The GÉANT2 Joint Research Programme

GÉANT2 includes a programme of research and development initiatives, designed to take new networking technologies from concept to production service. The structure aims to foster a culture of co-operation among Europe’s NRENs.

During the lifetime of the previous generations of pan-European research network, new networking technologies have been developed and implemented to continually improve the service that is delivered to end users. The programme of joint research activities will scope, protoype and potentially develop to production level networking tools and technologies that will significantly enhance the performance and service quality of GÉANT2, and of national research and education networks.

The extension of advanced services beyond the GÉANT2 core network will be a particular source of technical and operational challenge. Within the project, specific emphasis has been placed on developing an end-to-end approach to the provision of service across multiple interconnected networks.

GÉANT2 is also working towards closer international collaboration. CANARIE, ESnet, GÉANT2 and Internet2 have built on earlier co-operation to implement a strategic initiative on trans-Atlantic cooperation within the framework of the GÉANT2 technical programme. More details of this initiative are available from the link alongside. 

TERENA, the European association of research and education networking organisations, will also support the the co-ordination of research and development activities, both among project partners, and between the project and other technical development initiatives that are directly relevant to research and education networking. TERENA task forces receive EC funding as part of GÉANT2, and will continue to foster new ideas that may give rise to new GÉANT2 research activities.

In addition to providing feedback from TERENA task forces to the project's joint research activities, close co-ordination of the research activities themselves is required to secure the coherent and convergent progress of the project. The leaders of each research activity and the co-ordinator of the TERENA Task Forces will form a Technical Committee to provide a means of oversight. Co-ordination will help to avoid duplication of effort, and the divergence of solutions. The pooling of partner resources through the GÉANT2 research programme will help groups to obtain the critical mass that is needed to produce significant results.