NOUS announces an international online conference on IaaS and PaaS for Europe’s next-generation cloud

The European NOUS project, coordinated by AIR Institute, is organizing an international online conference on Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) solutions for Europe’s next-generation cloud, to be held on March 2, 2026. The event will bring together researchers, industry experts, and policymakers to explore how emerging computing paradigms are shaping a federated, secure, and sovereign European cloud ecosystem.

Funded under the Horizon Europe programme, NOUS aims to design and validate a next-generation cloud infrastructure that seamlessly integrates edge computing, High-Performance Computing (HPC), and quantum resources. The project enables compute and storage capabilities ranging from IoT devices to supercomputers, managing data across its full lifecycle with built-in trust, privacy, and governance mechanisms. Its open-source architecture, secure overlay networks, and interoperability with key European initiatives such as Gaia-X, FIWARE, EOSC, and data spaces make NOUS a cornerstone of Europe’s digital sovereignty.

The conference is conceived as an interdisciplinary forum to address both technological advances and the societal and regulatory challenges associated with building Europe’s future cloud and data infrastructures. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the latest developments in cloud-native architectures, decentralized and blockchain-based data governance, distributed artificial intelligence, and sustainable computing models that optimize energy efficiency across the computing continuum, from edge devices to HPC environments and emerging quantum technologies.

The event programme will cover a wide range of topics reflecting the comprehensive vision of NOUS and the evolving European cloud ecosystem. These include federated edge and cloud architectures, HPC integration and orchestration, quantum computing in hybrid environments, decentralized data management and governance, cybersecurity and zero-trust infrastructures, AI and federated machine learning, blockchain and distributed ledger technologies, data spaces and the data economy, digital sovereignty, sustainable computing, regulatory frameworks, and cross-domain use cases fostering innovation ecosystems.

The conference will be held entirely online, ensuring open and inclusive participation from Europe and beyond. In line with the open science principles of NOUS, attendance is free of charge and aimed at anyone interested in discovering first-hand the latest research and technological advances in these areas.

The event is chaired by Ricardo Alonso (AIR Institute, Spain), with Javier Prieto (University of Salamanca, Spain) and Gaetano La Delfa (University of Catania, Italy) as programme chairs. It is also supported by a broad advisory, organizing, and programme committee composed of international experts from leading universities, research centers, and companies.

As coordinator of the NOUS project, AIR Institute invites the research, technology, and innovation community to follow this online conference and join the discussion about the future of the European cloud. A unique opportunity to learn about the key trends that will shape the development of a federated, secure, and sovereign European digital infrastructure.

Reserve your free seat now and join us for this international event.

More information here.

Registration here.