Research Engagement activities at TNC26 started on June 8, 2026, with a visit to the quantum lab at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd (VTT), one of Europe’s leading research organisations, which offers quantum computing services for research and companies, and develops quantum computing algorithms for various applications. This visit was facilitated by CSC, the Finnish NREN. The participants had the chance to meet researchers and their projects, getting an up-close look at their quantum computing work.
Dream bigger and push the boundaries of what is possible
Sylvia Kuijpers of SURF, the Dutch NREN, welcomed the participants on behalf of the SIG-RED Steering Committee, followed by the general presentations from InstituteQ, VTT, and CSC, with a brief introduction to quantum computing.
Researchers took the stage with a series of lightning talks: Suman Kundu of Aalto University on superconducting qubits, Zoltán Zimborás of the University of Helsinki on quantum algorithms, Katja Kohopää of VTT on optical control of superconducting quantum technology, and Anton Zasedatelev of Aalto University on quantum aspects of light-matter interaction, macroscopic quantum states and quantum coherence in large-scale and complex systems.
Stepping into the world of quantum innovation, the participants visited the VTT’s quantum computer, VTT Q50. It is available for commercial and research use, either independently or connected to the CSC LUMI supercomputer. The quantum computer’s design helps isolate the system from vibrations while keeping the quantum processor at ultra-low temperatures, in refrigerated layers.
The visit offered a great overview into the disruptive innovation taking place in Helsinki and the important role research partnerships play with institutions like VTT, NRENs and local ecosystem in turning breakthrough science into real-world impact.
“I was very impressed with VTT and the level of quantum computing research happening there. While ESnet is not directly involved with quantum computing research, we are working on quantum networking. I look forward to the day when the NREN community can use quantum networks interconnect the quantum computers developed by our partners, for the benefit of science”.
Eli Dart, Network Engineer, ESnet, USA“The VTT quantum lab visit was one of the highlights of this year’s TNC26 for me. The lab itself was impressive, of course, but what I enjoyed most was hearing people talk about their projects with such genuine enthusiasm. It was infectious and made their work feel very alive and exciting. The train ride there had a bit of a school-trip vibe too, which made it a really nice way to meet and connect with more people before we even arrived”. Karin Wessel, Responsible for International Connectivity, NetherLight and Research Engagement, SURF, the Netherlands
NREN strategies for AI-infrastructure and engagement
On June 12, 2026, the joint SIG-AI and SIG-RED meeting at TNC26 brought together 41 representatives of NRENs and R&E organisations worldwide to discuss how NRENs can engage successfully with researchers and provide key AI-relevant infrastructures, also defining the service portfolio needed to enable cutting-edge scientific discovery.
Leonie Schäfer of DFN, the German NREN, and Coordinator of SIG-AI, offered an overview of SIG-AI’s main focus areas and objectives, while Eli Shmueli of IUCC, the Israeli NREN, and Coordinator of SIG-RED, presented SIG-RED’s key activities and recent visits to research facilities.
The meeting continued with a motivational talk by Panos Louridas of GRNET, the Greek NREN, who highlighted investments in AI projects to support researchers in Greece and introduced the Pharos AI Factory, setting the scene for discussions about researchers’ needs.
The first panel discussion “How are NRENs supporting AI for research?”, moderated by Eli Shmueli, featured insights from Eli Dart, Panos Louridas, Carlos Guzmán of CEDIA, the Ecuadorian NREN, and Neil Shewry of Jisc, the UK’s NREN.
As AI continues to transform the research landscape, NRENs must bridge the gap between providing high-performance technical facilities and ensuring researchers are effectively supported and engaged. The speakers addressed several questions about the AI research ecosystem, including the evolving role of NRENs in assisting AI research, the challenges they face in meeting researchers’ needs, and the opportunities and threats posed by commercial cloud providers. While investment in AI is increasing, networks remain fundamental and must not be forgotten – they are the foundation that makes AI possible.
The role of NRENs as enablers and accelerators of research was emphasised, with a focus on providing scientists with secure access to essential tools needed for their workflows, including those integrated with AI platforms. Key priorities include capacity building and training, improving data quality, and reliable access to curated data with scientific potential.
According to the 2025 GÉANT Compendium of NRENs in Europe, the AI services matrix highlights FCCN, the Portuguese NREN, with 6 active services leading the charge in academic AI. To discover how they achieved this, watch the video-recorded presentation “Building Portugal’s AI ecosystem for higher education and research”, delivered by Fábio Cosme and Ana Afonso of FCCN, the digital services unit at FCT.
The second panel discussion “Agentic AI in NRENs: assisting or replacing human operators?”, moderated by Leonie Schäfer, explored the growing role of autonomous AI systems in complex infrastructures, current experiences of the use of agentic AI by NRENs, as well as barriers to further adoption.
AI agents are starting to assist researchers and operations teams, but questions around trust, accountability, governance, and human oversight remain critical.
Featuring Raimundas Tuminauskas of PCSS, the Polish NREN, Eugene Brin of DFN-CERT, Jardar Leira of Sikt, the Norwegian NREN, and Dana Brunson of Internet2, the USA’s NREN, the session examined use cases where developers become ‘orchestrators’ using agentic AI, capabilities and deeper knowledge required from IT staff to use AI tools effectively in an advisory role, and the need to establish a legal framework of responsibilities.
The investments should be made not only in AI infrastructure, but also in people. The more we adopt AI, the more important it becomes to develop skills in machine learning and AI governance. Working now on good orchestration platforms, we will be enabling agents to act – so, NRENs will need machine learning experts to fine-tune the models.
As a community, we have an opportunity to work together, share experiences, and build the future of AI-enabled research infrastructure.
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