The rise of edge computing, coupled with the rapid expansion of 5G connectivity, is transforming industries and driving forward the digital revolution. As infrastructure technologies mature, the value lies not only in enhanced IoT processing and low-latency services but in creating collaborative environments that foster innovation and enable intelligent service delivery across different domains. The COP-PILOT project is at the forefront of this transformation, developing a Collaborative Open Platform (COP) that will drive cross-sector collaboration and deliver real-world applications in diverse industries, including energy, smart cities, agriculture, and manufacturing
What is COP-PILOT?
Funded under the EU Horizon program, COP-PILOT aims to develop an innovative platform that enables end-to-end orchestration across multiple service domains. The project seeks to create a standards-aligned, market-oriented, and cross-sector computing environment, paving the way for large-scale deployments of intelligent edge computing platforms.
By integrating AI-driven tools, SLA-preserving automation (Service Level Agreement), and secure infrastructure, COP-PILOT fosters industry-wide collaboration. It provides scalable, secure, and automated solutions to modern IoT challenges. With 47 partners from industry, academia, research, and SMEs, COP-PILOT lays the foundation for a market-oriented computing environment.
Key Innovations in COP-PILOT
COP-PILOT introduces several innovations aimed at large-scale deployments across multiple sectors.
- IoT Device and Data Management – COP-PILOT will offer a scalable platform to manage IoT devices and data across collaborative domains, addressing device heterogeneity and enabling seamless integration through standardized Network-Bound Interfaces (NBIs).
- Secure, Programmable Cross-Domain Resource Exposure –
Utilizing software-defined zero-trust networking, COP-PILOT will create a Secure Integration Fabric (SIF) for authentication, dynamic policy management, and high-performance, end-to-end encrypted networking without the need for VPNs. - Scalable Service and Infrastructure Orchestration –
The project introduces a hierarchical orchestration model using cloud-managed service orchestrators (ServOrch) and domain-specific resource managers (InfraOrch), allowing efficient service “slicing” while maintaining connectivity across geo-distributed domains. - Intelligent Onboarding and Automation Tools – COP-PILOT will integrate AI-driven, zero-touch solutions to streamline service onboarding and ensure automatic SLA enforcement, enhancing service integration and compliance without manual intervention.
- Large-Scale Pilots for Cross-Sector Services – The platform will deploy a flexible framework to scale and adapt services across multiple industries, demonstrated through large-scale pilots showcasing cross-sector collaboration and real-world applicability.
COP-PILOT aims to engage a diverse range of real-world environments across various sectors, ensuring the platform addresses actual problems and requirements. The platform will be deployed, tested, and evolved under real conditions. Activities are organized into four piloting clusters: Industry (mining, manufacturing, recycling), Smart buildings/Smart city, Agriculture, Energy and Vineyards. Each cluster is divided into piloting use cases, 17 in total, that capture key sector processes as well as the interactions across sectors. Supplementary data and insights are to be gathered through the use cases financed via the Open calls.
Digital for Planet's Role
D4P will work to ensure the success of the COP-PILOT project through the managing of Open Calls, overseeing the entire process from preparation and publication to proposal assessment and fund management. D4P will also coordinate patrons and support team assignments, develop training materials and tutorials, and offer third-party training to ensure comprehensive support throughout the project lifecycle.
In addition, D4P leads the Dissemination, communication, and clustering activities. D4P will use various communication channels, including the project website, social media, project branding, and the publication of open-access reports to keep stakeholders informed and engaged throughout the project.
COP-PILOT is set to drive innovation at the edge of computing by enabling seamless orchestration, advanced automation, and secure integration across industries. With its scalable platform and focus on cross-sector collaboration, the project promises to deliver real-world applications with significant impact in the industry, energy, smart cities, agriculture, and vineyards.