11 Shaping the Future of REN Infrastructure & Services in Qatar Antonio Sanfilippo Research Director, QEERI Qatar Foundation e-Age 2014, December 2014, Muscat, Oman 1

2 Workshop: REN infrastructure & services in Qatar Organized by Qatar Foundation R&D with GUQ, HBKU, NWUQ, VCUQ, WCMCQ, UCLU, TAMUQ and MEEZA 52 members from the scientific and academic community in and outside Qatar, including the private sector Guest speakers from APAN, TERENA and Internet2 Breakout session on Global connectivity User expectations REN as a locus of innovation Held at QNCC, Doha, 6/1/14

3 Global connectivity Protected higher connectivity (≥10Gbps) needed now Fast connection to data centers is a priority Historical trends help forecast future needs Plan for the future, benchmarking against established NRENs Wider community requirements to avoid doubling up of resources Governance is very important – peer-based model is best Leverage QF high performance computing facilities Ensure local TELCOs provide the connectivity Qatar needs

4 User expectations More bandwidth! High quality service for data transfer, teleconferencing, library services, social media analytics, data sharing, networking, high performance computing, … Security remains a significant concern Standard entry level for free and charge for add-ons 24/7 user support, fault tolerance, shared authentication Training/outreach/education to optimize infrastructure usage

5 REN as a locus of innovation in Qatar Technologies most likely to foster innovation Mobile and cloud services, Internet of things Bringing innovative technologies to users Talk to users to understand goals and requirements Talk to funding sponsors to learn about grand challenges Current applications that are driving innovation Domains: Energy/water/food security, cybersecurity, healthcare Science: Climate modeling, particle physics, astrophysics, genomics, health informatics Methods: Crowdsourcing, collaborative problem solving

6 REN as a locus of innovation in Qatar Expected scientific and societal impacts Interdisciplinary collaborative research Social and technical modeling using media and sensor data to support applications in energy/water/food security, cybersecurity, and healthcare

7 Conclusions Qatar is well-poised to grow a REN that will act as a catalyst for research and education in the region Rich constellation of research and education institutes, and good opportunities for high connectivity Inclusive, collegial, and collaborative policy to create a REN that includes all research and education institutions in Qatar Non-profit, academic, government, and private sectors The workshop offers an initial example of such an endeavor Open dialogue among all local stakeholders Interaction with the international community

Thanks! Workshop report, agenda and presentations available at