SURF Members' Council highlights 8 October
WTR advice on sovereignty: show leadership
Digital sovereignty is one of the key priorities of our cooperative. The Scientific Technical Council (WTR) has issued advice to the Members’ Council on this topic. A key point from this advice is the importance of strong coordination. The advisory body calls on SURF to show leadership and act as a coordinating entity, while at the same time ensuring a bottom-up approach. SURF will draw up (financial) frameworks to be discussed with the Members’ Council.
Architecture
The WTR previously issued advice on how to design the architecture for the sectors within SURF. Following that, a further elaboration and concretisation was presented to the Members’ Council. Many of the issues raised in these plans are governance matters for the sector as a whole. However, these issues do not always align neatly with SURF’s governance structure. An important part of the paper now presented concerns how future decisions on architecture should be made – as these decisions sometimes extend beyond SURF alone. It is therefore essential to align as much as possible with existing bodies.
Project on privacy in healthcare
NLeSC has withdrawn from the Health-AI System Breakthrough Project, which focuses on developing and implementing privacy-enhancing technologies in healthcare. The project had received funding from the Dutch AI Coalition, IC4NL. SURF is keen to take over NLeSC’s position in the project consortium. The Members’ Council has approved SURF’s request to assume this position and to carry out the project.
Reappointment WTR
Prof. Dr Egon Berghout has been reappointed for a third term of three years, and Prof. Dr Carl Moons has been appointed for a first term of three years. The Members’ Council congratulates them on their (re)appointment.
AI factory: funding is in place
The Members' Council was updated on the status of the Dutch proposal to establish an AI factory in Groningen. Two days after the Members' Council, it was announced that the European funding from EuroHPC JU has been awarded, making the funding completely complete.
Impact of the new Cybersecurity Act
The impact of the Dutch implementation of NIS2 affects several members within the cooperative. So far, publicly funded higher education institutions have been designated as entities falling under the new Cybersecurity Act, with SURFcert appointed as the CSIRT for the sector. The Members’ Council discussed the potential consequences of this designation, the objection filed by the higher education institutions, and the fact that SURF is preparing in the background for the possible CSIRT role should the designation proceed.
Npuls enters second phase
In 2022, the National Growth Fund (managed by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy) allocated a total of €560 million to Npuls, which is being transferred in tranches to the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. After the first tranche of €140 million, the government decided in July to release a second tranche totalling €244.7 million. SURF acts as the lead organisation for Npuls. The Members’ Council was updated on the status of Npuls Phase 2 and SURF’s role as lead partner.