Next week in Brussels the First Digital Agenda Assembly will gather to discuss elements that factor into the Digital Agenda for Europe roadmap. As a central component of Europe’s digital future, cloud computing will be on the table as a key technological movement—albeit one that requires policy interventions to be productive.
The two-day workshop is titled “Towards a Cloud Computing Strategy for Europe: Matching Supply and Demand” and will identify the primary components of the larger European cloud strategy and ways that policy interventions could be implemented to further goals under the Digital Agenda for Europe roadmap.
The organizers of the event see the role that cloud computing could play in Europe’s economic future but they note it “has to be ensured that there will be sufficient supply of cloud computing facilities and services so that European companies of all sizes, government institutions and citizens can use these to develop innovative services.” They go on to claim that this supply of cloud services must be aligned with broader European legislation, especially in the realm of data protection and emphasize the need for greater standards to ensure interoperability.
Dr. Ignacio Llorente will be among the presenters during the event. He prefaced the presentation this week by noting he plans to describe how European Commission funding can address current gaps in the cloud computing strategy. He will also take a look at a number of technology challenges for clouds by examining key research issues that are needed to create more secure, robust cloud services.
This is reflects follow-up efforts after the formal launch of the European Cloud Computing Strategy that was announced early in 2011, which aims to make Europe a more “cloud friendly” place via policy and standardization action.