On March 6, 2026, CESNET celebrated the 30th anniversary of its founding. Initiated by Czech universities and the Czech Academy of Sciences, it has gradually grown into one of the key digital infrastructures for Czech science, research, and education. Today, the association connects universities, research institutions, libraries, and other organizations, providing the technological infrastructure for data processing, computational tasks, and international scientific collaboration. It also conducts its own research and development in the field of information and communication technologies.
Since 1996, the infrastructure has evolved to support gigabit capacities, transforming from basic connectivity into a technological environment capable of running demanding computational tasks, working with large datasets, or enabling real-time cross-border transmission of video and audio. As demands for performance, data volume, and security have grown, CESNET’s role as a key provider of specialized services for the Czech scientific community has also strengthened.
“Over the past three decades, information technology has changed beyond recognition. The volume of data, transmission speeds, and demands on computing power today far exceed anything we saw when we first began in the early 1990s. Yet one thing remains unchanged—the fundamental purpose of the CESNET association. Our mission is to provide long-term support for science, research, and innovation through a reliable, secure, and sustainable digital infrastructure,” says Jakub Papírník, director of the association.
Today, CESNET operates a high-speed optical network spanning more than 5,600 kilometres, connecting hundreds of institutions across the Czech Republic. More than three hundred experts work on the infrastructure, focusing on both its operation and the research and development of new technological solutions.
CESNET also coordinates the national e-infrastructure e-INFRA CZ in collaboration with Masaryk University and VŠB – Technical University of Ostrava, which provides researchers with an environment for working with data, computing capacity, and other digital services.
The anniversary was marked by a gala evening
CESNET also celebrated its 30th anniversary with a gala evening held on March 5. The event was attended by representatives of the academic and technological communities, long-time partners of the association, and distinguished international guests, including Lisa Fuhr, CEO of the pan-European network GÉANT, and Tibor Weis from the Slovak association SANET. Both guests gave brief speeches during the program and offered their congratulations to CESNET on its anniversary.
The program also featured a special concert that, thanks to the MVTP (Modular Video Transmission Platform) technology developed at CESNET, connected musicians in Prague, London, and Amsterdam. The performers played the pieces “Divenire” and “Experience” by Italian composer Ludovico Einaudi together, even though they were separated by hundreds of kilometres.
The annual gala demonstrated how advanced networking technologies connect people, institutions, and scientific communities across Europe.
Watch the video to see how the evening went.
