The PennZone

PARIS & BRUSSELS - PennZone -- Sopra Steria Benelux, Cloud Data Engine (CDE) and the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) are proud to announce their selection by the European Defence Agency (EDA) for the "Service Framework Contract in Cascade to Support the Implementation of the Action Plan on Artificial Intelligence for Defence."

This prestigious contract reaffirms the commitment of the stakeholders to advancing AI-driven defence capabilities in Europe, bolstering security, innovation, and technological sovereignty.

The consortium composed of Sopra Steria, CDE and CEA was selected for its strong technical expertise, innovative methodology, and robust project execution capabilities. Its proposal demonstrated a clear strategy, efficient coordination, and a secure, scalable approach to AI-driven defence solutions to foster data exchange within a European AI Defence Data Space.

"As a key partner for digital transformation to multiple armed forces across Europe, Sopra Steria is committed to delivering secure and innovative AI solutions that strengthen strategic autonomy of European defence. More specifically, this framework contract is managed by Sopra Steria Belgium (Brussels), who is a recognised consulting and digital services provider to the EU institutions. Our solid track record is complemented by the expertise of CDE in dataspaces and the technological leadership of CEA that will be essential to the success of this project," said Cédric Genin, Consulting Director for Aerospace, Defence and Security, Sopra Steria.

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"This contract award highlights CDE's expertise to promote, design and develop cutting-edge technology and architectures for decentralized interoperability of data, serving the needed competitive advantages in data spaces for sovereign defence and AI. As a pioneer in decentralized data management and compliance monitoring, CDE brings key solutions to help Europe's defence capabilities remain innovative, resilient, and technologically autonomous." said Alban Schmutz, CEO of Cloud Data Engine.

"With its experience in sovereign assignments and its expertise in operational research for defence, CEA plays a pivotal role in transforming a strategic need for AI-based functionalities into concrete operational solutions for national and European security. Our collaboration with Sopra Steria and Cloud Data Engine brings together a unique blend of technical excellence and strategic vision for defence AI." said Nizar Touleimat, Director of the Research & Innovation program, Smart Digital Systems for Security & Defence, CEA.

A powerful consortium for European defence

By joining forces Sopra Steria, CDE and CEA are playing a crucial role in strengthening Europe's defence data sovereignty. The consortium will deliver scalable and secure AI solutions, ensuring compliance with stringent European regulations in cybersecurity, ethics, data protection and sustainability, while enabling greater IA data-sharing for military and strategic applications.

The first deliverable of the contract in 2025 will shape the architecture of the European AI defence data space to support the broad variety of stakeholders data from industry or European Members States, based on a large consultation of stakeholders.

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About Sopra Steria
Sopra Steria, a major Tech player in Europe with 52,000* employees in nearly 30 countries, is recognised for its consulting, digital services and solutions. It helps its clients drive their digital transformation and obtain tangible and sustainable benefits. The Group provides end-to-end solutions to make large companies and organisations more competitive by combining in-depth knowledge of a wide range of business sectors and innovative technologies with a collaborative approach. Sopra Steria places people at the heart of everything it does and is committed to putting digital to work for its clients in order to build a positive future for all. In 2023, the Group generated revenues of €5.8 billion. *Headcount reassessed following the sale of most Sopra Banking Software activities in September 2024

About Cloud Data Engine (CDE)
Cloud Data Engine (CDE) is a leader in compliance, cybersecurity, and governance for cloud infrastructures and data spaces. Leveraging Gaia-X standards and European regulations, CDE supports cloud service providers, conformity assessment bodies, and companies participating in data spaces in securing and structuring their digital services.

Cloud Data Engine and Sopra Steria have an established collaboration in the field of data spaces, including within the InfrateX consortium, selected by the European Commission to support the development of next-generation data infrastructure. This partnership reinforces their joint expertise in secure data exchange and AI-driven transformation for defence and strategic industries.

About CEA
The CEA is a major research organisation working in the best interests of the French State, its economy and citizens. Thanks to its strong roots in fundamental research, it is able to provide tangible solutions to meet their needs in four key fields: Low-carbon energy (nuclear and renewable), Digital technology, Technology for medicine of the future, Defence and national security.