The European Commission gave the green light on Tuesday for state aid totaling up to €1.2 billion ($1.3 billion) to support the development of cloud and edge computing technologies across seven EU nations, including Germany.

EU Competition Commissioner Didier Reynders highlighted that the initiative “will foster ambitious research essential for facilitating the adoption of innovative data processing applications and services.” He emphasized that the outcomes would benefit European businesses, public administrations, and citizens.

Nineteen companies from France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and Spain are set to receive the subsidies, expected to be complemented by €1.4 billion in private investments.

Key German enterprises such as Deutsche Telekom, SAP, and Siemens are actively engaged in the project, as stated by the commission.

This program is slated to continue until 2031, aiming to generate “at least 1,000 direct and indirect highly qualified jobs,” according to the commission’s announcement.

While the European Union typically upholds stringent regulations regarding state aid, distinct criteria apply to exceptionally innovative ventures deemed strategically significant.