The INCLUDE project (INtegrated CLoUd, Edge, and DEvice Stakeholder Alignment) officially began this July, marking the start of a 36-month journey to help Europe build a sovereign, open and interoperable Telco-Edge-Cloud ecosystem.
Funded under Horizon Europe (HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-DATA-09, Grant Agreement No. 101298498), INCLUDE will act as the coordination and governance backbone of the 3C Initiative, the European effort to build Connected Collaborative Computing Networks across the Telco-Cloud-Edge-IoT continuum.
The consortium gathered in Heidelberg on 8-9 July 2026 for its kick-off meeting, coming together to align on the project's strategic objectives, agree the work plans, and set the first short-term milestones: the launch of the project's digital channels and website, the first stakeholder consultations starting in September, and the first Operational Framework for Telco Edge Cloud Components due by the end of 2026.
Connecting the pieces of the 3C Initiative
INCLUDE sits at the centre of the first phase of the 3C Initiative, acting as the connective tissue between its three peer projects: the supply-side Large-Scale Pilot (DATA-08), the Open Internet Stack (DATA-11), and the Roadmap for Next-Generation Computing Technologies (DATA-10). Its role is to ensure that what the supply side builds reflects what the demand side, Europe's vertical industries from manufacturing and mobility to health and energy, actually needs, and that the results are governed, catalogued and usable by all.
Over three years, the project will deliver a converged, iterative Technology Roadmap for the European Telco-Edge-Cloud, backed by market and monetisation analysis; a Shared Governance Framework defining how components can be recognised, exchanged and trusted, including open-source licensing and validation practices; and a community-based Software and Infrastructure Catalogue, complemented by a System and Application Developer Handbook and targeted training resources.
The Consortium
The INCLUDE consortium is composed of nine organisations from across Europe, bringing together the industry associations representing the smart networks, IoT/edge and data & AI communities, a leading open-source foundation, a European telecom operator, and specialised SMEs in research coordination, market analysis, innovation management and digital communication. Several INCLUDE partners offer long-standing expertise in stakeholder engagement, community building, open-source governance and the coordination of large European digital-infrastructure initiatives, including the SNS JU and related programmes.
Arriving at the right moment
INCLUDE begins at a pivotal time for European digital policy. The project directly supports Europe's push for technological sovereignty and complements the objectives of recent initiatives such as the Cloud and AI Development Act, aligning research and innovation with the goal of a stronger, more autonomous European digital infrastructure.
Building the future is one part of the challenge. Making sure Europe can shape it, on its own terms, is another. Over the next three years, INCLUDE will work to bring the European Telco-Edge-Cloud community together around that shared ambition.
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The INCLUDE project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 101298498.