Unlocking Europe's Digital Potential: The EuroStack Vision

The EuroStack Initiative (ESI) is a visionary endeavor aimed at establishing a sovereign, open, and sustainable digital infrastructure for Europe. In a world currently dominated by non-European technological giants, the ESI represents a commitment to reclaiming control over Europe’s digital future. By leveraging Open Source principles, fostering interoperability, and aligning with European values of privacy, sustainability, and inclusivity, the ESI will create a resilient and modular infrastructure that empowers governments, businesses, and citizens alike. This vision ensures that Europe remains a global leader in technological innovation while adhering to democratic principles and ethical governance.

Our Mission

The EuroStack Initiative's mission is to foster a robust ecosystem of European-made and supported digital solutions. It aims to achieve technological sovereignty through Open Source, interoperable tools that are compatible with European regulations and values. The ESI will serve as a beacon of innovation, transparency, and collaboration, driving Europe's digital transformation and ensuring our technological independence. One of the key projects supporting this mission is the EuroStack Directory Project (ESDP).

Our Values

Our values are aligned with the Commission's paper, "Communication to the Commission: Open Source Software Strategy 2020-2023", which mentions "united in diversity, open and inclusive, non-discriminatory, and respectful of privacy" as core values.

Specifically, the EuroStack Initiative champions:

• Digital Sovereignty: Empowering Europe to act independently in the digital realm, maintain control over its data and technologies, and reduce reliance on non-European entities.
• Openness: Fostering a transparent, collaborative, and inclusive approach to the development and use of digital technologies. We believe in open code, transparent algorithms, and enabling independent audits to build trust and accountability.
• Privacy: Ensuring the protection of individuals' privacy as a fundamental right. We are committed to designing and implementing digital solutions that align with GDPR and uphold the highest standards of data protection.
• Inclusivity & Non-discrimination: Building a digital future that is accessible to all. We strive to create solutions that cater to diverse needs and ensure equal opportunities in the digital space, including explicit consideration for accessibility.
• Democracy: The Initiative is guided by democratic principles, promoting transparency, accountability, and citizen participation in the digital sphere.
• Security: Prioritizing the security and resilience of digital systems and infrastructure. We recognize the crucial role of open source in enabling thorough security audits and protecting against cyber threats.
• Sustainability: Supporting the development and use of energy-efficient and environmentally conscious technologies, contributing to a sustainable digital future for Europe.
• Trust in Institutions: By promoting openness and transparency, we aim to strengthen public trust in European institutions and the digital solutions they endorse.
• Freedom of Choice: Advocating for open source solutions to empower users with choices, avoid vendor lock-in, and foster a competitive digital marketplace.

These values, initially presented in 2020 to guide the European Commission's Open Source strategy, remain highly relevant today. They form the bedrock of the EuroStack Initiative, reflecting our commitment to building a digital future for Europe that is not only technologically advanced but also ethical, inclusive, and firmly aligned with fundamental European principles.

Core Principles

1. European Values: as outlined above.
2. Interoperability: Foster seamless integration and compatibility between different technologies and platforms.
3. Collaboration: Encourage partnerships between governments, SMEs, and Open Source communities to drive innovation.
4. Open Source First: Prioritize Open Source software (OSS) as the foundation for all digital solutions, ensuring transparency, security, and autonomy.
5. Sustainability: Promote energy-efficient and environmentally friendly technologies.

Our Approach

The EuroStack Initiative will undertake several strategic actions to achieve its mission. One primary project is the EuroStack Directory Project (ESDP), which will focus on creating a comprehensive directory of European-made and/or European-supported digital technologies and solutions. In addition to the ESDP, the ESI will:

1. Collaborative Frameworks: Establish collaborative frameworks that bring together national governments, SMEs, and Open Source communities to drive innovation and implementation.
2. Open Source First: Advocate for policies like "Open Source First" in public procurement and "Public Money, Public Code" to prioritize Open Source solutions in publicly funded projects.
3. Educational Initiatives: Develop cross-border educational programs that focus on Open Source development and cloud technologies, fostering a culture of openness and self-reliance.
4. Sustainable Funding: Advocate for targeted funding instruments within Horizon Europe and other R&D programs to support Open Source SMEs and independent projects.
5. Regulatory Harmonization: Streamline regulatory and operational hurdles, ensuring flexibility and support for diverse players in the tech ecosystem.

The Challenge

The last decade’s trend of US and Asian cloud companies growing more rapidly than European companies can be changed. Young and innovative SMEs can and should play a key part in fueling European innovation. Europe needs to strengthen its SME ecosystem through dedicated support – allowing innovation and technological assets to stay in Europe and contribute to innovation, digital sovereignty, and competitiveness. For that to happen, these companies must continue to develop and grow within the European context, rather than being acquired by companies from other parts of the world.

The acquisition of European innovators by foreign companies leads to European know-how, technology, and assets being siphoned off to other regions. This trend is highly prevalent in the cloud industry. The innovation power of European cloud SMEs needs to be recognized and supported as it will allow Europe to build a more cost-effective and innovative cloud infrastructure and healthy ecosystems. This will foster the development of use cases ranging from big data edge cloud platforms to effective IoT applications for smaller enterprises and municipalities.

