Alignment of stakeholders towards the supply-side large-scale pilot of end-to-end infrastructures integrating device, network computing and communication capabilities (CSA)

The supply-side large-scale pilot (LSP) of end-to-end infrastructures integrating device, network computing and communication capabilities will develop horizontal facilities for the benefit of constituencies represented in the supply LSP and also beyond, including those focusing on the demand side of the referred infrastructures. This CSA is expected to bring together all those stakeholders. In any case, the CSA action should be prepared, managed and coordinated by key stakeholders in the field, while it would be important that the coordinator adopts a neutral position.

Project results are expected to contribute to the following expected outcomes:

• Coordination of the different stakeholder communities in the scope of the supply LSP work (software, hardware, computing, telcos, AI, cloud...), bringing stakeholders together to work on a common plan and technology roadmap on supply and demand of end-to-end infrastructures integrating device, network computing and communication capabilities, monitoring implementation and identifying gaps.
• Enable the supply-side LSP to consider the demand-side perspective, including requirements from the different applications/user communities.
• Help stakeholders build small, and later larger-scale, demos based on the developments of the supply-side LSP, as well as developments from future Horizon research actions as possible and appropriate.
• Assist stakeholders from the different segments of the value chain (telecoms, software providers, middleware stack providers, etc.) to converge towards a shared approach, while modular and flexible, for telco-edge-cloud infrastructure and services
• Put in place mechanisms for exchange, collaboration and shared governance to facilitate smooth cooperation between supply and demand-side activities, including the Open Internet Stack, towards a common platform approach across industrial actors, including a repository with critical mass of largely open-source building blocks, as well as maintenance and support services.

The expected scope of the CSA for this governance mechanism to function would be the following:

• Consolidate priorities and maximise benefits across different demand perspectives and timelines for key infrastructure services to be implemented.
• Ensure alignment of demand and supply side strategies and roadmaps, in line with (and contributing to) the White Paper on communication infrastructures and other relevant EU policy.
• Ensure coordination and integration of the work of the actions on the supply side pilot and the Open Internet Stack.
• Open-source delivery of Telco Edge Cloud building blocks by the supply side pilot, which will be the foreseen backbone to articulate the cooperation among supply- and demand-side LSPs.
• These open-source modules should be aligned with industrial interests and where appropriate with common European building blocks including with the developments at IPCEI-CIS Telco Edge Cloud community initiatives (e.g. Sylva, Anuket, Nephio and CAMARA).^[1]
• The demand-side developments in the relevant verticals will offer a continuous feedback loop to the supply side endeavours, while they will benefit from the progressive developments of the supply LSP.
• Provide a foundation for exploitation of European technology developed under the 3C initiative as an alternative to the platforms led by large multinationals. The project should provide a forum for consultation and input of the demand-side application sectors and verticals into the development of the supply-side architecture and building blocks.
• Identification of paradigms shifts evolving in relevant vertical domains like virtual worlds as a driver for emerging network virtualisation and performance as well as vertical services like mobility, communities or energy.
• Assessment of monetising edge computing, interoperability of middleware and SW framework through trend scouting on markets, value chains and ecosystems in the area of dynamic content delivery, AI adoption for telco operation and edge computing, convergence across the telco-cloud-edge- IoT continuum.

Proposals are expected to build synergies with relevant topics under Digital Europe Programme (DEP) and Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).

In this topic the integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content is not a mandatory requirement.

[1] Sylva – Linux Foundation Projects Site (sylvaproject.org); Camara Project – Linux Foundation Project.