EU4Digital: Connecting Research and Education Communities (EaPConnect)

EaPConnect (2020-2025 – €10 million) aims to bring together research and education communities from EU and Eastern partner countries and to reduce the digital divide. The project will extend network infrastructure to scale up scientific exchange across borders, offer new services to enhance international R&E cooperation, strengthen national research and education networks (NRENs) in R&E ecosystems, and build knowledge, skills and collaborative working through events, training, and other initiatives.

The current phase of the project builds on the achievements of the first EaPConnect programme (2015-2020 – €13 million).

Objectives

• Extend network infrastructure and services for research and education, and their reach within EaP countries, reducing the digital divide.
• Increase the sustainability of international network connectivity and of the national research and education networks to be able to continue supporting their national R&E ecosystems and digital agendas beyond the lifetime of the project.
• Develop links with other European infrastructures and initiatives.
• Support participation of EaP researchers and educators in international collaborations so that they are as present in European initiatives and projects as other R&E communities across Europe.

Activities

• Procure and provide high-bandwidth network infrastructure dedicated for research and education, and ensure its logical integration with the pan-European GÉANT network.
• Provide above-the-network GÉANT and other services that support the needs of research and education communities to access resources and work together online.
• Provide access to training, workshops and mentorships to build knowledge and relationships that support the sustainability of beneficiary partners and their ability to achieve the project goals.
• Organise conferences, outreach to user communities, and other activities to raise visibility of the project, partners, achievements and benefits among varied stakeholders and to build knowledge sharing and human networking.

https://www.eapconnect.eu

https://www.facebook.com/EaPConnectProject

https://twitter.com/eapconnect_news

The video refers to the first phase of the EaPConnect project (2015-2022). As of April 2022, the project scope no longer includes Belarus.