NeoNephos and the Power of Open Source: Europe’s Path to Digital Sovereignty

In an era where digital infrastructure underpins everything from public services to industrial innovation, Europe is taking bold steps to shape its own technological future. At the heart of this transformation is open source, a model not just for software development, but for transparent, secure, and collaborative progress. In this context, the launch of NeoNephos, a new open source initiative by the Linux Foundation Europe, represents a significant move toward building a sovereign, collaborative cloud ecosystem tailored to Europe's strategic needs. Just in time for Maintainer month, we dive deeper into the importance of open source for the IPCEI-CIS community and beyond.

NeoNephos: A New Foundation for Sovereign Cloud Infrastructure

NeoNephos is an open source foundation created under the umbrella of the Linux Foundation Europe. It is one of the first visible outcomes of the IPCEI-CIS initiative (Important Project of Common European Interest on Cloud Infrastructure and Services) and is designed to serve as the backbone for Europe’s sovereign cloud-to-edge infrastructure.

NeoNephos brings together a coalition of leading tech companies, research institutions, and cloud providers—including SAP SE, Deutsche Telekom AG, CLYSO GmbH, and TNO ECOFED—to collaborate on building shared, open source technologies that meet Europe’s regulatory, security, and performance needs.

“[...] NeoNephos represents a significant step forward in supporting Europe's cloud sovereignty goals through open source,” said Gabriele Columbro, General Manager of Linux Foundation Europe.

Why Europe Needs Sovereign Cloud Solutions

As Europe becomes more digitally interconnected, it faces growing concerns about data privacy, security, and technological dependency on foreign providers. The European Union has responded with the IPCEI-CIS initiative (Important Project of Common European Interest on Cloud Infrastructure and Services)—a major investment to develop next-generation, sovereign cloud technologies for European businesses and governments.

But building sovereign cloud infrastructure isn’t just about hardware and servers—it’s about the software stack that powers them. That’s where open source plays a crucial role, and that’s why NeoNephos was born.

What Makes NeoNephos Different?

NeoNephos is not merely another technology initiative, but represents a purpose-built foundation grounded in cooperation, neutrality, and openness. Its focuses areas include:

• Open Cloud Infrastructure: Developing cloud-native technologies based on open standards, ensuring interoperability across providers.
   
• Digital Sovereignty: Giving European organisations control over their data and infrastructure, compliant with EU regulations like GDPR.
   

• Innovation through Collaboration: Enabling contributors—whether large enterprises, startups, or academic institutions—to work together in a shared environment.

   

“A team is always stronger and better,” said Ferri Abolhassan of Deutsche Telekom AG. “With joint efforts, we can ensure that Europe determines its own digital future and stays independent.”

The role of Open Source in Europe’s Digital Future 

Open source software is often misunderstood as simply being “free to use.” But it’s much more than that. Open source means:

• Freedom to use, modify, and share the software.
   
• Transparency, because the source code is visible and auditable by anyone.
   
• Collaboration, since anyone can contribute to improving the software.
   
• No vendor lock-in, giving users independence and flexibility.

In reality, it represents a powerful set of principles: the freedom to use, modify, and share software; transparency through visible and auditable source code; open collaboration across communities; and the avoidance of vendor lock-in. These values decentralize control and empower global communities, making open source especially vital for Europe’s digital independence.
 

Leveraging the Power of the Open Source Ecosystem

NeoNephos is part of a broader ecosystem of projects supported under IPCEI-CIS, each leveraging open source to drive innovation and interoperability. 

Projects like AVANT by Engineering Group focus on digital twins and distributed cloud ecosystems, while SuzECK by SYSGO is building safe, open computing platforms for the rail industry. OpenNebula Systems is advancing a sovereign, proximity-based cloud infrastructure through open source. Arsys’s project is developing an open meta-orchestration layer. Additionally, the MISD project is creating sustainable, modular edge data centers—all contributing to a shared, open foundation for Europe’s digital sovereignty.

NeoNephos will benefit from and contribute to these efforts by reusing and customising existing open source projects —such as Kubernetes, LF Networking, and Sylv already supported by the global Linux Foundation ecosystemaThis approach means faster innovation, better security, and reduced costs. And because everything is open, European stakeholders can inspect, adapt, and improve the technologies they rely on.

“NeoNephos aligns perfectly with our commitment to open source innovation,” said Joachim Kraftmayer, CEO of CLYSO GmbH. “It’s an exciting step forward for secure, scalable, and transparent cloud solutions.”

Shared tools, shared progress for All IPCEI-CIS Projects

NeoNephos portrays a shared foundation of offering a common set of open tools and standards that will support all IPCEI-CIS projects. This includes: 

• Accelerated development via reusable components
• Lower costs through shared infrastructure
• Compliance built-in to align with EU policies
• A culture of innovation across both public and private sectors

This structure enables participants to focus less on duplicating effort and more on delivering impact.

EOSA: Elevating Europe's Open Source Culture

At the cultural  forefront of Europe’s open source movement stands the European Open Source Academy (EOSA)—a bold, EU-funded initiative created to celebrate and elevate European excellence in open source software and hardware. Inspired by the model of scientific academies, EOSA aims to become a lighthouse for open source in Europe—highlighting its strategic importance for digital sovereignty, innovation, and industrial competitiveness. By promoting excellence, learning, and sustainability, the Academy plays a vital role in supporting policymakers, empowering future contributors, and fostering a resilient open source ecosystem. Through initiatives such as the European Open Source Awards, EOSA will recognise outstanding individuals, projects, and business models that drive open innovation across the continent in its annual European Open Source Awards. Its mission reinforces the goals of initiatives like NeoNephos, creating a stronger, more sovereign digital foundation built on open collaboration.

The Bridge to CISERO: Giving Voice to a Collaborative Vision

For projects like CISERO, which aims to support and assist cloud infrastructure innovations under the IPCEI-CIS umbrella, NeoNephos represents a powerful enabler. By aligning with NeoNephos and its open source foundation, CISERO can:

• Help build upon trusted, community-driven software.
   
• Ensure interoperability with other European cloud initiatives.
   
• Support long-term digital sovereignty through open collaboration.

CISERO’s success depends not only on technical excellence but on shared values: transparency, openness, and European autonomy. With NeoNephos, that foundation is already being laid.

About Linux Foundation Europe

Originally called the Open Source Development Labs, the Linux Foundation was founded in 2000. The intention was to provide the Linux operating system some consistency and support. It truly began to expand after partnering with the Free Standards Group in 2007. The foundation now supports a wide range of open source initiatives, from blockchain and hardware to cloud computing and networking, and it does much more than just Linux. With annual gatherings like the Open Source Summit and the Linux Kernel Developers Summit, it also unites the community and provides an opportunity for knowledge exchange, teamwork, and learning.

Stay tuned! We’re gearing up to launch a webinar on how open source is powering Europe’s digital sovereignty. Don’t miss it—Follow us and be the first to know!