The GÉANT Node in the EOSC Federation has moved into production, creating new opportunities for National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) to connect their services and resources with the wider European research community. This milestone marks GÉANT’s transition from candidate Node to operational participation in the Federation. The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) establishes a framework for collaboration with the wider EOSC Federation.

By providing a route for NRENs to make services and resources available through the GÉANT Node, GÉANT can help extend their reach within the European open science ecosystem. The Node builds on GÉANT’s longstanding expertise in research networking, trust and identity, and cybersecurity, providing capabilities that NRENs can draw on to support their research and education communities.

On 8 October 2026, 13 EOSC Nodes joined the operational EOSC EU Node as the Federation moved into production. GÉANT was among them, following its selection in April 2026 as one of 14 candidate Nodes in the Federation’s second wave. It was one of three pan-European e-infrastructure Nodes selected in that wave, and one of three second-wave Nodes to enter production.

The MoU between GÉANT and the EOSC Federation, signed by Lise Fuhr, CEO of GÉANT, in Amsterdam on 22 September 2026, provides a framework for GÉANT to work with other participating Nodes on the technical, operational and organisational arrangements needed to develop the Federation. It also establishes a basis for GÉANT’s contribution to interim governance committees and working groups addressing areas including service integration, interoperability and operational practices.

Connecting NRENs and their services to European research

GÉANT brings together the expertise, infrastructure and services developed by its community of NRENs over many years. Its capabilities span high-capacity research networking, identity and access management, cybersecurity and trusted digital services, providing a foundation that NRENs can build on to support their research and education communities.

Services such as eduGAIN and MyAccessID support trusted identity and access across organisational boundaries, helping researchers connect to digital services and resources in a federated environment.

Through the GÉANT Node, NRENs that do not yet participate directly in the EOSC Federation will have a route to explore how their services and resources can contribute to the wider ecosystem. This can help extend the visibility and reach of NREN services, while giving researchers access to a broader range of capabilities through the Federation.

By connecting GÉANT’s capabilities with those of other EOSC Nodes, the GÉANT Node also supports the interoperability and trusted access needed for research communities to collaborate across institutional and national boundaries. For NRENs, this creates opportunities to connect their communities with a wider European research environment and to build on their existing investments in digital infrastructure and services.

From candidate selection to production

The move into production builds on GÉANT’s existing contribution to the EOSC EU Node, including Authentication and Authorisation Infrastructure (AAI) through MyAccessID and trusted identity services for the EOSC Federation through eduGAIN.

For researchers, this connected environment is intended to make it easier to find, access and reuse research data, services and computing resources across institutional and disciplinary boundaries. GÉANT contributes to the digital foundations that make this possible.

Formalising collaboration with the EOSC Federation

Lise Fuhr, CEO of GÉANT

Commenting on the two milestones, Lise Fuhr, CEO of GÉANT, said:

“The EOSC Federation has real potential to bring European research closer together. With our Node now in production, GÉANT builds on our years-long expertise in providing trusted digital infrastructure for research and education. The MoU gives us a framework for collaboration with the wider Federation as it evolves. We look forward to working alongside other Nodes and our NREN community to connect services and resources, helping researchers across Europe to access and benefit from them.”

Find out more