In a newly released paper, e-IRG responds to the findings and recommendations of the report of the GEANT Expert Group (GEG).The GEG was established by the European Commission in December 2010, with the mandate to articulate a 2020 vision for European Research and Education networking and identify an action plan for realising this vision. On October 4, 2011 the GEG presented its vision and recommendations in its Report ‘Knowledge without Borders: GEANT 2020 as the European Communications Commons’.
With the paper “e-IRG’s reaction to the findings and recommendations of the report of the GEANT Expert Group”, e-IRG welcomes the GEG report, recognizes the analyses, and widely supports the recommendations.
The e-IRG paper formulates questions and issues that the GEG report raises as well as an opinion from e-IRG on each of these questions and issues. It does not pretend to be complete as regards the issues raised by the GEG report, but concentrates on matters in which e-IRG can provide relevant input. It focuses therefore on the migration from the present situation to the European Communication Commons, on the issues around extending the user base, on adapting the organisation and governance structures and on the financing of networks as part of the broader e-Infrastructures ecosystem.
A key theme throughout the e-IRG reaction to the GEG report is the need for more innovation in the networks. “It will be essential to accelerate innovation activities through increased funding, diverse consortia, and dedicated project management, as recommended by the GEG” says the e-IRG Chair Gudmund Høst.
Download the paper here
