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39 companies have so far joined the EU alliance to help boost cloud technology, with no US or Chinese firms currently part of the group.
Companies from around Europe have joined the EU’s Alliance for Industrial Data, Edge and Cloud as part of the bloc’s plans to become a leader in a data-driven society and develop new cloud technologies.
The alliance, which had its first meeting yesterday (14 December), includes companies such as Nokia, Siemens, Ericsson and Telefónica. There are currently 39 companies in the alliance from industries such as telecoms, aerospace and defence, and there are no US or Chinese firms in the group to date.
The initiative builds on the EU’s data strategy from 2020, which aims to create a single data market, improve data regulation and enhance the data economy.
The goal of the alliance is to bring relevant companies together to build new cloud and edge technologies for the EU’s citizens and businesses. This includes preparing investment road maps for cloud and edge technology and advising the European Commission on requirements and standards for cloud services.
It will also serve as a platform for exchange on issues of cloud governance, such as the public procurement of cloud services.
“Data will transform the way we produce, consume and live,” said EU internal market commissioner Thierry Breton. “Europe has all it takes to lead the big data economy. With the European Alliance for Industrial Data, Edge and Cloud, companies will define an ambitious investment road map to develop and deploy next-generation computing technologies.”
The alliance is still open to organisations with a presence in the EU that have “significant relevance to the provision of highly secure cloud and data processing”. Companies that are subject to a third country such as the US or China will have to submit additional proof that they are complying with EU data policies.
Some US companies have applied to be part of the alliance but are still undergoing eligibility checks, according to Bloomberg.
The EU predicts that the value of the data economy in its member countries will be €829bn by 2025, up from €301bn in 2018. It also expects a 530pc increase of global data volume by 2025 compared to 2018.
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