UNLOCK CEI
Unlocking the Cloud Edge IoT demand potential in Europe
Headquarters
Explore European Government Consulting
From Big Data to Internet of Things, our portfolio covers wide array of research domains. Explore our current and past research and consulting projects.
Unlocking the Cloud Edge IoT demand potential in Europe
UNLOCK CEI’s ambition is to UNLOCK the potential for accelerating the deployment of the Cloud-to-Edge-IoT (CEI) computing continuum in Europe by focusing on the demand-side drivers and challenges to identify technology-driven innovation and business opportunities driving demand value chains. The project represents the CEI demand constituency; provide insights and guidance to the Horizon Europe R&D projects in this domain; and contribute to a proactive dialogue with the supply stakeholders to encourage the development of an open European CEI ecosystem. It focuses on emerging value chains where investment is needed to foster the deployment of the Cloud-to-Edge-IoT continuum through the forthcoming CEI large scale pilots.
Monitoring the European Data Market
Study on behalf of the European Commission DG Connect
The main goal of the study is to measure the European data economy to support the EC's Data Value Chain policy. The policy created an innovative data ecosystem of stakeholders, enables the development of European data-driven competitiveness, and fosters commercial and social added value derived from intelligent use, management and reuse of data sources in Europe. The study aims to periodically measure and assess the data market in Europe through the European Data Market (EDM) Monitoring Tool, designed and implemented by the IDC-Open Evidence consortium. This is done to deliver factual evidence, data and qualitative insights on the diffusion of data-driven innovation in Europe, assess its actual and potential impacts on growth and jobs, and investigate the framework conditions influencing the development of the European data economy.
The study has three objectives:
Advanced Technologies for Industry
Study on behalf of EASME/ COSME, 2019 - 2021
The EU’s industrial policy approach promotes the creation of a competitive European industry. In order to properly support the implementation of policies and initiatives, a systematic monitoring of technological trends and reliable, up-to-date data on advanced technologies is needed. To this end, the Advanced Technologies for Industry (ATI) project has been set up. It provides policymakers, industry representatives and academia with:
All this information is available through the new Advanced Technologies for Industry Website that merges the previous KETs Observatory and Digital Transformation Monitor initiatives. The project focuses on the advanced technologies that will enable and help industries to successfully manage a shift towards a low-carbon and knowledge-based economy. The following 16 advanced technologies have been identified:
Aligning Reference Architectures, Open Platforms and Large-Scale Pilots in Digitising European Industry
H2020 project – 2019 - 2022
OPEN DEI will be an essential pillar of the implementation of Digitising European Industry policies by addressing in particular the support to pilot activities and knowledge transfer across different sectors. It will provide the necessary measures, channels and mechanisms to ensure cooperation between pilot projects so that synergies can be exploited, knowledge can be shared, and impact is maximized.
As regards Platform Building, OPEN DEI will provide a reference architecture, a set of open source reference implementations and an Industrial Data Platform; in the framework of Large Scale Piloting it will provide a digital maturity model, a set of assessment methods and a migration journey benchmarking tool; in the field of Ecosystem Building it will implement an Innovation and Collaboration Platform, a pan-EU network of Industrial DIHs, an Industrial Skills catalogue and observatory; in the field of Standardisation it will deliver a cross-domain survey, a promotion and implementation plan and a strategic alliance with existing EU and International SDOs.
European Federation of Data-Driven Innovation Hubs
H2020 project - 2020 –2023
Most of Europe’s SMEs lag behind in data-driven innovation. To tackle this problem, the EU-funded EUHubs4Data project will build a European federation of Data Innovation Hubs based on existing key players in this area and connecting with data incubators and platforms, SME networks, AI communities, skills and training organisations and open data repositories. A European catalogue of data sources and federated data-driven services and solutions will be made accessible to European SMEs, start-ups and web entrepreneurs through the Data Innovation Hubs. Cross-border and cross-sector data-driven experimentation will be facilitated through data-sharing, as well as data- and service interoperability, becoming a reference instrument for growth in a global data economy and contributing to the creation of common European data spaces.
