Within its strategic framework for cooperation with industry, the IMDEA Software Institute has established together with Telefónica Digital, a special Joint Research Unit (JRU) in the area of cloud computing and its supporting infrastructures.

The creation of the JRU kernel started already in December 2012, and it presently includes specialists in the Java and OpenStack platforms, as well as specialists in the administration of virtual cloud resources. The focus of the JRU is on automated definition, deployment, and management of virtual machines, storage, and networks, all of which are the key components for executing cloud applications.