CEI-Sphere Approach

The CEI-Sphere project supports the development of an open, interoperable, and competitive Cloud-Edge-IoT (CEI) ecosystem. At its core are Europe’s Large-Scale Pilots (LSPs) – the O-CEI and COP-PILOT projects – which deliver hyper-distributed, scalable next-generation CEI solutions serving a wide range of industries.

To maximise their impact, CEI-Sphere introduces the concept of Spheres: clusters that bring together use cases from the LSPs around shared challenges and opportunities. This market-driven approach fosters synergies, speeds up knowledge exchange, and accelerates the transition from innovation to large-scale adoption.

The CEI Spheres are collaborative environments that cluster use cases and pilots around key market verticals: energy and infrastructure, mobility and logistics, and industrial optimisation. They bring together stakeholders facing similar challenges to foster collaboration, reduce fragmentation, and accelerate the adoption of Cloud-Edge-IoT solutions.
 
Each Sphere acts as a working group where participants exchange knowledge, align on common challenges, and develop shared approaches that support scalability and market uptake.
 
Within CEI-Sphere, they play three main roles:
  • Clustering and focus: grouping pilots by domain to reduce fragmentation and align efforts
  • Engagement environment: creating a structured space for continuous collaboration between LSPs, experts, and stakeholders
  • Bridge to adoption: connecting pilots to CEI tools, frameworks, and services to support scalability and reuse

    These are the three spheres:
The CEI Spheres

In parallel, CEI-Sphere coordinates a set of Task Forces (TFs) that address cross-cutting challenges such as interoperability, standards, and governance. These Task Forces provide a collaborative platform where stakeholders can actively contribute, share expertise, and shape the future of the European CEI ecosystem.