FONDATION RESTENA (RESEAU TELEINFORMATIQUE DE L'EDUCATION NATIONALE ETDE LA RECHERCHE)

Their core work

RESTENA is Luxembourg's National Research and Education Network (NREN), operating the high-speed network infrastructure that connects the country's universities, research centers, and schools to each other and to the pan-European GÉANT backbone. They ensure Luxembourg's research community has reliable, secure, and high-capacity connectivity for data-intensive collaboration across borders. Beyond basic connectivity, they contribute to developing advanced network services including multi-domain networking, trust and security frameworks, and intercontinental research links — notably the Europe-to-Latin-America submarine cable initiative through BELLA.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

RESTENA's early H2020 involvement (2015-2016) centered on foundational GÉANT participation through GN4-1 and GN4-2, focused on maintaining and evolving Luxembourg's connection to European research networking. From 2016 onward, their scope broadened to include intercontinental connectivity (BELLA-S1 linking Europe and Latin America) and more specialized technical work on network security, trust frameworks, and backbone capacity expansion (GN4-3, GN4-3N). The progression shows a shift from basic NREN participation toward deeper technical contributions in secure multi-domain networking and global infrastructure expansion.

RESTENA is moving toward more specialized contributions in network security, trust, and intercontinental capacity — expect continued focus on secure, globally connected research e-infrastructure.

How they like to work

RESTENA operates exclusively as a participant in very large consortia — all five projects involve them as one member among many, with 40 unique partners across 38 countries. This is characteristic of NRENs, which participate in pan-European infrastructure projects by design rather than by choice. They are a reliable infrastructure partner embedded in the GÉANT community, making them easy to work with for any project requiring Luxembourg-based network infrastructure or NREN expertise.

Remarkably broad network spanning 40 partners across 38 countries, driven by membership in GÉANT consortia that include nearly every European NREN. Their reach extends beyond Europe to Latin America through the BELLA initiative.

What sets them apart

As Luxembourg's sole NREN, RESTENA is the mandatory gateway for any EU research networking initiative that needs to include Luxembourg. Their small size relative to larger NRENs (France, Germany) means they can be agile and responsive. For consortium builders, including RESTENA brings Luxembourg coverage and access to a well-connected node in the GÉANT ecosystem without the overhead of engaging a large bureaucratic institution.

Highlights from their portfolio

• GN4-3
  Largest single EC contribution to RESTENA (EUR 225,813) and most technically detailed project, covering secure multi-domain networking for the GÉANT backbone.
• BELLA-S1
  Only project extending beyond Europe — building a transatlantic submarine cable link between Europe and Latin America for research connectivity.