The EU Technology Industry Joins Forces to Launch Virt8ra: the First Edge Cloud for Europe

A consortium of eight European technology organizations —IONOS, Arsys, BIT, Gdańsk University of Technology, Infobip, Kontron, MONDRAGON Corporation, and Oktawave— coordinated by the Spanish open-source company OpenNebula Systems, has launched virt8ra, Europe’s first sovereign multi-provider cloud.

The first version of this innovative infrastructure, designed to provide portability and interoperability across multiple cloud providers, offers computing and storage resources in six EU member states (Croatia, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia, and Spain).

This initiative is part of the Important Project of Common European Interest on Next-Generation Cloud Infrastructure and Services (IPCEI-CIS), involving 12 EU member states with over €3 billion in funding.

At the core of this project is an open-source software stack for virtualization, focused on a vendor-neutral framework to manage the integration of cloud and edge computing. This helps EU businesses and governments reduce reliance on non-European cloud providers, enhancing technological sovereignty.

The initial version of virt8ra already demonstrates key capabilities, such as resource management and Kubernetes cluster orchestration across multiple providers. Future plans include expanding its scope and adding features for next-generation applications like edge-based AI.

Despite its potential, the European cloud market faces challenges such as high costs and a lack of interoperability. The upcoming EU Data Act aims to address these issues, and virt8ra is aligned with this legislation, facilitating smoother transitions between providers.

For more details, you can read the full press release here.