Cloud Research Consultancy

Supporting your research at every stage

Cloud Research Consultancy provides hands-on support to create cloud research environments that meet your technical and scientific requirements. We guide teams from initial concepts through deployment and long-term operations, ensuring reliable, efficient infrastructure designed for collaboration.

Apply for access

Gebouw in Groningen waarop staat Get started the future is here

Advantages

Guiding research teams in digital environments

Providing expertise in cloud infrastructure, application design, and research workflows to set up environments efficiently and correctly.

Helping you choose the right platforms and tools

Comparing SURF services, public cloud platforms, and third-party solutions to meet your project’s security, scalability, and cost requirements.

Design and build cloud-native research systems

Creating new research workflows, applications, and environments that are operational, scalable, and maintainable from the start.

Question about Cloud Research Consultancy? Get in touch.

Or visit the servicedesk portal

Getting started with Cloud Research Consultancy

If you’re new to research IT or cloud computing, start with our Cloud Guide – it explains cloud service models, responsibilities, cost management and risk control so you can plan your project confidently.

The Cloud Delivery Service provides secure, managed access to public cloud platforms. Combined with our Cloud Research Consultancy, it gives you both a reliable foundation and expert support to build, deploy and operate your research environments efficiently.

We focus on projects that offer innovative value, advancing your research while also enabling SURF to develop new services, create reusable solutions, or provide capabilities that benefit the wider research community.

Researchers can also access a shared Kubernetes cluster through the consultancy, providing a flexible platform for cloud-native workflows and scalable applications.

Project lifecycle phases

SURF’s Cloud Research Consultancy guides your team through every stage of cloud-based research – from initial ideas to operational systems. The following phases show how we support projects from early concepts to fully operational research environments.

1. Early engagement

We work with your team to clarify research goals, technical needs and constraints. Even with a rough idea or full proposal, we help define infrastructure requirements and explore potential collaborations.

2. Exploration & Experimentation

We support proof-of-concepts and feasibility studies to test tools, workflows and cloud setups before full deployment. This helps identify the most effective approach for your research.

Example case study: Saf er ci t i e s wi t h sm art b i k es, edge computing a n d publi c clouds

3. Building a solution

Once the project direction is clear, we design and deploy a research environment tailored to your needs. Deployments can use SURF infrastructure, public cloud platforms or hybrid setups – with clear responsibility shared between SURF, your institution and your research team.

4. Formalization, long-term Support

We provide guidance and technical support to ensure your system remains secure, functional and scalable over time. This includes planning for sustainability and maintenance of research environments. .

Example case study: From simu lat i o n to r e a lity: The Green Village 's d a ta p l a t f or m as an engine f or innovation

5. Sharing, sustaining

When a solution demonstrates lasting value, we capture lessons learned, create reusable components or templates, and share knowledge with the research community. This supports innovation and reduces duplication across institutions.

Case studies

From simulation to reality: The Green Village's data platform as an engine for innovation

Case study

Green Village is a unique field lab in the Netherlands. In this ‘living lab’ on the campus of TU Delft – with housing, infrastructure and residents – scientists and companies test new technologies, systems and products in a realistic environment. The Green Village Data Platform, designed and developed by SURF, plays an important role in this.

Case study
The growth of the Green Village Data Platform: from 10,000 messages per year to 100 million per day

Article

Green Village is a loosely regulated open-air laboratory located on the campus of Delft University of Technology. Researchers live and work in this laboratory, surrounded by projects in the fields of sustainability, energy and climate adaptation.

Article
Safer cities with smart bikes, edge computing and public clouds

Case study

SURF has joined the project to lead the design and implementation of the digital infrastructure needed to operate a fleet of bikes in a city remotely, making use of public cloud services.

Case study