On 2 April, Lise Fuhr, CEO of GÉANT, visited GARR as part of a series of introductory meetings with national research networks (NRENs) across Europe. These meetings were initiated by the new head of the organisation at the start of her tenure in November 2024.
The visit provided GARR with the opportunity to present an update on its organisation, infrastructure, and user community, highlighting its specific features and needs. The meeting was a key opportunity to strengthen cooperation among research networks and develop common solutions to address future challenges in Europe.
GÉANT, the European backbone connecting national research and education networks, faces the challenge of harmonising the diversity of national networks, which operate in different geopolitical contexts and feature highly varied governance models, management structures, user communities, and service offerings. GÉANT’s core mission is to interconnect these networks, bridging their differences to create a research support infrastructure that meets the needs of all. In this context, mediation and interaction play a crucial role in integrating the various “identities” within this community. GÉANT facilitates dialogue among networks, working to unify different perspectives and ensure increasingly effective and productive cooperation.
As one of GÉANT’s founding and active supporting members, GARR collaborates to provide high-capacity connectivity across Europe and beyond. Recently, GARR upgraded its connection to the European backbone, increasing its total capacity to 600 Gbps, responding to the growing data exchange demands of international collaborations. This was particularly evident during the LHC Data Challenge, where data transfer peaks exceeded 200 Gbps.
