Streamlining Cloud Procurement and Empowering Innovation Across Europe
European research and education institutions are increasingly turning to cloud-based solutions to enhance their capabilities, drive innovation, and foster collaboration. At the heart of this transformation is the OCRE (Open Clouds for Research and Education) initiative, an EU-compliant framework managed by GÉANT and designed to make cloud service procurement simpler, more efficient, and fully compliant with European regulations.
What are the GÉANT cloud frameworks?
Since 2016, GÉANT, the collaboration of European National Research and Education Networks (NRENs), has led a series of cloud frameworks, aimed at streamlining procurement of cloud services for research and education (R&E) institutions across Europe and establishing framework agreements with cloud service providers tailored to the unique needs of the R&E community. By creating a unified approach, the GÉANT cloud frameworks eliminate the need for individual institutions to conduct their own tenders, reducing both the cost and complexity associated with cloud service procurement.
- No institutional tendering required
- Compliance with all relevant EU regulations (Procurement, VAT, GDPR, etc.)
- Call-off contracts are governed by local laws, with in-country platform support provided as standard
The overarching goal of the GÉANT cloud frameworks is to accelerate cloud adoption among European research organizations, offering them faster and easier access to powerful, scalable cloud services. These frameworks have played a pivotal role in fostering digital transformation across Europe, making it easier for R&E institutions to consume commercial cloud services in a compliant and convenient manner.
The OCRE 2024 Framework
The latest evolution of the GÉANT cloud frameworks is OCRE 2024. Officially available from February 3, 2025, the OCRE 2024 Framework is set to operate for five years, providing a stable and reliable foundation for research and education organizations to access cloud technologies. Developed by GÉANT in collaboration with its community of European National Research and Education Networks (NRENs), the framework builds upon previous successes—2016 IaaS, 2020 IaaS+ (also known as OCRE)—continually refining the processes that enable digital transformation in research and education.
OCRE 2024 cloud service offerings can be procured by an impressive range of R&E organizations across Europe, as well as by public institutions connected to European NRENs. Eligible institutions per participating country are listed on the GÉANT Clouds website, together with guides to using the framework and NREN cloud contacts.
Microsoft Azure: Empowering Discovery and Innovation
As a key participant in the OCRE 2024 framework, Microsoft Azure delivers secure, scalable cloud infrastructure to universities and research institutions across 39 countries, through different service providers. With Azure, organizations can accelerate research and innovation, leveraging open-source cloud technologies for unmatched speed, scalability, and cost-effectiveness.
Researchers benefit from the ability to run mission-critical applications, high-performance computing workloads, and advanced data analysis with increased operational agility. This infrastructure supports rapid time-to-insights, enabling discoveries that would be difficult or impossible using traditional IT systems.
In addition, we recently released the new Academic Research Skilling Hub — a platform offering expert guidance, curated resources, virtual training collections, and support from over 35 training and skilling partners for researchers and research IT staff. Discover everything from Microsoft Azure to the latest advancements in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, all tailored for research environments.
Initially launched in partnership with GÉANT for the OCRE community, targeting European academic and research institutions using Microsoft cloud services through the OCRE 2024 Framework. The hub offers expert guidance, resources, training, and regular monthly updates to help users enhance innovation, build expertise, and speed up digital transformation across Europe and globally.
Microsoft Education AI Toolkit: Empowering Research & Education with AI
As AI becomes embedded across research and education, institutions need practical ways to adopt it responsibly and at scale. The Microsoft Education AI Toolkit (aka.ms/eduaitoolkit) brings together policy guidance, real‑world university examples, and research‑informed insights to support this journey.
Through its AI Navigators, the toolkit highlights how early‑adopter universities are using AI to accelerate research analysis, personalize learning, and modernize operations—while maintaining governance, compliance, and trust. It also shows how AI can enable collaboration across multi‑institution research programs and support secure environments for sensitive data.
Institutions are invited to explore the toolkit, learn from peers, and join the AI journey by sharing their own use cases and experiences (aka.ms/eduaitoolkit).
Looking Ahead: Transforming European Research and Education
The aim of the GÉANT cloud frameworks is clear: to accelerate and streamline the adoption of advanced cloud services across the European research and education landscape, ultimately strengthening Europe’s digital ecosystem. By simplifying procurement, ensuring compliance, and providing access to world-class platforms like Microsoft Azure, these frameworks are laying the groundwork for a new era of discovery, collaboration, and innovation.
As cloud technology continues to evolve, initiatives like the OCRE 2024 Framework will remain vital in supporting the digital transformation of research and education institutions, ensuring they have the tools and resources necessary to tackle the challenges of tomorrow.
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