Xebia and Sparkle Partner to Accelerate Cloud Adoption for Research and Education Institutions in Europe

Xebia, a global AI-first digital transformation and engineering company based in the Netherlands, and Sparkle, the first international service provider in Italy and among the top global operators, have announced a partnership designed to help research and education institutions accelerate their adoption of AWS cloud services and unlock greater value from digital innovation initiatives.

Cloud Adoption for Research and Education Institutions

Research and education institutions are increasingly exploring cloud services to support AI, data platforms, high-performance computing, modern research infrastructure, and digital innovation.

At the same time, cloud adoption can be complex. Universities, research centers, education providers, public-sector organizations, and non-profits often need to navigate procurement, compliance, security, architecture, and operational readiness before cloud initiatives can move from experimentation to production.

Through this partnership, Xebia and Sparkle are helping eligible institutions move faster from cloud access to implementation, enabling them to realize value from cloud technologies more quickly and securely.

Helping Institutions Move from Cloud Access to Implementation

Sparkle holds the highest-ranked position for AWS services under the OCRE 2024 Framework, a cloud procurement framework managed by GÉANT, the pan-European network and service provider for R&E. The framework provides eligible institutions (universities, research centers, education providers, public-sector organizations, and non-profits across 39 countries) with pre-tendered access to cloud services, thus removing administrative procurement complexity and offering a fast and cost-effective path to cloud service adoption. 

By partnering with Xebia, Sparkle closes the gap between access and execution, offering a single entry point for organizations seeking to move beyond experimentation and build a scalable, secure cloud infrastructure. Xebia, in fact, brings implementation expertise, helping institutions translate cloud availability into production-ready AWS environments. Its services span cloud strategy and architecture, compliant landing zones, AI and machine learning, high-performance computing (HPC), data platforms, and managed cloud services. 

“Research and education institutions are under pressure to modernize, but many still face practical barriers when moving from cloud experiments to scalable, secure environments, together with Sparkle, we can help institutions move faster from ambition to implementation - whether that means building compliant AWS landing zones, enabling AI and machine learning use cases, modernizing research infrastructure, or supporting high-performance computing workloads.”

Bart Verlaat

Managing Director Xebia Cloud Benelux

The agreement covers Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, where the two companies will jointly support eligible research and education institutions in their cloud transformation initiatives. 

“Sparkle is committed to helping the European research and education community access cloud services through a secure, compliant, and cost-effective model, we are pleased to partner with Xebia to help institutions transform cloud access into tangible outcomes. Xebia’s AWS expertise further strengthens our ability to support universities and research organizations in adopting cloud technologies for AI, data, high-performance computing, and modern digital infrastructure. 

Annalisa Bonatti

Vice President Enterprise at Sparkle

The announcement was made on the sidelines of TNC26, the largest and most prestigious R&E networking conference, organized by GÉANT and hosted this year in Helsinki by CSC, the National Research and Education Network of Finland.  

About Sparkle 

Sparkle is TIM Group’s global operator, first international service provider in Italy and among the top worldwide, offering a full range of infrastructure and global connectivity services – capacity, IP, SD-WAN, colocation, IoT connectivity, roaming and voice - to national and international Carriers, OTTs, ISPs, Media/Content Providers, and multinational enterprises. As a leading player in the submarine cable industry, Sparkle owns and manages a network of more than 600,000 km of fiber stretching across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, the Americas, and Asia. Sparkle’s sales team has a global presence, with representatives in 32 countries. 

Find out more about Sparkle following its X and LinkedIn profiles or visiting the website tisparkle.com 

For more information about Sparkle’s cloud solutions for the European R&E community visit Sparkle for Research and Education. 

About Xebia 

Xebia is a global AI-first, digital transformation, and engineering partner. With over 25 years of experience and a team of 4,500+ professionals across 16 countries, Xebia specializes in Artificial Intelligence, Data and Cloud, Intelligent Automation, and Digital Products and Platforms. With a strong focus on engineering excellence and a people-first culture, they equip organizations to apply emerging technologies that accelerate business innovation and drive sustainable competitive advantage. Xebia leads with a responsible and human-centric approach to AI, ensuring organizations shape a better tomorrow for all.  

FAQ: Cloud Adoption for Research and Education Institutions

What is the Sparkle and Xebia partnership about?

Sparkle and Xebia are partnering to help research and education institutions across Europe accelerate cloud adoption and turn cloud access into secure, scalable, and measurable outcomes.

Who is the partnership for?

The partnership supports eligible universities, research institutions, education providers, public-sector organizations, and non-profits.

What does Sparkle bring to the partnership?

Sparkle provides cloud access and connectivity expertise, including its leading position for AWS services under the OCRE 2024 Framework.

What does Xebia bring to the partnership?

Xebia helps institutions move from cloud access to implementation with expertise in AWS architecture, AI, machine learning, data platforms, secure landing zones, high-performance computing, modernization, managed cloud services, and capability building.

Which countries are covered by the agreement?

The agreement covers Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

What types of use cases can institutions explore?

Institutions can explore use cases such as AI and machine learning, high-performance computing, secure cloud foundations, data platforms, cloud modernization, research infrastructure, and managed cloud services.

How does this help research and education institutions?

The partnership helps institutions reduce complexity and move faster from cloud ambition to production-ready environments that support research, education, data, AI, and innovation.

How can eligible institutions get started?

Eligible institutions can contact Xebia to discuss their goals, assess readiness, and explore the cloud use cases most relevant to their organization.