Parent organisation SURF
Within the parent organisation, SURF, the emphasis is on administrative coordination and initiating ICT-driven innovation in higher education and research. SURF promotes knowledge sharing via theme-specific networks, professional development meetings, and the provision of publications, project results, and good practices. SURF finances innovative ICT projects within funding programmes. Each of the SURF operating divisions has its own focus in which it collaborates with national and international partners.
SURF Platforms
The innovation activities of the parent organisation SURF are structured within three platforms:
- Platform Board ICT & Education (focus area Innovation in Education)
- Platform Board ICT & Research (focus areas Scholarly Communication and Digital Rights)
- Platform Board ICT & Business Management (focus areas Organising with ICT, Security and privacy, Cloud computing and Green ICT)
SURFnet
SURFnet SURFnet ensures that researchers, instructors, and students can work together simply and effectively with the aid of ICT. It enables users to fully exploit the opportunities offered by ICT by promoting, developing, and operating a trusted, connecting ICT infrastructure. In doing so, SURFnet focuses on two specific areas:
- network infrastructure: a hybrid fixed-wireless network as the basis for all collaboration, providing efficient, unlimited data transport;
- collaboration infrastructure: a pioneering collaboration environment that seamlessly connects systems, services, tools, and people.
SURFmarket
SURFmarket (previously SURFdiensten) is the ICT marketplace for higher education and research and it facilitates the use of ICT. SURFmarket negotiates with ICT providers on behalf of the institutions that are affiliated to SURF. This enables the institutions to choose from a range of software, digital content, services, and hardware. Large-scale purchasing (using a digitised process) makes SURFmarket.nl an inexpensive and efficient licensing platform for higher educational institutions and university libraries, and for university museums and medical centres. SURFspot.nl is the webshop where students and staff can purchase software and other ICT products for home use at affordable prices.
SURFshare
SURFshare provides an organisational setting for SURF innovation projects that now operate independently and ICT collaboration initiatives in higher education and research. It focuses on the provision of specific services that are not available on the market. The innovation projects and initiatives concerned require management but are not yet on a large enough scale, or do not yet have the right conditions or opportunities, to be efficiently self-managing. In 2011, two former SURF initiatives, Studiekeuze 123 and Studielink became part of SURFshare.
SURF’s Scientific Technical Council (WTR) is made up of recognised authorities. Its task is to offer independent advice to SURF, institutions, and government bodies regarding their ICT policy and activities.
The Project Monitoring Committee (PMC) monitors the progress of SURF projects.
In 2010, SURF and the country’s principal science funding body NWO joined together to found a new institute, the Netherlands eScience Center, the country’s primary centre for knowledge and expertise in its field.