Highlights from the INSTAR final event: the future of global tech

On 23 June 2026, international standardisation experts, policymakers, and industry leaders gathered at the AFNOR venue in Paris for the INSTAR Final Event. Focused on driving impact through international cooperation in ICT standardisation,  the session took place alongside the ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 41 Internet of Things and Digital Twin plenary.  This final showcase illuminated the significant strides made in connecting European values with global standardisation priorities.

International alignment: the results

The INSTAR project has built strong international cooperation pathways across its six core Task Force technology domains: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Data, Cloud/Edge/IoT, Cybersecurity/e-ID, 6G, and Quantum. By collaborating closely with like-minded global regions, including the USA, Japan, Canada, South Korea, Singapore, and Australia, the project achieved significant, quantifiable milestones:

  • 4 MoUs Signed with strategic international partners.
  • 900+ EU and International Experts Engaged throughout the lifecycle.
  • 30 Standardisation Priorities Aligned at an international level.
  • 80+ European Task Force Members mobilised.
  • 12 High-Level International Events Organised to drive cooperation.

From IoT Standards to an AI-Powered Digital Backbone

The event featured rich updates on foundational technical roadmaps and the shifting landscape of European and global policies. Dr. Yongjin Kim highlighted that the Internet of Things is an inherently data-intensive, real-time ecosystem that enables to “smart everything”. To handle this complexity, the strategy emphasises horizontal and flexible foundational standards, common vocabularies, technology-agnostic reference architectures, interoperability, and trustworthiness.

As European policies shift from experimentation to system-wide deployment, the 2026 digital agenda prioritises harmonisation. Initiatives like the Digital Omnibus package and the ongoing Digital Fitness Check are actively trying to bridge overlapping compliance requirements across the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), Data Act, and AI Act. Global bodies are encouraged to ensure that international standards natively support European requirements on data transparency and algorithmic accountability to prevent market fragmentation.

Tackling the Challenges of Digital Twins & Edge Ecosystems

Industry contributions from Christophe Mouton (EDF) and SystemX emphasised that digital twins are intricate systems requiring multidisciplinary project teams. Key hurdles include technical design issues (data complexity, model heterogeneity, and cyber-by-design frameworks) alongside exploitation-time risks (AI decision autonomy, long-term maintenance, and human overconfidence in the system). To overcome proprietary silos, the European framework uses the JNI Platform and the Asset Administration Shell (AAS), which acts as a bridge between physical objects and digital, distributed environments.

Open Edge and Distributed Data Spaces

  • CEI-Sphere: Antonio Kung introduced the CEI tech backbone toolkit based on the “Hourglass Model,” which bridges the demand and supply sides, optimises resources, and combats ecosystem fragmentation.
  • O-CEI & COP-Pilot: Nacho Lacalle detailed O-CEI’s role in automating energy-related Cloud-Edge-IoT (CEI) solutions. Meanwhile, Konstantinos Fragkos detailed COP-Pilot activities that integrate edge cloud processing, IoT, and robotics to support sustainable agricultural competitiveness.
  • Eclipse Foundation & ISO/IEC Liaison: Ignacio Ahedo discussed building open-source components for dataspaces, highlighting a Category A Liaison with SC 38 (Cloud Computing) and utilising PAS Submitter status to transition specifications like Sparkplug into global standards.
  • LICORICE Innovation Action: Diana E. Jimenez Bejarano showcased a European initiative delivering cryptographically secure components for self-sovereign identity and privacy-preserving data sharing, validated through eHealth and CIT pilots.

Ensuring Long-Term Sustainability

Though the project is formally closed, INSTAR has prepared a detailed sustainability plan to hand over its networks, templates, and agreed Priorities for International Collaboration on Standards (PICS).

Handover agreements have already been signed with AIOTI, EOS, and CONASENSE, and discussions are actively underway with BDVA, 6G IA, QuiC, and ADRA. Future milestones include the hybrid EU-Japan AI Standardisation Workshop on July 20, 2026, in Brussels, alongside continuous knowledge transfers to large, industry-oriented European Research Projects like the ChipsJU Joint Undertaking.

Tech standardisation is more than a technical blueprint; it is a vital exercise in global diplomacy. By aligning European values with strategic global partners across critical domains like AI, 6G, and Cloud-Edge-IoT, INSTAR has successfully laid down a powerful foundation for an open, secure, and fully interoperable digital future.