Understanding Cloud-Edge-IoT: challenges and opportunities – EUCLOUDEDGEIOT initiative presented on 19th September 2022

The global data volume is rapidly increasing each day. Very soon, most of this data processing and analytics will take place where they are the most efficient, close to where the data is generated, at the edge of the network. While today cloud computing happens mostly in large data centres, these trends are destined to reverse: the European Commission estimates that by 2025 80% of all data will be processed in smart devices closer to the user.

This transition requires a switch from centralised computing facilities to a Cloud-Edge-IoT continuum, with a consequent shift in the current infrastructure, where computing processing and storage capabilities will increasingly need to be located at the “edge” of the cloud.

Edge computing builds on a multi-layer technology that enables the management and automation of connected IoT devices. It allows the transfer of critical data to the cloud, and supports resilience, real-time operations, security, privacy, and protection while reducing energy consumption and carbon footprint. With processing moving to the edge, unnecessary communication and storage costs can be avoided.  

The move to the Far Edge will have huge economic potential (environmental, energy, and green potential) by leveraging a local, distributed computing infrastructure, and it facilitates the creation of new services and business models for different sectors such as manufacturing, energy and utilities, transportation, healthcare and agriculture.

Edge computing has the potential to really be a game changer for the EU industry, if we think that, as an example, it can provide fast responses to handle on-site accidents and even prevent them.

Cloud computing and edge computing has the potential to really create positive spins to all sectors of activity, contributing to the achievement of the sustainability goals of the European Green Deal.

EUCLOUDEDGEIOT

The European Union is supporting the evolution of the computing continuum through the Chips Act, Data Legislation, Data and Cloud Strategy and Research and Innovation Programmes.

Among the funded research programs, there is a cluster of projects on Meta-Operating Systems for the Next Generation IoT and Edge Computing, presented at the IoT Week 2022 in Dublin.

The European Cloud, Edge and IoT Continuum is an inter-project umbrella initiative. The eucloudedgeiot.eu platform is the web platform developed within the joint umbrella initiative (EUCEI Continuum). It includes all the main project results and will be handed over to the EC at the end of the project and is managed by two CSAs (UNLOCK CEI for the “demand side” and  Open Continuum for the “supply” side).

The webinar

This first webinar was organised by UNLOCK CEI and took place on 19th September 2022, 15:00 - 16:30 (CEST). It was be the occasion to present the project's objectives and goals and show the potentialities and benefits brought by the CEI paradigm shift.

This event was also an opportunity to meet the people behind the project and interact with them, through the panel discussion and the poll session, and learn how to get involved.

Find the agenda and watch the recording here.