HNSciCloud · Project

Hybrid Cloud Platform That Lets Research Organizations Buy and Run Cloud Services at Scale

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Imagine you run a massive research lab producing mountains of data every day, but no single cloud provider can handle it all securely and affordably. This project brought together big research buyers from 7 countries — including CERN — to jointly test and procure commercial cloud services through a competitive process. Think of it like a group-buying club for science computing: by pooling demand, they got cloud providers to build services tailored to research needs. The result was a hybrid cloud marketplace where public and commercial providers compete to offer the best deal.

By the numbers

Countries represented in the buyer consortium

Partners in the consortium

Scale deployment of the hybrid cloud platform achieved

EUR 4,716,374

EU contribution for pre-commercial procurement

10-15 years

Timeframe over which scientific data volumes will create enormous challenges

The business problem

What needed solving

European research institutions generate massive data volumes but commercial cloud services don't yet play a significant role in their production computing. Traditional procurement processes are too rigid for the fast-moving cloud market, creating fragmentation between commercial and public computing resources across countries.

The solution

What was built

A hybrid cloud platform at 5% scale combining commercial cloud providers with public e-Infrastructures (WLCG, EGI), including a certified service catalog, an agile procurement process for cloud services, and monitoring tools for security, interoperability, and financial benchmarking. The project produced 12 deliverables including a demonstration comparing procured R&D services against existing production grid solutions.

Audience

Who needs this

European cloud service providers wanting to enter the public research computing marketResearch IT directors managing petabyte-scale scientific dataPublic procurement offices buying cloud services for government or academic institutionsE-Infrastructure operators looking to integrate commercial cloud into their service portfolioTechnology consultants advising research organizations on cloud migration

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Cloud Service Providers

any

Target: European cloud and hosting companies looking to enter the public research market

If you are a cloud provider struggling to win contracts from large research institutions — this project created a pre-commercial procurement process and interoperability standards that 12 partners across 7 countries validated. The hybrid platform model lets you offer certified services alongside public e-infrastructures, opening a market backed by EUR 4,716,374 in procurement spending.

Research IT Infrastructure

enterprise

Target: Universities and research organizations managing large-scale computing

If you are a research IT director dealing with data volumes that overwhelm your in-house systems — this project built a hybrid cloud platform combining commercial providers with existing grid infrastructure like WLCG and EGI. The 5% scale deployment proved that commercial clouds can meet scientific security and performance standards through international certification.

Public Procurement Consulting

mid-size

Target: Procurement offices and consulting firms advising public institutions on technology purchasing

If you are a procurement specialist finding that traditional tendering processes are too slow for the fast-moving cloud market — this project developed an agile procurement process specifically designed for dynamic cloud services in the public research sector. The approach was tested across 7 countries with 12 partners and included financial benchmarking against global market leaders.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What did this project actually cost and what was the procurement budget?

The EU contributed EUR 4,716,374 to this Pre-Commercial Procurement project running from 2016 to 2018. The funding went toward competitively procuring R&D cloud services through design, prototype, and pilot phases with commercial suppliers.

Can this scale beyond the pilot deployment?

The project delivered a 5% scale deployment of the hybrid cloud platform. It was explicitly designed as an incubator to engage a growing number of buyers, suppliers, and users beyond the original 12-partner consortium across 7 countries.

Who owns the IP and can others use these procurement frameworks?

As a Pre-Commercial Procurement project, the procurement processes and interoperability standards were developed for broader adoption by the public research sector. Based on available project data, the certification processes and monitoring tools were built on existing WLCG and EGI infrastructure, suggesting open reuse is intended.

Is this compatible with existing research computing infrastructure?

Yes. The project was specifically designed to create a hybrid model combining commercial cloud services with existing publicly funded e-Infrastructures like WLCG and EGI. The demonstration deliverable compared procured services directly against existing production grid solutions.

What security standards does the platform meet?

The platform includes a catalog of secure and interoperable services from multiple suppliers that passed an internationally recognized certification process. Monitoring tools ensure compliance with international security and interoperability standards.

How long did it take to develop and test?

The project ran for 3 years (2016-2018) through competitive design, prototype, and pilot phases. The procurement process was tailored for the dynamic cloud market, suggesting faster iteration than traditional public tendering.

Consortium

Who built it

The consortium of 12 partners across 7 countries is heavily research-driven, with 8 research organizations including CERN as coordinator. With only 2 industry partners and 1 SME (17% industry ratio), this is a buyer-led consortium — the research institutions are the customers defining what they need from cloud providers. For a business considering this platform, this means the specifications come directly from the organizations that will be purchasing cloud services, which is a strong signal of real market demand from the public research sector.

ORGANISATION EUROPEENNE POUR LA RECHERCHE NUCLEAIRECoordinator · CH
STICHTING EGIparticipant · NL
EUROPEAN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY LABORATORYparticipant · DE
SURF BVparticipant · NL
UNITED KINGDOM RESEARCH AND INNOVATIONparticipant · UK
INSTITUTO DE FISICA DE ALTAS ENERGIASparticipant · ES
KARLSRUHER INSTITUT FUER TECHNOLOGIEparticipant · DE
TRUST-IT SERVICES LIMITEDparticipant · UK
CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRSparticipant · FR
DEUTSCHES ELEKTRONEN-SYNCHROTRON DESYparticipant · DE
STICHTING NEDERLANDSE WETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK INSTITUTENthirdparty · NL
ISTITUTO NAZIONALE DI FISICA NUCLEAREparticipant · IT

How to reach the team

The coordinator is CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) in Switzerland. SciTransfer can help identify the right contact person for commercial inquiries.

Order a report on this consortium See ORGANISATION EUROPEENNE POUR LA RECHERCHE NUCLEAIRE profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to offer your cloud services to European research institutions, or need help navigating public procurement for cloud computing? Contact SciTransfer for an introduction to the consortium and procurement guidance.

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