Consolidating Research and Policy along the Cognitive Computing Continuum

Project Information

NexusForum.EU

Grant agreement ID: 101135632

DOI

10.3030/101135632

EC signature date 5 October 2023

Start date 1 January 2024

End date 30 June 2026

Funded under

• Digital, Industry and Space

Total cost

€ 1 999 500,00

EU contribution

€ 1 999 500,00

Coordinated by

RISE RESEARCH INSTITUTES OF SWEDEN AB
Sweden

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - NexusForum.EU (Consolidating Research and Policy along the Cognitive Computing Continuum)

Reporting period: 2024-01-01 to 2025-06-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The ongoing convergence of Cloud, Edge, and IoT has a significant impact for Europe at scientific, technological, socio-economic, and geopolitical levels, as these traditionally separated fields are converging into a much larger ecosystem, now sharing common challenges and key priorities.

NexusForum.EU facilitates this convergence as well as the close cooperation with the European industry that is becoming increasingly important. The project focuses on consolidating research and policy across the Cognitive Computing Continuum, thus providing a clear, consistent vision for future research and innovation topics in the EU.

NexusForum.EU will:
- produce annual research roadmaps and policy recommendations;
- foster collaboration between industry and academia;
- establish solid links with the IPCEI-CIS and the European Alliance for Industrial Data, Edge and Cloud;
- collaborate with previous and ongoing RIAs in order to promote a diverse EU research and innovation community;
- identify relevant issues such skills development gaps;
- analyse the relationship with crucial topics such as Open Source and Open Standards;
- and engage with forward-looking research and innovation communities and strategic initiatives outside Europe, starting with Japan & South Korea.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

- Delivery of two yearly updated Research and Innovation Roadmaps on the Cognitive Computing Continuum addressing this subject from a broad perspective (i.e. from HPC to Cloud to Edge to IoT) and including feedback from a wide set of stakeholders.

- Awareness raising about the latest policy-related initiatives affecting the European computing community. These activities include monitoring of the European regulatory landscape and policy initiatives in the Cognitive Computing Continuum, offering an up-to-date and factual overview of the implications for the scientific and industrial ecosystems, and suggesting ways to align research and technology priorities in key strategic areas with relevant policy aspects.

- Established a structure as a basis for a dynamic and engaged community. Facilitated stakeholder collaboration in the European research and industry ecosystem – on the one hand engaging with 40 Research and Innovation Actions in the EUCloudEdgeIoT ecosystem, and on the other hand bringing in strategic initiatives that support the European Cognitive Computing Continuum, such as IPCEI-CIS and the European Alliance for Industrial Data, Edge and Cloud.

- Strengthening the relationship between the EU and Japan and South Korea through key input of these partners and associated stakeholders in the research and policy outlook carried out in the project.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Key results this far include:
- the Digital Policy Report, analyzing the regulatory landscape of the Computing Continuum in Europe, but also looking at Japan and South Korea.
- The Research and Innovation Roadmap, providing a detailed and evolving analysis of the research and innovation priorities concerning the Cognitive Computing Continuum.
- NexusForum.EU Series of Events, including summits, cooperation events and webinars.

Other project results currently identified are:

- EU Research and Technological Capabilities Analysis, describing areas of synergy, potential gaps and opportunities for further investment and development; following the mapping analysis of a number of EU-funded projects.
- International Landscape Analysis, with focus on Japan and South Korea, of stakeholders and strategic directions of research and innovation related to Cloud-Edge-IoT.
- EU Policy and Regulatory Landscape Analysis, providing an extensive assessment of current and emerging EU regulatory and policy initiatives impacting the Cognitive Computing Continuum.
- EU Open Source, Standardization and Skills Development Analysis, identifying Open Source projects, standardization activities and skills initiatives relevant to the development of a digitally sovereign Cognitive Computing Continuum.
- Public Catalogue of Relevant European Researchers, active in areas related to the Cognitive Computing Continuum.
- Executive Summaries of the Roadmap, translated into Japanese and Korean.