NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURES FOR RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY

Their core work

GRNET is Greece's national research and education network operator and e-infrastructure provider, responsible for connecting universities, research centers, and public institutions across the country to high-speed networks and cloud computing resources. They build and operate the backbone infrastructure that enables scientific computing, data sharing, and collaboration — including HPC facilities, cloud services, and authentication/authorization systems. Within EU projects, they contribute networking expertise, deploy pan-European e-infrastructure services, and help integrate national resources into continent-wide platforms like the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC). They also play a policy role in shaping how European e-infrastructures are governed and sustained.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early H2020 period (2015–2017), GRNET focused on foundational infrastructure work: scientific computing, international connectivity (transatlantic submarine cables via BELLA), data management lifecycle, and capacity building for Southeast European research communities through VI-SEEM. From 2018 onward, their focus shifted decisively toward the European Open Science Cloud ecosystem, with "open science," "EOSC," and "ESFRI" becoming dominant keywords — reflecting Europe's policy push to unify research infrastructures under a shared cloud. Their networking work also matured from basic connectivity to multi-domain, trust-aware research networking.

GRNET is positioning itself as a national EOSC node operator, moving from raw infrastructure provision toward integrated open science service delivery — making them a strong partner for any project needing EOSC integration or federated research infrastructure in Southern Europe.

How they like to work

GRNET overwhelmingly operates as a participant (38 of 45 projects), contributing infrastructure and technical services to large consortia rather than leading them. With 559 unique partners across 70 countries, they are a well-connected hub organization embedded in Europe's core e-infrastructure community (GÉANT, EGI, EUDAT, PRACE). Their two coordinator roles (VI-SEEM, and one other) both focused on regional capacity building, suggesting they lead when bridging Southeast Europe with the broader European research ecosystem.

GRNET has collaborated with 559 unique partners across 70 countries, making them one of the most broadly networked e-infrastructure organizations in Europe. Their partnerships span from Latin America (BELLA) to all major EU member states, with particularly deep ties to the GÉANT, EGI, EUDAT, and PRACE communities.

What sets them apart

GRNET is Greece's sole national research network operator, giving them a unique position as the gateway for integrating Greek research institutions into European e-infrastructure. Unlike commercial cloud providers, they understand the specific needs of academic and research computing — federated identity, FAIR data, cross-border data governance. For consortium builders, they offer a reliable infrastructure partner with national-level authority in Greece and strong relationships across the entire European e-infrastructure landscape.

Highlights from their portfolio

• EOSC-hub
  Their largest funded project (EUR 1.36M) and the central integration effort for the European Open Science Cloud — positions GRNET at the heart of Europe's open science infrastructure.
• VI-SEEM
  One of only two projects GRNET coordinated (EUR 655K), building a virtual research environment for Southeast Europe and Eastern Mediterranean — demonstrates regional leadership capacity.
• GN4-2
  Nearly EUR 1M in funding as part of the flagship GÉANT network project, reflecting GRNET's role as a core operator in Europe's research networking backbone.