EUMEDplus: Strengthening Digital Connectivity and Innovation in the EU’s Southern Neighbourhood

EUMEDplus: Strengthening Digital Connectivity and Innovation in the EU’s Southern Neighbourhood

Posted on: 09 Sep, 2024

Source: GÉANT 

Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Syria and Tunisia as a group are part of what is known as the European Union’s Southern Neighbourhood countries. With their predominantly young population experiencing significant unemployment rates, there is an urgent need for investment in human capital to foster economic growth, create societal opportunities, and mitigate brain drain.

Enter: the research and education (R&E) sector. R&E networks are crucial in this effort, particularly through digital transformation, which enables access to high-speed internet, data infrastructures, and e-services that are essential for collaboration, innovation, and evidence-based decision-making

For this reason and building on the successes of previous EU-funded projects – such as AfricaConnect and EUMEDCONNECT, the EU co-funded EUMEDplus project was launched on 1 September 2024. Aligned with the Agenda for the EU’s partnership for the Southern Neighbourhood, EUMEDplus aims at enhancing the capabilities of NRENs in North Africa and their Regional Network, the Arab States Research and Education Network (ASREN), and increasing access to modern digital infrastructure and technologies.

With a four-year timeline and a budget of 13,334,000 euros – of which 12,000,000 euros are contributed by the European Union – the project is coordinated by GÉANT with key partners including ASREN, the AmericanUniversity of Beirut, the Centre National pour la Recherche Scientifique etTechnique in Morocco, the Cyprus Research and Academic Network, NORDUnet, and SESAME in Jordan. The partners will work collaboratively to ensure that the project’s objectives are met and that its impact is felt across the Southern Neighbourhood.

The project is designed to address key challenges in digital connectivity in the EU’s Southern Neighbourhood as a catalyst for human capacity development. EUMEDplus aims to achieve this ambition by:

• Supporting Research and Education: in particular, by strengthening the role of ASREN and North African NRENs in driving digital transformation within the R&E sector. The project aims to enable them to participate more fully in global scientific collaboration and innovation by enhancing their maturity and sustainability development as well as operational efficiency, both at regional and national level. It will also prioritise gender equality-oriented initiatives through dedicated conference tracks, mentorship programmes and training courses.

• Elevating Digital Infrastructure: in order to significantly improve access to modern digital infrastructures and technologies, the project will aid North African NRENs in developing and implementing national strategies to fully utilise the pan-Mediterranean Medusa submarine-cable project, EU’s first digital global Gateway undertaking, and also investigate the feasibility of expanding the Medusa system, now between North Africa and Europe, towards the Levant, whist ensuring ongoing international R&E connectivity for the Levant.

• Expanding the service offering: the project will empower NREN to tackle the challenge of making data infrastructure scalable and value-added services and tools that are accessible to end users. The focus will be on establishing the underlying federation systems for secure service access, fostering cross-border cooperation in HPC utilisation and promoting the adoption of open science principles

• EUMEDplus is set to play a transformative role in the Southern Neighbourhood by enhancing digital infrastructure, supporting educational and research institutions, and fostering sustainable, inclusive growth. Through its focus on long-term sustainability, gender equality and high-speed connectivity, the project promises to bridge the digital divide and stimulate innovation, ensuring that the Southern Neighbourhood is well-positioned to thrive in the digital age.

"GÉANT is delighted to continue its longstanding collaboration with ASREN and NRENs in North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean through the implementation of the EUMEDplus project. This project together with Medusa, the EU digital global gateway project to implement a submarine cable in the Mediterranean, strengthens GEANT ambition to work with ASREN in order o support global R&E cooperation" –

Erik Huizer, GÉANT CEO

"At ASREN, our mission is deeply rooted in the belief that education and collaboration are the keys to a brighter future for the Arab region. ‘Uniting Minds, Shaping Future’ is not just a slogan—it is our promise to every researcher, educator, and student. EUMEDplus project comes exactly on time to support us to achieve this. Together with GÉANT and partners, we are committed to breaking barriers and creating a connected and empowered community across the Arab world" –

Yousef Torman, ASREN Managing Director