How organizations across Europe can safely share data and collaborate in today’s digital world
When automotive manufacturers develop a new vehicle in collaboration with hundreds of suppliers, or when hospitals need to exchange sensitive patient data, a digital infrastructure that everyone can trust and that protects data and ensures only authorized access is essential. Digital collaboration has become a prerequisite for economic success – across industries and borders throughout Europe. This creates enormous opportunities – but also raises a critical question: How can European organizations collaborate securely without losing control over their data?
To address this challenge, FACIS commissioned the Institute for Internet Security (ifis) at the Westphalian University of Applied Sciences to develop the new White Paper “Zero Trust in Federated Cloud-Edge Ecosystems”, explaining why Zero Trust is essential and how it can be practically implemented in federated cloud and edge environments.
From closed systems to connected ecosystems
Digital collaboration has changed fundamentally compared to the past. Previously, companies and organizations operated mainly within closed IT systems. Today, they collaborate with numerous partners, cloud providers, and connected devices. Data is created and moves everywhere – in the cloud, on machines, in vehicles, and on mobile devices.
This development creates enormous opportunities for innovation and efficiency. At the same time, it makes security more difficult: data and systems are no longer in one place, and more partners need access.
Why traditional security models are no longer sufficient
In today’s digital reality, a new approach is required. Trust can no longer be assumed, and access cannot be granted once and for all. The traditional principle of “everything inside is secure and everything outside is a threat” is no longer sufficient. Conventional security models were designed around a protected “inside” zone that users could enter after a single verification – and from that point on, they were considered trustworthy.
In dynamic, interconnected ecosystems, this approach is no longer reliable. Many existing IT systems still rely on this old approach, which makes it harder to protect data when people, devices, and partners connect from different locations.
Federation and Zero Trust: A new foundation for secure collaboration
To enable secure and flexible digital collaboration, two concepts have become essential:
- Federation – providing a shared framework for collaboration while allowing each participant to retain full control over their own data, and
- Zero Trust, which follows a clear rule: Never trust, always verify.
The key difference: trust is not granted once – it is continuously verified.
Every access request is evaluated not only at login, but throughout the entire interaction. Identity, context, and permissions are continuously reassessed. Trust becomes a dynamic, ongoing process – not a static condition.
Why this matters for Europe’s digital future
Without modern security, organizations may lose control over their digital operations and data. Secure digital collaboration is a prerequisite for future economic success – from resilient supply chains and protected innovation to Europe’s digital competitiveness.
Federation and Zero Trust demonstrate how secure and sovereign digital collaboration can be achieved.
Next Step: Zero Trust Demonstrator
While the white paper lays the conceptual foundation for Zero Trust in federated environments, the next step is to put these principles into practice. As the FACIS project progresses, a Zero Trust demonstrator will be developed to validate these concepts in real-world scenarios.
The demonstrator is a functional prototype – a real digital test environment. It allows interested stakeholders to practically explore and experience how different organizations can securely exchange data and collaborate based on the “never trust, always verify” principle.
