Looking more like modern art than geometric shapes produced by mathematical algorithms, fractals are patterns in which similar repetitions exist at progressively smaller or larger scales. One could draw parallels between these and consciousness or cognition, which too emerges from different levels of organisation from subcellular to system level. In fact, fractals have numerous applications in natural and artificial systems. The value of complex fractal networks lies largely in the complexity they represent with unique simplicity, retaining the main features of the system via nodes and the interactions among them. The EU-funded FRACTAL project is developing a computing node on which to base a cognitive fractal network capable of learning from and responding to its environment. It will support seamless, fast and reliable interaction between the physical world and the cloud for applications ranging from self-driving cars to remote medical procedures.