At the opening plenary of TNC26 in Helsinki, the Vietsch Foundation awarded its 2026 Medal of Honour to Marko Bonač, recognising more than three decades of sustained contribution to the European Research and Education (R&E) community. As Director of ARNES, Bonač has played a central role in shaping not only Slovenia’s digital research infrastructure, but also the collaborative frameworks that underpin connectivity across Europe.
The Vietsch Medal of Honour is awarded annually to individuals whose work has delivered lasting value to the development of advanced internet technologies in support of science, research, and higher education. In Bonač’s case, that contribution is both technical and structural, rooted in a deep commitment to collaboration, fairness, and long-term sustainability. Europe’s R&E is widely regarded as one of the most advanced and successful examples of international cooperation in digital infrastructure. At its core are two principles: trust and cost sharing. While trust is cultivated through ongoing collaboration, embodied in forums such as the TNC conference series, the cost-sharing model ensures that participation in this shared infrastructure remains equitable across countries of different sizes and capacities.
It is this latter element that defines Bonač’s most influential contribution. For 14 years, he chaired the GÉANT Cost Sharing Committee, guiding the development of a model that balances fairness with practicality. The process was complex and, at times, contentious: aligning the interests of multiple national networks, each with its own constraints and priorities, required persistence, diplomacy, and technical insight. Under Bonač’s leadership, the model evolved through continuous discussion and refinement until it achieved broad consensus, ensuring that the financial responsibilities of maintaining Europe’s e-infrastructure are distributed in a transparent and objective way. In recognising this achievement, the Vietsch Foundation highlights the outcome and the process: a sustained effort to build agreement across a diverse community. As Valentino Cavalli, Chair of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees, noted during the ceremony, the award honours a career dedicated to both national development and international collaboration.
Bonač’s professional journey reflects the evolution of Europe’s R&E networks over the past three decades. He was among the pioneers who helped establish ARNES in 1992, shortly after Slovenia’s independence, building the organisation from a small team into a pillar of the country’s R&E ecosystem. Today, ARNES delivers a wide range of services, from high-speed connectivity to identity management, cybersecurity, mobility services, and support for initiatives such as high-performance computing and Open Science. Before this, Bonač served as
Secretary General of YUNAC, the academic network of the former Yugoslavia, and contributed to early international initiatives in networking, including projects within the EUREKA framework. Throughout the 1990s and beyond, he was also an advocate for telecommunications liberalisation in Slovenia, promoting competition and alignment with European regulatory frameworks, efforts that have had a lasting impact on the country’s digital landscape. His influence extends well beyond national borders. Since the early 2000s, Bonač has beenactively involved in the governance of European networking organisations and projects, including service on the GÉANT Board and co-chairing its Audit and Risk Advisory Committee. Across these roles, he has consistently ensured that the perspectives of smaller countries are represented and integrated into broader strategic decisions.
Accepting the award, Bonač reflected on the collective nature of the achievement. His remarks underlined the importance of longterm collaboration among European NRENs in building and sustaining the infrastructure that supports R&E today. The recognition at TNC26 serves as a reminder that the strength of Europe’s R&E lies as much in its technology as in the people and principles that sustain it. Behind the infrastructure are decades of careful negotiation,shared vision, and commitment to fairness, qualities that have enabled a diverse community to function as a cohesive whole. Through this award, the Vietsch Foundation whilst honouring an individual career reaffirms the values that continue to shape the future of global R&E networking.
