HRVATSKA AKADEMSKA I ISTRAZIVACKA MREZA CARNET

Their core work

CARNET is Croatia's national research and education network (NREN), providing high-speed internet infrastructure and digital services to universities, schools, and research institutions across the country. They operate the backbone network that connects Croatian academia to the pan-European GÉANT research network, enabling data-intensive collaboration across borders. Beyond connectivity, CARNET works on digital competence development, cloud-based learning platforms, and brokering access to commercial cloud services for the research community.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early period (2015–2017), CARNET focused on basic research connectivity — maintaining Croatia's link to GÉANT and contributing to transatlantic infrastructure projects like BELLA-S1 with its submarine cable between Europe and Latin America. From 2019 onward, their keyword profile shifts dramatically toward multi-domain networking, security, trust, e-infrastructure, and cloud services, reflecting a move from pure connectivity toward higher-value network services and digital platforms. The appearance of digital competences and adaptive learning (CRISS) signals a broadening beyond infrastructure into end-user digital skills.

CARNET is evolving from a national connectivity provider toward a cloud and security-aware e-infrastructure operator, positioning itself to serve research communities needing trusted, on-demand digital services.

How they like to work

CARNET operates exclusively as a participant — never as a coordinator — which is typical for NRENs that contribute national infrastructure expertise to large pan-European programmes. Their consortia are large (63 unique partners across 42 countries), reflecting the nature of GÉANT and similar infrastructure projects that require one partner per country. This means CARNET is a reliable, low-friction partner accustomed to working within massive, multi-national teams with well-defined roles.

CARNET has collaborated with 63 unique partners across 42 countries, giving it one of the broadest geographic networks possible — essentially spanning every European country plus Latin American connections through BELLA. This breadth is a structural feature of GÉANT membership rather than selective partnership building.

What sets them apart

As Croatia's sole NREN, CARNET is the mandatory gateway for any EU research infrastructure project that needs a Croatian node or connectivity endpoint. Their long-running involvement in the GN4 series (spanning 2015–2023) demonstrates institutional stability and deep integration with the GÉANT ecosystem. For consortium builders, CARNET offers a reliable Croatian partner with direct access to the country's entire academic and research community.

Highlights from their portfolio

• GN4-3
  Largest single EC contribution (EUR 1M) and part of the flagship GÉANT programme covering secure multi-domain networking, trust frameworks, and e-infrastructure for all of European research.
• BELLA-S1
  Intercontinental scope — building submarine cable infrastructure connecting Europe with Latin America, extending research networking beyond the European continent.
• CRISS
  Unusual diversification for an NREN — a digital learning project involving adaptive learning ecosystems, big data, and gamification, showing capability beyond pure networking.