Date: 8 November 2024

Time: 10:00-12:00 CET (2h)

Moderators: Jakob Tendel, Maria Ristkok, Jan Meijer, Dave Heyns, Eva Nestorovska

Other facilitators (breakouts, notes): Partner Relations and GÉANT participants

Attendees: CSDMs, Above-the-net Strategy group members, CTOs (GA)

Objective

• Review 2023 roadmap topics and how they have been implemented.
• Identify areas where roadmap items need further progress,  outside of the GN5-2 plan.

Maximise discussion time, to cover the topics within the GN5-2 plan but also those not included, such as education and AI (presentations 30 min vs discussions 90 min)

Invitation Statement

Following the successful series of community-led CTO-level workshops held in 2021-2023, the 2024 "Above-the-Net Roadmap Update Session“ aims for a brief interactive review of the roadmap to find any gaps in implementation or changed priorities. In addition we seek community input for forward-looking topics around sustaining community service-development as well as aligning development inside the GÉANT context with efforts in the wider EOSC ecosystem.

Context

2023 topics taken up in GN5-2:

• Maintaining the GÉANT Cloud Framework OCRE
• Developing service concepts and business models for:
  • Transferring research data.
  • Federating sovereign research data storage.
  • Creating a cloud-based Trusted Research Environment platform.
• Expanding the cloud strategy to cover more areas.
• Ensuring the stability maintenance of eduMEET and advancing its federation.

2023 topics not yet addressed:

• AI (role of NRENs in AI, AI in education, topics)
• Education support (Interoperability in HE, handling data, mobility & identity).
• Research data.

Breakouts

Roadmap gaps

 Facilitator questions

• What are your NREN's current priorities and any new topics for Above-the-net activities since the 2023 CTO workshop?

Helping questions:

• Have there been any changes in NREN priorities for Above-the-net activities since the 2023 CTO workshop?
• Which activities are now prioritised based on your NREN’s interest and capabilities?
• Are there any new, important topics that we haven’t yet covered?

Alignment of services with EOSC

Facilitator questions

• (NRENs in EOSC): How can your NREN best collaborate with EOSC to maximise impact, avoid duplication, and share expertise, like in cloud sovereignty?
• (NRENs not in EOSC): What collaborative topics can your NREN contribute across NRENs, and where can you add the most value?

Helping questions:

• Which topics are collaborative across NRENs or with EOSC?
• Several GÉANT member NRENs are active in service development also in EOSC context. How can we maximise benefits from NREN-EOSC collaborations and avoid duplication?
• Where can NRENs add the most value?
• How can our cloud sovereignty experience inform current discussions, such as on AI?

Sustainment of community developments

Facilitator questions

• How can community service operations be effectively funded and governed to support new developments and collaboration across NRENs (including GN5 projects)?

Helping questions:

• Should community service operations be funded separately from projects to allow more resources for new developments?
• What types of cost-sharing and governance can work for the community? 
• How can GÉANT/GN5 support central services for community projects? 
• What are the pros and cons of sharing services across NRENs vs developing and operating them collectively?

Participant homework description

Preliminary Agenda