As a 7-year strategic framework this Framework Partnership Agreement (FPA) outlines the overall direction, objectives and impacts without detailing specific deliverables or milestones that will follow in subsequent Grant Agreements (SGAs) that will be actioned under the FPA. In this FPA, the GÉANT consortium of European NRENs propose to evolve the European Communications Commons to provide secure, cost-effective, highly available and reliable services for very high-speed connectivity, identity inter-federation, mobility, security and trust services and solutions; increasing creativity and efficiency of research and ensuring the digital continuum of services to R&E users anywhere in the EU, bridging the divide between developed and less-developed regions. The connectivity and associated services provided are indispensable for seamless, unimpeded access to relevant data, as well as exploitation and management of data generated by European researchers in almost all large research infrastructures. Thanks to successful collaboration between the EC, the GÉANT consortium of NRENs, and their users, these services are second to none, and routinely surpass those of international counterparts. One of the most successful attributes of the GÉANT consortium representing the Research and Education Networks of 44 countries across Europe is the proven ability to agree common interests, while promoting individual or group-led innovations and sharing costs across a diversified membership. GÉANT works with a wide variety of European and global stakeholders to ensure future user requirements for infrastructure are met in a cost-effective and interoperable way. The expertise of hundreds of professionals in R&E networking and industry will be mobilised through the SGAs following this FPA. The GÉANT partners are confident that their joint experience and the leadership of the GÉANT Association will facilitate a successful and impactful execution of a series of SGAs under the proposed FPA.

As one of the first in a series of projects foreseen under GN5-FPA, GN5-1 aims to provide faster, more resilient and secure connectivity infrastructure and collaboration services to enable researchers and students’ access to applications that support evidence-based and effective collaboration across virtual research teams, worldwide. GN5-1 will continue the development of state-of-the art, cost-effective, secure and resilient connectivity to provide unconstrained capacity ahead of demand in the backbone network and NREN access in multiples of 100Gbps, delivering Terabit connectivity where needed. GN5-1 will prototype, pilot and, where appropriate, procure new online above-the-net services and deliver pervasive, innovative and distributed trust and identity infrastructure and services to achieve strategic positioning of T&I services as a key enabler of research and education collaboration within Europe. Trusted access to data sources and services, and authentication and authorisation Infrastructure services, such as eIDAS will also be included. The project will address Horizon Europe’s priorities in areas such as data security and access control, innovation and DNSH, and will expand NRENs' users beyond traditional scientific and research communities, enabling networking and access to the common European data spaces. GN5-1 will ensure access for researchers and students to the valued services required for Open Science, it will disseminate learning and training, and build community as well as align with EU policies and ongoing participation with standardisation bodies. GN5-1 can offer its distinctive services due to its human network of professionals, in a consortium with a deep understanding of evolving user requirements. Within this community, knowledge and experience is shared between partners to constantly enhance the quality of the services offered, making it an indispensable element of the ERA.

Under GN5-FPA, GN5-2 continues delivering expanded, cost effective, secure and resilient connectivity for unconstrained capacity ahead of demand in the backbone network and NREN access in multiples of 100Gbps targeting Terabit/s connectivity where needed. GN5-2 will scale its digital service portfolio to changing environments, by prototyping, piloting and, where appropriate, procuring new online above-the-net services to enable researchers and students’ access to applications that support multidomain data-driven, evidence-based and effective collaboration across virtual research teams, worldwide. It will deliver pervasive, innovative and distributed trust and identity infrastructure and services taking into account Open Science and eIDAS, to achieve strategic positioning of T&I as a key enabler of research and education collaboration within Europe. GN5-2 will reinforce the network security and its operation in a federated approach, and foster collaborations to innovate and strengthen Europe’s sustainable connectivity with other world regions. GN5-2 will address Horizon Europe’s priorities in areas such as data security and access control, innovation, inclusion, and DNSH, and will expand NRENs' users beyond traditional scientific and research communities, enabling networking and access to the common European data spaces, and preparing non-traditional use of fiber: sensing technologies, Quantum, Time/Frequency distribution. GN5-2 will ensure access to the valued services required for Open Science, disseminate learning and training, and build community as well as align with EU policies and ongoing participation with standardisation bodies. GN5-2 can offer its distinctive services due to its human network of professionals, in a consortium with a deep understanding of evolving user requirements. Knowledge and experience are shared within this community, to constantly enhance quality and security of services indispensable to the ERA, instrumental to EU strategic autonomy