SPECTRUM
EU-funded project
The EU-funded SPECTRUM project unites top European science organizations and e-Infrastructure providers to develop a Strategic Research, Innovation, and Deployment Agenda (SRIDA) and a Technical Blueprint for a European compute and data continuum. This initiative aims to establish an Exabyte-scale research data federation and compute continuum, enhancing data-intensive scientific collaborations across Europe.
Overview
Frontier research in High-Energy Physics and Radio Astronomy is entering the Exascale era, with new instruments requiring unprecedented data processing capabilities. To meet these demands, pan-European data and compute infrastructures must be developed, incorporating novel architectures, federation models, and IT frameworks. The integration of Exascale HPC and Quantum computing systems offers new opportunities to accelerate discoveries and complement existing research facilities. Key challenges include scalability, performance, energy efficiency, portability, interoperability, and cybersecurity, which must be addressed to ensure successful integration of these heterogeneous systems.
Highlights in 2025
In 2025, the SPECTRUM project has made excellent progress towards its main goals of creating a Technical Blueprint for a European Compute and Data Continuum as well as a Strategic Research, Innovation and Deployment Agenda (SRIDA). Work packages 3 and 5 finalized their work, started in 2024, consisting of a detailed study of HEP/RA use-cases, a detailed study on the RI infrastructure landscape, and conducting a comprehensive survey on current and future community needs. The work of WP3 and WP5 was reported in deliverables D3.1, D5.1, D5.2 and D5.3 and was submitted to and accepted by the European Commission (EC).
The development of the two most important outputs of SPECTRUM, the Technical Blueprint and the SRIDA began in January 2025 and has progressed rapidly. These documents are based on the insights gathered from surveys, use-cases, and SPECTRUM CoP discussions. Both documents were published as preliminary drafts in December of 2025 with the aim to gather feedback from the community. The publications will be followed by an organized consultation phase where the project gathers community feedback and shape the documents accordingly. The final version of the documents will be published in April of 2026.
Next Steps
In 2026, SPECTRUM will focus on finalizing and publishing the Technical Blueprint and SRIDA in April, incorporating feedback from the consultation phase. The remaining months until the project’s conclusion in June will be dedicated to dissemination, community engagement, and ensuring the sustainability and adoption of SPECTRUM’s outcomes across the European compute and data continuum ecosystem.
Publications & Presentations
SPECTRUM D3.1: Community of Practice – Interim Report (2025). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15100586
More publications & presentations
SPECTRUM D1.4: Policy Feedback Brief for Period 1 (2025). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15100949
SPECTRUM D1.5: Dissemination, Communications and Exploitation – Interim Report (2025). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15101144
SPECTRUM D5.1: Representative Use Cases – Analysis and Alignment (2025). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15310223
SPECTRUM D5.2: Interoperable Access Policies – Analysis and Recommendations (2025). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15647608
SPECTRUM D5.3: Landscape of Research Infrastructures – Technologies, Services, and Gaps (2025). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15647755
Draft Technical Blueprint of a European Compute and Data Continuum (2025). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17901518
Draft Strategic Research, Innovation and Deployment Agenda (SRIDA) (2025). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17901518
Shaping the Future of Digital Infrastructures for Data-Intensive Science in High-Energy Physics and Radio Astronomy (2025). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14772235
SPECTRUM Technical Blueprint and Strategic Agenda: Delivering Europe’s Roadmap for Exabyte-Scale Scientific Infrastructure (2025). Presented at ACUD 2025. https://pretalx.surf.nl/acud-2025/talk/QKLGP7/
SPECTRUM SRIDA and Technical Blueprint Public Consultation Webinar (2025). https://www.spectrumproject.eu/article/spectrum-public-consultation-webinar
CERN Technical Team
Maria Girone, Eric Wulff, David Southwick
Project Coordinator
Sergio Andreozzi (EGI)
Consortium Members
EGI Foundation, CERN, OCA, CNRS, INFN, FZJ, NEOVIA, SURF, CINECA, ASTRON
SPECTRUM is funded by the European Union Grant Agreement Number 101131550