AI in Secure Privacy-preserving Continuum
H2020 project - 2020 –2023
Artificial Intelligence, to become fully pervasive, needs resources at the edge of the network. The cloud can provide the processing power needed for big data, but edge computing is close to where data are produced and therefore crucial to their timely, flexible, and secure management. AI-SPRINT will define a framework for developing AI applications in computing continua, enabling a finely-tuned tradeoff between performance (e.g. in terms of end-to-end latency and throughput) and AI model accuracy, while providing security and privacy guarantees.
AI-SPRINT outcomes are: i) simplified programming models to reduce the steep learning curves in the development of AI software in computing continua; ii) highly specialized building blocks for distributed training, privacy preservation and advanced machine learning models, to shorten time-to-market for AI applications; iii) automated deployment and dynamic reconfiguration to decrease the cost of operating AI software.
5G European Validation Platform for Extensive Trials
H2020 Project, 2018–2021
We are at the "eve" of a fundamental transition in 5G, and 5G EVE aims to create the foundations for a pervasive rollout of end-to-end 5G networks in Europe. 5G EVE supports this fundamental transition by offering vertical industries and all 5GPPP Phase 3 projects facilities to validate their network KPIs and services. 5G EVE aims to create synergies between a significant number of facilities that will ensure sustainability and impact in terms of exploitation. 5G EVE will impact standards, and has the potential and strategy to ensure the sustainability of the facility beyond the project lifetime, therefore becoming a cornerstone of the 5G PPP programme and beyond.
The 5G EVE end-to-end facility consists of the interconnection of four 5G site facilities (France, Spain, Italy, Greece), which have been selected because of their considerable previous work with vertical industries and standardisation bodies, on top of their 5G technology competences. The 5G EVE facility will enable experiments with heterogeneous access, including NR, licensed/unlicensed spectrum and advanced spectrum management, as well as mobile edge computing, backhaul and core/service technologies. It will also enable site interworking and multisite/domain/technology slicing/orchestration.
Horizon Cloud
H2020 project - 2020 –2021
H-CLOUD leads coordination and support activities for the consolidation and growth of the Cloud Computing research and innovation community in Europe, bringing together innovators, policy makers, Cloud Computing research, industry and users into an open, participatory and sustainable forum. The H-CLOUD Forum will strengthen collaboration to address challenges and opportunities at research, technological, policy, standardisation and organisational level to unlock the potential of cloud computing for all European stakeholders.
H-CLOUD will provide a rich set of collaborative content, tools and actions to overcome fragmentation and increase collaboration in Europe and beyond, while aligning on a common direction to help creating a Cloud agenda for the future of Europe. To this purpose H-CLOUD will lead the definition of the Strategic Innovation and Research Agenda for Cloud Computing that will provide recommendations and strategies to guide the future of European Cloud services and their market regulations. This will encompass the creation of a comprehensive knowledge base, the H-CLOUD LANDSCAPE, including an online catalogue of stakeholders, initiatives, projects, businesses, policies, success stories and best practices that will be made accessible to all H-CLOUD FORUM participants.
Benchmarking the Digital Transformation of the Public Sector in European Countries
European Commission Framework Contract, 2005-2022
Since 2001, the EC's annual eGovernment Benchmark monitoring instrument has provided insight into the use of information and communications technologies in the public sector. It is an internationally recognised benchmark in the field of egovernment services of Member States. The highly collaborative approach between the EC and Member States has ensured the sharing of good practices and a significant improvement in egovernment services over the years. IDC4EU has been involved in the benchmarking of egovernment in Europe on behalf of DG Connect since 2005, first delivering pilot studies (with RSO) and then with Capgemini in the benchmarking framework, contributing substantially to the renewal of the methodological approach and to the design and implementation of mystery shopping. IDC was primarily responsible for the development of the eprocurement benchmarking methodology, first for the DG Information Society and then as an independent benchmark for DG Markt in 2011–2012.
The main objective is to provide a quantitative overview of the status of modernisation in the public sector in 35 countries and disseminate this to interested stakeholders and to the public in general. This involves data collection, workshops and reporting, aimed at supporting the monitoring of innovation in the public sector.