Technical Vision - The EuroStack Initiative

The EuroStack Initiative (ESI) encompasses a multi-layered approach to building a robust digital infrastructure for Europe. Through strategic investments, coordinated efforts, and adherence to open standards, we will address the critical challenges of fragmentation, dependency, and sustainability. The EuroStack Directory Project (ESDP) will be a cornerstone of this initiative, providing a curated list of technologies and solutions that align with the ESI's principles.

Infrastructure Layer: Cloud, Edge, and Data Centers

• Cloud-Native Architecture: Adopt a cloud-native approach to ensure portability, scalability, and modularity.
• Open Source Platforms: Utilize established open source cloud platforms to form the backbone of a European-controlled cloud infrastructure.
• Interoperable APIs: Develop new standards to enable seamless interaction between providers, avoiding the pitfalls of past initiatives.
• Decentralized Edge Computing: Deploy lightweight solutions for edge devices and emphasize modular deployment to support varied workloads across different regions and industries.
• Data Localization Policies: Enforce compliance with GDPR through edge-local processing, reducing the need for data transfer to centralized servers.
• European Data Centers: Build or modernize energy-efficient, renewable-powered data centers to host cloud and edge workloads, implementing technologies like liquid cooling and photonic computing.

Data Layer: Sovereign Data Platforms

• Data Sovereignty Framework: Create trust-based frameworks allowing controlled data sharing between entities, using technologies for personal online datastores.
• Interoperability Standards: Develop open standards for data formats and APIs and federated learning for AI applications.
• Distributed Storage Solutions: Utilize open source object storage solutions, emphasizing multi-cloud support to prevent lock-in.

Identity and Access Management (IAM)

• European Digital Identity: Build on the European Digital Identity Wallet project to create a unified system for authentication and authorization.
• Privacy-Preserving Authentication: Implement zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) and integrate with decentralized identifiers (DIDs).
• Role-Based and Attribute-Based Access Control: Enable fine-grained access management for cloud and edge applications.

AI and Data Analytics

• Sovereign AI Development: Host European-trained AI models on sovereign cloud infrastructure, and prioritize privacy-preserving AI methods like federated learning or differential privacy.
• Open Source AI Frameworks: Utilize open source frameworks for model development and real-time data processing and analysis.
• Domain-Specific AI: Develop AI tailored to European industrial strengths (e.g., healthcare, agriculture, and automotive).

Communication and Interoperability

• Decentralized Communication Protocols: Use open protocols for federated social networks and secure, decentralized instant messaging.
• Unified Messaging Systems: Utilize open source solutions for inter-service communication in distributed systems.

Security and Privacy

• End-to-End Encryption: Implement up to date and post-quantum cryptography standards for secure data transmission, using Open Source libraries.
• Privacy-Preserving Technologies: Utilize Secure Multi-Party Computation (SMPC) for collaborative data analysis and homomorphic encryption for computations on encrypted data.
• European-Specific Cybersecurity Standards: Build on ENISA guidelines and align with GDPR and NIS2 Directive for security.

Governance and Deployment Models

• Open Source Governance: Use established open source governance models to manage collaborative development and ensure codebases are publicly auditable.
• Public-Private Deployment Models: Encourage SMEs to deploy solutions on top of the EuroStack infrastructure using shared infrastructure and APIs, and promote public-sector early adoption through tools like e-Government platforms.

Development and Delivery

• DevOps and GitOps: Implement CI/CD pipelines for efficient deployment, and Infrastructure as Code (IaC).
• Quality Assurance and Testing: Utilize automated security and compliance testing.

Open Source as Core Infrastructure

• Mandatory Use of OSS: Enforce "Open Source First" for public procurement and develop repositories of certified OSS solutions tailored to public sector needs.
• Maintenance and Sustainability: Ensure funding for long-term maintenance of foundational OSS projects and collaborate with projects like the Sovereign Tech Fund to support key dependencies.

Example Applications and Use Cases

The ESDP will play a crucial role in identifying and promoting the solutions highlighted in these use cases.

Digital Payments

• Extend European Payment Systems: Enhance systems like SEPA to support mobile wallets and instant payments on sovereign infrastructure.
• Blockchain-Based Transactions: Implement blockchain technology for secure and transparent financial transactions, ensuring compliance with European regulations.

Healthcare

• Interoperable EHR Systems: Deploy Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems using open standards to ensure seamless data exchange between healthcare providers.
• Telemedicine Platforms: Develop secure and privacy-preserving telemedicine solutions that comply with GDPR and other healthcare regulations.

Smart Cities

• Energy-Efficient Urban Infrastructure: Leverage open IoT platforms for energy-efficient urban infrastructure, including smart lighting, waste management, and traffic control systems.
• Citizen Engagement: Create participatory democracy platforms to foster citizen engagement and transparency in urban governance.

Agriculture

• Precision Farming: Utilize IoT and AI to develop precision farming solutions that optimize crop yields, reduce water usage, and enhance sustainability.
• Supply Chain Management: Implement blockchain-based supply chain management systems to ensure transparency and traceability in the agricultural supply chain.

