Analog Devices, Arm, Bombardier, B&R Automation, Fraunhofer Institute for Open Communication Systems (FOKUS), German Edge Cloud (GEC), German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI), HARTING IT, HUAWEI, INNOVO Cloud, Intel, IBM, KUKA, National Instruments, Renesas, Schneider Electric, Software AG, Spirent, TTTech, and further partners announced at the Edge Computing Forum (ECF) 2018 their support of the planned formation of the Edge Computing Consortium Europe (ECCE) and its further refinement of the objectives ahead of a launch in 2019. The ECCE aims at saving research and development efforts by providing technology stacks for Edge Nodes based on existing, matched components to small, medium and large enterprises for the rising Edge Computing market in smart manufacturing and other Industrial IoT domains.
EDGE COMPUTING
The Edge Computing paradigm describes an approach to execute certain services closer to devices and thereby supplements centralized Cloud Computing solutions. Amongst others, such an architecture can enhance data privacy and lower network latency. The global Edge Computing market is estimated to be worth 3 to 18 Billion EUR until 2023 and an international Edge Computing eco system that takes European particularities into account would benefit all industrial application domains.
ECCE
The planned Edge Computing Consortium Europe (ECCE) aims at supporting small, medium-sized and large enterprises in Europe and all around the world to adopt related technologies and in particular with a focus on the augmentation of Operational Technologies (OT) with Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). Its mission is to drive adoption of the Edge Computing paradigm within the manufacturing and other industrial markets. It will emphasize on utilizing and contributing to existing solutions, standards and initiatives to ensure that industrial needs and requirements are optimally addressed in member products. Therefore, goals of this initiative include the specification of a Reference Architecture Model for Edge Computing (ECCE RAMEC), the development of reference technology stacks (ECCE Edge Nodes), the identification of gaps and recommendation of best practices by evaluating approaches within multiple scenarios (ECCE Pathfinders), and the synchronization with related initiatives/standardization organizations and the promotion of the results. The consortium welcomes collaboration with more partners who are engaged in the action of digitalization verticals. For more information refer to the ECCE homepage at https://ecconsortium.eu.