A group headed by Eviden Belgium (BE), and included Aruba (IT), Capgemini Netherlands (NL), Engineering International Belgium (BE), IONOS (DE), and COSMOTE Global Solutions (BE), a division of Deutsche Telekom, was given the first dedicated EU Simpl middleware platform contract.
By granting the consortium a €41 million contract for the development of ‘Simpl,’ a middleware platform intended to improve data access and interoperability within European data spaces, the European Commission has made a major stride forward in its digital transformation plan. This step would enable data-driven innovation across the continent to reach its full potential.
Simpl is committed to enabling cloud-to-edge federations and data exchange inside the Common European Data Spaces. It is envisioned as a reliable, secure platform. These areas are designed to foster data ecosystems, which would enable secure and effective data sharing between users in related industries. By guaranteeing that data providers have total control over their data access, the platform will simplify information sharing throughout cloud infrastructures, systems, and applications.
This significant development project has been given to the consortium, which is headed by Eviden Belgium and consists of eminent companies like Aruba, Capgemini Netherlands, Engineering International Belgium, IONOS, and COSMOTE Global Solutions. The consortium plans to develop a number of key components over the next three years, including Simpl-Open, an open-source software that powers data spaces, Simpl-Labs, a data space testing environment, and Simpl-Live, which is designed for use with particular data spaces like the European eHealth Data Space and the Public Procurement Data Space, among others.
Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager for a Europe fit for the Digital Age expressed her enthusiasm for the initiative and pointed out that Simpl would be essential to developing the region's capacity for exchanging data and to opening up new opportunities in data-driven fields.
Open-Source EU Platform
The development of Simpl is in line with the wider digital policy of the European Commission (EC). It seeks to be an intelligent, safe, and flexible platform that guarantees green, scalable, and agile operations while providing open-source accessibility. Its fundamental components, security and interoperability, enable resource sharing across various data processing environments with ease. The platform's adaptability and ease of use are key features in the quickly changing technology world of today.
This project is part of the Specific Objective 2 on Cloud, Data, and Artificial Intelligence and is financed by the DIGITAL Europe Work Program. In this initiative, the Commission’s participation comprises not only the adoption of Simpl but also its deployment as an open-source platform that serves the public and commercial sectors and manages certain public sector data spaces.
There were two framework contracts involved in the Simpl procurement process. The consortium headed by Eviden Belgium was granted the first, which concentrated on the development of Simpl. The second contract, for administrative and quality evaluation services, was given to Indra Soluciones Tecnologias de la Informacion SL.
With a high-level roadmap that envisions ongoing stakeholder involvement, a proof-of-concept by summer 2024, and a Minimum Viable Platform by the end of 2024, the Commission intends to build Simpl-Open, Simpl-Labs, and Simpl-Live. This effort lays the foundation for a more innovative and connected future in data management and exploitation, marking a critical milestone in Europe's digital transformation.