Education

• Open Educational Resources: Develop and promote open educational resources (OER) that can be freely used, adapted, and shared by educators and students.
• Virtual Classrooms: Create secure and scalable virtual classroom platforms that support remote learning and collaboration.

Transportation

• Smart Mobility Solutions: Implement smart mobility solutions that integrate real-time traffic data, public transportation schedules, and ride-sharing services to optimize urban mobility.
• Electric Vehicle Charging: Develop a network of electric vehicle charging stations that are interoperable and compliant with European standards.

Energy

• Renewable Energy Management: Utilize IoT and AI to optimize the management of renewable energy sources, ensuring efficient distribution and storage.
• Smart Grids: Implement smart grid technologies that enable real-time monitoring and control of energy consumption, enhancing efficiency and sustainability.

Most Relevant Categories in the EuroStack Directory

EuroStack vision outlined above, here are 20 software and technology categories from our directory that are most relevant, along with a brief explanation of their alignment:

1. Cloud Infrastructure (IaaS): Forms the foundation of a sovereign European cloud, allowing control over infrastructure resources.

3. Container Management: Essential for cloud-native architecture, enabling portability, scalability, and efficient resource utilization.
4. Cloud Storage: Provides scalable and distributed storage for various data types, supporting multi-cloud strategies and data sovereignty.
5. Database: Databases management system (DBMS), wether relational or not ("NoSQL") are essential for data storage and retrieval.
6. Database Management: Tools for managing and securing databases, critical for data integrity and access control.
7. Identity and Access Management (IAM): Crucial for securing access to resources and implementing unified European digital identity.
8. API Gateway: Enables secure and controlled exposure of APIs, facilitating interoperability between services.
9. Data Analytics: Tools for processing and analyzing data, supporting AI development and data-driven decision-making.
10. DevOps: Practices and tools for automating software development, deployment, and infrastructure management, essential for agility and efficiency.
11. Security: A broad category encompassing tools for vulnerability scanning, intrusion detection, and security monitoring, crucial for protecting the EuroStack infrastructure.
12. Monitoring: Tools for observing system health, performance, and security, ensuring the stability and reliability of the infrastructure.
13. Networking: Technologies for building and managing secure and efficient networks, essential for communication within the EuroStack ecosystem.
14. Collaboration: Platforms that facilitate communication, document sharing, and project management, supporting open collaboration between stakeholders.
15. Document Management: Systems for managing and sharing documents in a secure and organized manner, supporting open standards and interoperability.

17. Messaging: Secure and interoperable messaging solutions, potentially leveraging decentralized protocols.
18. Video Conferencing: Enables remote collaboration and communication.
19. Automation (Workflow and Business Process): Tools for automating and/or orchestrating tasks and processes, increasing efficiency and reducing manual intervention.
20. Low-code Platforms: These enable rapid application development with minimal coding, increasing citizen developer engagement, and potentially accelerating the development of specific solutions.
21. No-code Platforms: These enable rapid application development with no coding, increasing citizen developer engagement, and potentially accelerating the development of specific solutions.

Honorable Mentions (that didn't make the top 20 but are still relevant)

• Backup: Important for data protection and disaster recovery.
• Content Management System (CMS): Relevant for building and managing websites and digital content.
• E-Signature: Facilitates secure and legally binding electronic signatures.
• File Sharing: Enables secure and controlled sharing of files.
• Knowledge Management: Supports the creation, organization, and sharing of organizational knowledge.
• Project Management: Tools for planning, executing, and tracking projects.
• Wiki Software: Enables collaborative creation and editing of online content.
• Finance: Relevant for managing financial and operational aspects, particularly for public sector applications.

Implementation Challenges and Mitigation

1. Fragmentation: Ensure member states align on shared standards and interoperability frameworks using effective coordination mechanisms and EU-wide working groups.
2. Lack of Expertise: Train public-sector employees and incentivize Open Source contributors by establishing OSS training centers.
3. Vendor Lock-In: Incentivize open standards and adopt open protocols to allow seamless provider switching.
4. Funding Gaps: Introduce dedicated funding streams for OSS projects, particularly through Horizon Europe.

Conclusion

The EuroStack Initiative represents a highly modular, open, and privacy-preserving digital infrastructure aligned with European values. By combining OSS principles, sustainable technologies, and coordinated governance, it can achieve technological sovereignty while fostering innovation and inclusivity.

The EuroStack Directory Project will be instrumental in achieving these goals by providing a curated directory of European-made and supported digital solutions. This initiative, while technically ambitious, is feasible with a focused execution strategy and sufficient investment in Open Source development and education. Together, we can build a digital future for Europe that is resilient, inclusive, and competitive on the global stage.

Join Us

We invite European citizens, businesses, public institutions, and Open Source communities to join us in building the EuroStack Initiative. Together, we can create a digital future that is rooted in openness, collaboration, and European values, ensuring that Europe remains competitive, democratic, and inclusive on the global stage.

Contact Us

For more information, partnership opportunities, or to contribute to the EuroStack Initiative or the EuroStack Directory Project, please visit our website or contact us directly. Let's build Europe's digital future together.