The eGovernment Benchmark framework provides each country under assessment with an ideal opportunity to determine its strengths and weaknesses, and relate these to its own egovernment innovation strategy. In this way, each country can gauge whether it is on track to achieve its goals. It enables countries to identify opportunities for improvement and look at ways to potentially reconsider policy decisions. The primary goal of the exercise should not be to score 100% across all indicators, but to use the tool and its outcomes to determine where follow-up action is required in the context of the national egovernment strategy. It is not a prize-winning competition, but an instrument to learn and improve.
Leveraging the Power of Location Information and Technologies to Improve Public Services at Local Level
Leveraging the power of location information and technologies to improve Public Services at Local Level
The project “ELISE Lot 1 - Leveraging the power of location information and technologies to improve Public Services at Local Level: An EU-wide Analysis” is part of a broader effort and reorientation of the JRC and Digital Economy Unit (JRC.B.6) in particular. It falls under the ISA Action ELISE: European Location Interoperability Solutions for e-Government.
Aim and expectations:
Language Technologies
Study on behalf of the European Commission DG Connect
The study results have helped the European Commission to develop the service portfolio of the CEF (Connected Europe Facility) Automated Translation platform, aimed at informing potential policy development activities.
Lot 1 carried out an analysis of European language technologies (LTs) in terms of supply and demand and identified gaps, assessed the use of LTs by public services in the EU and in the individual Member States, and developed a business case for the CEF Automated Translation services by defining a CEF etranslation position and value proposition that considers the context of the European LT market/ecosystem
Lot 2 aimed to contribute to the further development of the Automated Translation "core service platform" towards an infrastructure for "full multilingual enablement (beyond simple translation) of online services linked to CEF DSIs". The specific objectives of the study were to:
Evidence-Based Big Data Benchmarking to Improve Business Performance
H2020 Project, 2018–2020
DataBench aims to design a benchmarking process to help European organisations develop Big Data technologies (BDTs) to constantly improve their performance by measuring their technology development against a set of business parameters. DataBench investigates existing Big Data benchmarking tools and projects, identifies the main gaps and provides a robust set of metrics to compare the technical results from those tools. The project addresses the gap in the current benchmarking community's activities by providing certifiable benchmarks and evaluation schemes for BDT performance.
The DataBench framework comprises a complete set of metrics for BDT assessment, including:
Ethical and Societal Implications of Data Science
H2020 Project, 2017–2019
The main objective of the e-SIDES Coordination and Support Action (CSA) is to complement the research on privacy-preserving Big Data technologies by analysing, mapping and clearly identifying the main societal and ethical challenges emerging from the adoption of Big Data technologies, conforming to the principles of responsible research and innovation.
Data-driven innovation is transforming society and the economy. Although there are potentially enormous economic and social benefits, this innovation also brings new challenges for individual and collective privacy and security, as well as democracy and participation.
e-SIDES will set up and organise a sustainable dialogue between industry, research and social actors, as well as networking with the main research and innovation actions and LSPs and other Framework Programme projects interested in these issues. It will investigate stakeholders' concerns and collect their input, framing the results in a clear conceptual framework showing the potential trade-offs between conflicting needs and providing a basis to validate privacy-preserving technologies. It will prepare and disseminate community-shared conclusions and recommendations highlighting the best way to ultimately build the confidence of citizens and businesses in Big Data and the data economy.
Global Vision, Standardisation and Stakeholder Engagement in 5G
H2020 Project, 2017–2019
Global5G.org was established to provide a European-led contribution to the international vision of 5G networks, addressing a large set of requirements from different vertical industries.
Global5G.org plugs the gap in the effort to implement a European "5G PPP vision" in an international context, engaging all relevant stakeholders and with a specific focus on vertical markets, standardisation, and policy and regulation. As part of the project's work plan, a collaboration web platform will showcase and monitor EU and international initiatives and joint R&I programmes with regards to 5G capabilities, standardisation, verticals and related spectrum. Through its standardisation tracker, it will monitor standardisation efforts related to specific vertical industry requirements, driving implementation and sustainability for a successful 5G deployment.
Global5G.org also analyses the sustainability strategies and identifies new business models, taking into consideration private and public investments through pragmatic engagement drivers. It will also report on research findings on standardisation, assess the opportunities for market uptake with a close eye on the selected vertical markets and map them into the right stakeholder groups.
