VEREIN ZUR FOERDERUNG EINES DEUTSCHEN FORSCHUNGSNETZES DFN VEREIN E.V.

Their core work

DFN-Verein (Deutsches Forschungsnetz) operates Germany's national research and education network, providing high-performance internet connectivity and digital infrastructure to universities, research institutions, and libraries across the country. Within H2020, they contribute to the pan-European GÉANT network — the backbone that connects national research networks across Europe and beyond — handling network engineering, security services, and federated authentication. They also support cloud brokerage and open science infrastructure, ensuring researchers can securely access shared computing resources and data across borders.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early H2020 period (2015–2017), DFN-Verein focused on foundational research networking through GÉANT phases 1–2, federated authentication (AARC), and extending physical connectivity to Latin America via the BELLA submarine cable project. From 2019 onward, their work shifted toward advanced multi-domain networking, network security and trust, and cloud/open science infrastructure (OCRE, EOSC Future). The trajectory shows a clear move up the stack — from raw connectivity and identity management toward secure, on-demand cloud services and open science platforms.

DFN-Verein is evolving from a pure network operator toward a broker of secure cloud and open science services for the European research community — expect future involvement in EOSC, FAIR data, and trust frameworks.

How they like to work

DFN-Verein operates exclusively as a participant or third party — never as coordinator — which is typical for national research network operators that serve as infrastructure contributors within large, established consortia. With 133 unique partners across 42 countries, they sit inside very large international consortia (GÉANT alone involves 30+ NRENs). Their loyalty to the GÉANT ecosystem across three successive phases suggests they are a reliable, long-term infrastructure partner rather than a project-hopping opportunist.

Exceptionally broad network spanning 133 partners in 42 countries, driven primarily by the massive GÉANT consortium that unites Europe's national research networks. The BELLA project extends their reach to Latin America, giving them genuinely global connectivity partnerships.

What sets them apart

DFN-Verein is Germany's NREN — there is literally one per country, making them an irreplaceable partner for any project requiring German research network infrastructure or connectivity. Their continuous involvement across all GÉANT phases means they carry deep institutional knowledge of European research networking that cannot be replicated by commercial ISPs. For consortium builders, they are the gateway to Germany's entire academic network infrastructure.

Highlights from their portfolio

• GN4-3
  Largest single funding allocation (EUR 3.45M) — the third phase of Europe's flagship GÉANT research network, covering multi-domain networking, security, and trust services.
• BELLA-S1
  Unique intercontinental scope: building a submarine cable between Europe and Latin America, extending research connectivity beyond the European footprint.
• EOSC Future
  Positions DFN-Verein in the European Open Science Cloud — the EU's strategic initiative for open, FAIR research data infrastructure.