SURF is the collaborative organisation for higher education institutions and research institutes aimed at breakthrough innovations in ICT. SURF provides the foundation for the excellence of higher education and research in the Netherlands.
Stichting SURF was founded in 1987 by the joint universities. At present SURF represents over sixty institutions (academic universities, universities of applied sciences, research centres and centres for documentary information services). SURF is also active in many international collaborative platforms such as JISC, TERENA and GLIF. SURF's Strategic Plan is the guide for its activities. The Strategic Plan covers several years and is formulated by the participating institutions.
SURF consists of three organisations that each have their own field of activity: SURFfoundation, SURFnet and SURFdiensten.
SURF and the country’s principal science funding body NWO have joined together to found a new institute, the Netherlands eScience Center (NLeSC).