A catalyst for EuropeaN ClOUd Services in the era of data spaces, high-performance and edge computing

Projektinformationen

NOUS

ID Finanzhilfevereinbarung: 101135927

DOI

10.3030/101135927

EK-Unterschriftsdatum 20 Oktober 2023

Startdatum 1 Januar 2024

Enddatum 31 Dezember 2026

Finanziert unter

• Digital, Industry and Space

Gesamtkosten

€ 8 428 875,00

EU-Beitrag

€ 8 428 875,00

Koordiniert durch

FUNDACION INSTITUTO INTERNACIONAL DE INVESTIGACION EN INTELIGENCIA ARTIFICIAL Y CIENCIAS DE LA COMPUTACION
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - NOUS (A catalyst for EuropeaN ClOUd Services in the era of data spaces, high-performance and edge computing)

Berichtszeitraum: 2024-01-01 bis 2025-12-31

Zusammenfassung vom Kontext und den Gesamtzielen des Projekts

The NOUS project is framed within the European strategic context of rapidly expanding data-intensive services, increasing dependence on cloud and edge infrastructures, and the need to reinforce Europe’s digital sovereignty. Across domains such as mobility, energy, public safety, and scientific research, organisations face persistent challenges including data fragmentation, limited interoperability, restricted access to high-performance computing (HPC), and rising legal, ethical, and security requirements. These challenges are intensified by reliance on non-European cloud providers, heterogeneous data standards, and difficulties in deploying advanced technologies such as federated learning, blockchain, and quantum computing within compliant European frameworks.

NOUS addresses these issues by designing and validating a European cloud-edge-HPC-data architecture that enables secure, interoperable, and scalable data-driven services. The project directly supports EU policy priorities on digital sovereignty, data spaces, FAIR data, and trustworthy AI, aligned with initiatives such as Gaia-X and the European Data Strategy. Its objective is to demonstrate how advanced computing, decentralised data governance, and human-centred practices can be combined into an open and reusable ecosystem that balances innovation and compliance.

The project follows a structured pathway from requirements and architecture design to technology development and validation across four heterogeneous use cases: connected mobility, energy prediction, crisis management, and scientific data analytics. Core components include federated computation, interoperability mediators, blockchain-based traceability, data space connectors, and a Virtual Lab for collaboration. Openness and reuse are reinforced through open-source development, defined governance models, and exploitable assets such as the Auto-Standardiser. NOUS aims to reduce technical and organisational barriers to data sharing and advanced computing across Europe, particularly for SMEs, public authorities, and research organisations.

Arbeit, die ab Beginn des Projekts bis zum Ende des durch den Bericht erfassten Berichtszeitraums geleistet wurde, und die wichtigsten bis dahin erzielten Ergebnisse

During the first reporting period, NOUS conducted coordinated technical and scientific activities to design, implement, and validate a European cloud-edge-HPC-data architecture. Work progressed from requirements and architectural definition to the development of core components and their initial validation across heterogeneous domains.
A common requirements and evaluation framework was established, capturing functional, non-functional, legal, and ethical constraints across all use cases. This ensured alignment with operational needs in mobility, energy, crisis management, and scientific computing, with a strong focus on interoperability, scalability, data governance, and trust.
A key achievement was the definition and first implementation of the NOUS reference architecture, integrating edge, cloud, and HPC resources into a federated computing environment. The architecture enables hierarchical and distributed computation while ensuring secure operation through a Zero Trust-based cybersecurity framework.
Significant progress was achieved in advanced analytics, including structured parallel programming for edge-fog-cloud deployments and a federated learning and inference framework that supports collaborative AI without centralising data. Cloud-HPC interoperability mechanisms were validated, and a hybrid HPC-quantum software stack was developed, enabling quantum resources to be integrated into HPC workflows.
Data interoperability was addressed through data space connectors enabling policy-governed exchange with external European data spaces, complemented by a blockchain-based traceability layer. The Auto-Standardiser was initiated to automate the translation of heterogeneous legacy data into standard formats. Human-centred and ethical design was embedded through Human-in-the-Loop architectural models, supporting transparency, accountability, and trustworthy AI-driven services.

Fortschritte, die über den aktuellen Stand der Technik hinausgehen und voraussichtliche potenzielle Auswirkungen (einschließlich der bis dato erzielten sozioökonomischen Auswirkungen und weiter gefassten gesellschaftlichen Auswirkungen des Projekts)

The results achieved by NOUS establish a solid technological and scientific foundation for next-generation European cloud, edge, and HPC infrastructures that are interoperable, secure, and aligned with data sovereignty principles. NOUS enables more efficient use of distributed computing resources, reduces data movement and centralisation risks, and supports scalable AI and analytics across sectors such as mobility, energy, public safety, and scientific research. The integration of federated learning, blockchain-based traceability, and human-centered AI strengthens trust, accountability, and compliance, which are essential prerequisites for uptake in regulated and high-stakes environments. At the system level, the architecture contributes to European digital sovereignty by supporting alignment with initiatives such as data spaces, Gaia-X, EOSC, and emerging cloud governance frameworks.

To ensure further uptake and long-term success, several enabling conditions are key. Continued demonstration and large-scale validation are needed to move selected components from prototype to deployment-ready solutions. Access to markets and sustainable exploitation pathways, including modular commercialisation and service-based offerings, will support industrial adoption. Open-source governance and IPR clarity remain essential to balance openness with commercial viability. Close alignment with evolving regulatory and standardisation frameworks, particularly in data governance, AI, and cloud interoperability, will be critical to ensure that NOUS results can be adopted, replicated, and scaled.