HiPEAC Vision 2024 proposes the “next computing paradigm” (NCP): a federated continuum in which services use resources across devices, edge systems and cloud infrastructure, with computing connected more closely to the physical world. It is a research vision and set of recommendations—not a deployed system or proof that the proposed approach has been achieved.
What does “next computing paradigm” mean?
In HiPEAC’s proposal, the NCP is not a new device, platform or single technology. It is a way for computing resources and services to cooperate across a distributed environment rather than assuming that important work belongs in one central cloud.
The envisioned continuum brings together web technologies, cloud and edge computing, cyber-physical systems (CPS), the internet of things (IoT), digital twins, the metaverse and artificial intelligence (AI). Services would be orchestrated across those resources and placed where they are most efficient, while digital systems interact with the physical world.
That combination makes timing and safety relevant alongside performance: systems interacting with the physical world may have to respond within specific time limits and behave reliably. A European Commission event description uses those constraints to explain the concept; it is not evidence that the NCP has been implemented.
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From the “next web” to a computing continuum
The 2024 Vision develops the “next web” idea from HiPEAC’s 2023 edition into the NCP. HiPEAC—now expanded as “High Performance, Edge And Cloud computing”—uses the new emphasis to describe computing as a continuum of resources and services, rather than a set of separate operations.
In practical terms, the proposal points toward spatial computing, generative AI at the edge, dynamic integration with the web, user-centred services and orchestration designed to be intelligent, efficient and trustworthy. These are directions the report recommends pursuing, not capabilities it claims are already working together as one system.
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What does HiPEAC recommend?
The Vision organizes its recommendations around six connected priorities:
| Priority | What HiPEAC recommends |
|---|---|
| Promote the NCP | Develop the technologies that connect web systems, CPS, cloud, IoT, digital twins and AI, including spatial computing, edge AI, dynamic web integration, user-centred services and trusted orchestration. |
| Strengthen AI, particularly at the edge | Address AI in embedded devices, processor capability, smaller models for smart devices, and the societal as well as technological effects of AI. |
| Develop innovative, efficient hardware | Work proactively on architectures; speed up chip and system prototyping; consider the global value chain; build a chiplet and interposer ecosystem; and account for sustainability and European autonomy. |
| Build cybersecurity in from the start | Improve security tools, vulnerability identification and mitigation, auditable open-source and EU-made resources, automated cyber-defence, authentication and privacy controls. |
| Assess sustainability across the lifecycle | Develop lifecycle models for ICT devices and services, design with sustainability in mind, account for the full lifecycle in business models, and support useful “ICT for green” applications. |
| Improve cross-domain collaboration | Use cross-domain project calls, competence centres, open-source hardware and software, and tools suited to multidimensional challenges. |
The priorities are interdependent. For example, moving AI onto embedded or edge devices involves hardware capability, security and lifecycle impacts as well as the placement of computation. HiPEAC presents collaboration across those fields as part of Europe’s ability to create innovations for the computing continuum.
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Why does the report emphasize Europe’s technological autonomy?
European technological sovereignty is a concern running through the recommendations. HiPEAC argues that reliance on external platforms and resources creates risks and treats technological autonomy as a cross-cutting priority spanning AI, hardware, security, sustainability and collaboration.
This is the report’s diagnosis and strategic priority, not a measured comparison showing how Europe’s capabilities rank against those of other regions. Its focus is European, but the technologies and challenges it discusses are not limited to Europe.
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What does the Vision establish—and what does it not?
HiPEAC’s 2024 edition is its tenth Vision and the seventh published under the European-funded HiPEAC project. The publication has two parts: a short document of recommendations and a companion rationale with expert articles across five areas. HiPEAC recommends reading both to understand the reasoning behind the proposals. Its official site offers a PDF; the foreword says print editions of the Vision and rationale are available on request.
The Vision sets out a research direction and recommendations. It does not show that the NCP is a functioning deployed system, establish that its recommendations have been implemented, or independently validate their outcomes. It is also not a buyer’s guide or a comparison of products.
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One HiPEAC Vision article cites 7.2 billion computers embedded in cellular phones in use worldwide in 2024 to illustrate the potential scale of computing resources at the network edge. The article passage does not name an external statistical publisher or provide a supporting dataset, so the figure should be understood as HiPEAC’s cited number, not as independently verified here.
How should real implementations be assessed?
Because the report does not rank implementation options, its themes offer useful questions for evaluating a proposed system rather than a scorecard or verdict:
Quick Recap
- Where does computation run? Is work handled at the edge, in the cloud, or across a continuum—and why?
- What timing does the task require? Does interaction with physical systems impose latency or safety constraints?
- How are security, privacy and trust handled? Consider authentication, vulnerability response and whether orchestration can be audited.
- Can the parts work together? Look at interoperability and how services are coordinated across domains and resources.
- What is the lifecycle impact? Assess sustainability across devices and services, not just at the point of use.
- What dependencies does the design create? Identify reliance on external infrastructure, platforms and resources.
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