Why Is DANTE Important?

Research networking activity is seen as having an important contribution to make towards maintaining European competitiveness and supporting economic development. European research networking helps provide the ability for all researchers, wherever in Europe they work, to participate in collaborative research projects and contribute to the best of their abilities. Through the vital support it provides to research and education in Europe, enabling researchers and academics to work at the forefront of their fields, research networking helps Europe's economy to remain globally competitive.

The involvement of organisations from so many countries in pan-European research networking is also a very good example of the sort of European cooperation that is fundamental to the objectives of the European Union itself. The current pan-European research network backbone, GÉANT2, connected all of the countries that acceded to the European Union in 2004 and January 2007 well before their accession, and already connects candidates for accession Croatia and Turkey.

The work in which DANTE and its partners are involved is at the forefront of the development of the Internet. As well as their operational responsibilities, some staff at DANTE perform research activities involving new Internet technologies and services.  These new technologies and services are usually implemented on research networks well ahead of commercial networks, making cutting edge technology available to Europe’s research community.