Italy has a leading role in the new Edic (European Digital Infrastructure Consortium), tasked with developing the European Union’s sovereign cloud.
The executive vice presidency of the consortium will be assumed by Serafino Sorrenti, Head of the Technical Secretariat of Undersecretary Alessio Butti, as reported by Agi.
The initiative is part of the European strategy to strengthen technological autonomy, reduce dependence on non-European providers, and ensure high standards of security, interoperability, and data protection.
“The fact that our country takes a leading role in this Edic demonstrates the credibility Italy has gained in recent years in the field of digital infrastructures and innovation policies. Cloud infrastructures are not just technological platforms, but the foundation on which data security and real competitiveness are built,” stated the Undersecretary for Innovation, Alessio Butti.
All the details.
ITALY’S ROLE IN THE EUROPEAN SOVEREIGN CLOUD
Italy will have a central role in the development of the European sovereign cloud through participation in the new Edic, the European consortium tasked with creating shared digital infrastructures among Member States. At the operational helm of the project, in the role of executive vice president, will be Serafino Sorrenti.
THE BIRTH OF THE DIGITAL COMMONS EDIC
On October 29, 2025, the European Commission approved the creation of the consortium for a European digital infrastructure on digital common goods, called Digital Commons EDIC (European Digital Infrastructure Consortium). This is a tool that allows Member States to jointly develop and manage cross-border digital infrastructures through dedicated governance and an autonomous legal personality.
Specifically, the consortium for a European digital infrastructure (Edic) is a tool made available to Member States within the strategic program for the digital decade 2030 to accelerate and simplify the definition and implementation of multinational projects.
The initiative was born from the collaboration between France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy, with the aim of creating a European model of cooperation and investment in digital common goods and promoting an open, competitive digital environment based on European values, as stated on the website of the Department for Innovation.
GOAL: REDUCING TECHNOLOGICAL DEPENDENCE ON FOREIGN COUNTRIES
Currently, over 80% of the technologies and digital infrastructures used in Europe come from non-European providers. The Digital Commons Edic therefore aims to reverse this trend by pooling resources and expertise from Member States to develop open, interoperable, and sustainable digital solutions.
CO-INVESTMENTS AND DEVELOPMENT OF SHARED DIGITAL SOLUTIONS
The consortium aims to support the development and adoption of shared digital solutions in various technological fields, including artificial intelligence, cloud computing, cybersecurity, geomatics, and social networks. The goal is to promote interoperability between systems, reduce costs for public administrations, and create new opportunities for European tech companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises.
“The Digital Commons Edic represents Europe’s bridge, from pilot projects to platforms. We will co-invest in shared and open solutions (artificial intelligence, cloud, cybersecurity, geomatics) that will promote interoperability, reduce costs for administrations, and create market opportunities for European SMEs. It is a clear message: Europe is capable of building, maintaining, and governing critical digital infrastructures according to its own rules, in the public interest. We are very proud that Italy has been a driving force behind this initiative,” said Serafino Sorrenti, Head of the Technical Secretariat of the Undersecretary for Innovation, Alessio Butti, at the time.
EUROPEAN COOPERATION FOR DIGITAL AUTONOMY
Finally, the Digital Commons Edic also involves technical communities, academia, public administrations, and the private sector to strengthen the European digital ecosystem. The project also introduces a funding mechanism dedicated to the production, maintenance, and dissemination of digital common goods in Europe.
