In January 2025, a consortium of eight European technology organizations launched Virt8ra, Europe’s first sovereign edge cloud platform. This initiative aims to enhance digital sovereignty and reduce reliance on non-European cloud providers by offering a multi-provider cloud infrastructure across six EU member states: Croatia, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia, and Spain. (opennebula.io)
The founding members of Virt8ra include Arsys, BIT, Gdańsk University of Technology, Infobip, IONOS, Kontron, Mondragon Corporation, and Oktawave. Coordinated by OpenNebula Systems, a Spanish open-source company, the project is part of the Important Project of Common European Interest on Next Generation Cloud Infrastructure and Services (IPCEI-CIS), which received approval from the European Commission in December 2023. The initiative is supported by 12 EU member states and is co-funded by the European Union’s NextGenerationEU program. (opennebula.io)
Virt8ra is designed to provide portability and interoperability across multiple cloud providers, enabling seamless deployment, execution, and migration of applications. The platform offers computing and storage resources through a unified control plane, facilitating the management of physical resources, virtual machines, and Kubernetes clusters across different locations and cloud providers. (opennebula.io)
The launch of Virt8ra marks a significant step toward strengthening Europe’s digital autonomy and fostering innovation within the continent. By creating a vendor-neutral, open-source cloud infrastructure, Virt8ra aims to empower European businesses and governments to reduce their dependence on non-European hyperscalers, thereby enhancing technological sovereignty. (opennebula.io)
As the platform continues to evolve, Virt8ra plans to expand its geographic reach and incorporate additional features to support next-generation applications, including edge-based AI. This expansion aligns with the EU’s broader objectives to develop a competitive and secure digital ecosystem that reflects European values and standards. (opennebula.io)