Cross-Fertilisation Through Alignment, Synchronisation and Exchange for IoT
H2020 Project, 2017-2020
CREATE-IoT aimed to stimulate collaboration between IoT initiatives, foster the take-up of IoT in Europe, and support the development and growth of IoT ecosystems based on open technologies and platforms. This required synchronisation and alignment on strategic and operational terms through frequent, multidirectional exchanges between the various activities under the IoT Focus Areas (FAs). It also required cross-fertilisation of the various IoT Large Scale Pilots (LSPs) for technological and validation issues of common interest across the application domains and use cases.
The project fostered the exchange of information on the requirements for accompanying legal measures, development of common methodologies and KPIs for design, testing and validation, and for success and impact measurement, coordination of pilot activities and transfer to other pilot areas, facilitating access for IoT entrepreneurs/API developers/makers and SMEs, including a combination of ICT and initiatives for artists. CREATE-IoT built strong connections with Member States' initiatives and other initiatives, and transferred learning points to the broader IoT policy framework that includes contractual PPPs (e.g., Big Data, factories of the future, 5G infrastructure), joint technology initiatives (e.g., ECSEL), European innovation partnerships (e.g., on smart cities), as well as other FAs (e.g., on autonomous transport). It maintained a coordinated working relationship with U4IoT, focused on RRI-SSH (Responsible Research and Innovation — Social Sciences and Humanities).
An Innovation Hub for the Next-Generation Internet
H2020 Project, 2017–2018
Started in January 2017, HUB4NGI was the first Coordination and Support Action dedicated to transforming the Next-Generation Internet initiative into an increasingly dynamic, collaborative, vibrant and participatory research and innovation ecosystem. HUB4NGI aimed to offer a collaborative platform to effectively support and coordinate activities across the whole NGI context by combining knowledge, tools and processes to reach and engage top-notch internet researchers and innovators. IDC was responsible for defining a methodology to collect and assess the information in the NGI domain by defining the exact models and templates as well as a database structure to collect data. IDC actively contributed to the definition of procedures to analyse data as well as a KPI infrastructure to measure and assess the initiatives and resources available to stakeholders in the domain.
Key objectives for the project were to:
Policy Efforts to Avoid Vendor Lock-In in Cloud Computing
Study on behalf of the European Commission DG Connect
The main objective of this study was to gather evidence on practices relating to switching of cloud service providers, with a specific focus on the barriers potentially preventing data portability and/or application portability, which may reduce users' choices, and the policy measures needed to overcome these barriers. The study provided practical and evidence-based recommendations supporting policy making aimed at facilitating the switching of cloud service providers by business and private users. It:
Assessing the impacts and influence of the Open Data Incubator Europe
Impact Assessment Study for the Open Data Institute – 2017
IDC carried out an independent impact assessment for ODINE’s incubation programme to evaluate whether ad to what extent ODINE achieved its main objective to attract and fund a group of innovative digital companies with original business ideas about Open Data and accelerate their time to market and chances of success. The assessment was carried out in March-April 2017 and was based on data collection through an independent survey of the 57 funded companies and 10 non-funded companies, the information published by the companies, ODINE’s databases and documents repositories. IDC developed a forecast model estimating potential revenues, jobs created and the number of customers of these companies to 2020, under a main and a counterfactual scenario. The results were compared with the impact assessment of the FIWARE Accelerator Programme, which funded over 1000 startups and SMEs, carried out by IDC in 2014-16.
Through this impact assessment, IDC provided answers to these key research questions:
Aligning Reference Architectures, Open Platforms and Large-Scale Pilots in Digitising European Industry
Leveraging the Power of Location Information and Technologies to Improve Public Services at Local Level
Language Technologies
Cross-Fertilisation Through Alignment, Synchronisation and Exchange for IoT
IDC4EU Latest research provides access to the full list of research materials and documents produced in our research and consulting projects. Research pieces are organised by research domain and by project, and regularly updated to provide you with the latest insights from our work.
Nov 22, 2021
May 19, 2021
Jun 30, 2022
Jun 27, 2022
Mar 07, 2022
Mar 07, 2022
Subscribe to our mailing list to get updates.