it lags in others, such as semiconductor chip production. In both instances, policies (or the lack of such) have played a central role in determining the success of these technologies.

EUCloudedgeIoT.eu will try to help business users, industrial associations, tech providers and tech developers, research and innovation organisations, and policymakers access the benefits of CEI enhancing supply-demand dialogue and collaboration.

It will also provide value added services for citizens in areas like health (e.g., improving at-home medical monitoring, providing healthcare services in remote or rural areas), mobility (e.g., car performance monitoring, autonomous driving), and retail (e.g. identification, reduction and prevention of out-of-stock, supply chain traceability to be informed about food origin and quality).