NOUS2026: International conference on Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) solutions for Europe’s Next-Gen Cloud Infrastructure Athens, Greece, March 2, 2026

NOUS is a Horizon Europe–funded initiative that aims to build a federated, sovereign European cloud ecosystem that seamlessly blends edge computing, High-Performance Computing (HPC) networks, and quantum resources. By enabling compute and storage capability from IoT devices to supercomputers, and managing data across the full lifecycle with trust, privacy, and governance, NOUS empowers researchers, public organizations, and enterprises to process and share large-scale data workloads across Europe without dependence on external cloud providers. The project's open-source architecture, secure "darknet" overlay, and interoperability with leading EU initiatives (Gaia-X, FIWARE, EOSC, Data Spaces) make it a cornerstone of Europe's digital sovereignty.

The goal of this conference is to bring together researchers, industry experts, and policymakers to explore the emerging landscape where HPC, edge computing, and quantum technologies converge. This interdisciplinary event provides a platform to discuss both the technical breakthroughs and the societal challenges associated with building the next generation of European cloud and data infrastructures. Participants will gain insights into recent progress in cloud-native architectures, blockchain-based data governance, distributed AI, and sustainable computing models that optimize energy efficiency across the computing continuum — from IoT devices to quantum processors. By fostering dialogue, collaboration, and knowledge exchange, the conference aims to accelerate the development of a federated, secure, and sovereign digital ecosystem in Europe. It will also highlight how emerging technologies can reinforce digital autonomy, enhance data interoperability, and support Europe's leadership in trustworthy, sustainable, and open computing infrastructures.

The conference will be held entirely online, providing open and inclusive access to participants from across Europe and beyond. In alignment with the open-science principles of the NOUS project, participation is free of charge and does not require prior registration.

Submission guidelines

NOUS conference welcomes the submission of papers with preference to the topics listed in the call for papers. All submitted papers will undergo a thorough review process; each paper will be refereed by at least three experts in the field based on relevance, originality, significance, quality and clarity. All papers must be formatted according to the LNNS template, with a maximum length of 10 pages, including figures and references. The papers must consist of original, relevant and previously unpublished sound research results related to any of the topics of the conference. The accepted papers will be included in conference proceedings.

List of topics

• Edge and cloud computing for federated architectures
• High-performance computing integration and orchestration
• Quantum computing for hybrid cloud environments
• Decentralized data management and governance
• Standardization and interoperability in data and compute ecosystems
• Cybersecurity and zero-trust infrastructures
• AI across the computing continuum
• Federated and distributed machine learning
• Fog computing and multi-layer interoperability
• Blockchain and distributed ledger technologies
• Data spaces, data pools and data warehouse
• The economy of data
• Digital sovereignty and European cloud ecosystems
• Sustainable and energy-efficient computing
• Data governance and regulatory frameworks
• Interoperable digital twins and simulation frameworks
• AI-driven orchestration and resource optimization
• Trustworthy AI and explainability in distributed environments
• Data lifecycle management and FAIR data principles
• Cross-domain use cases and innovation ecosystems

Organization

General Chair

• Ricardo Alonso, AIR Institute (Spain)

Program Chairs

• Javier Prieto, University of Salamanca (Spain)
• Gaetano la Delfa, University of Catania (Italy)

Advisory Board

• Juan Pavón, Universidad Complutense Madrid (Spain)
• Peter Bednár, Technical University of Kosic (Slovak Republic)
• Theodoros Kosmanis, International Hellenic University (Greece)
• Dimitrios Tziourtzioumis, International Hellenic University (Greece)

Organizing committee

• Panagiotis Dimitrakis, National Center for Scientific Research "Demokritos" (Greece)
• Panagiotis Krokidas, National Center for Scientific Research "Demokritos" (Greece)
• Petrina Troulitaki, Iotam Internet of Things Applications and Multilayer Development LTD (Cyprus)
• Eirini Bageorgou, Iotam Internet of Things Applications and Multilayer Development LTD (Cyprus)
• Panagiotis Moraitis, Netcompany - Intrasoft SA (Luxemburg)
• Kostas Thivaios, Netcompany - Intrasoft SA (Luxemburg)
• Zoe Petrakou, Aethon Engineering single-member PC (Greece)
• Alexandros Georgakopoulos, Aethon Engineering single-member PC (Greece)
• Guido Perboli, Politecnico di Torino (Italy)
• Marco Gajetti, Politecnico di Torino (Italy)
• Elena Blagoeva, F6S Network Ireland Limited (Ireland)
• Carolina Vilaca, F6S Network Ireland Limited (Ireland)
• Selini Hadjidimitriou, Universita degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia (Italy)
• Tina Crnigoj Marc, ARCTUR Racunalniski Inzeniring Doo (Slovenia)
• Óscar García, UNIR (Spain)

Program committee

         To be updated