On January 22, 2025, eight European tech organizations announced the launch of Virt8ra, a sovereign edge cloud platform designed to reduce European dependence on major tech vendors. The initiative aims to provide interoperability across various cloud providers and is already operational in six countries: Croatia, the Netherlands, Poland, Germany, Slovenia, and Spain.
Coordinated by OpenNebula Systems, Virt8ra includes contributions from Arsys, BIT, Gdańsk University of Technology, Infobip, IONOS, Kontron, Mondragon, and Oktawave. The platform aims to strengthen Europe’s digital sovereignty and drive innovation by creating a decentralized edge computing framework.
This initiative is part of the Important Project of Common European Interest on Next Generation Cloud Infrastructure and Services (IPCEI-CIS), which the European Commission approved in December 2023. It is supported by 12 EU member states and represents a significant investment of over €3 billion in research and development for edge and cloud computing technologies.
More than 30 European companies are collaborating to define an open-source software stack for virtualization, aiming to provide a vendor-neutral solution for cloud management. The current version of the Virt8ra infrastructure supports interoperability and portability, allowing applications to be easily deployed and migrated across different cloud environments.
Industry leaders have expressed optimism about the project, viewing it as a crucial step towards developing strategic open-source technologies that enhance the EU's digital infrastructure. The initiative is expected to boost the European data economy and improve competitiveness in the global tech landscape.