EaPConnect

Eastern Partnership Connect (EaPConnect) project sets out to create a regional high-speed internet network dedicated to research and education (R&E) across Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.

Proj​​ect Objec​​​tives

Launched in July​ 2015, the Eastern Partnership Connect (EaPConnect) project aims to: ​

• establish and operate a high-capacity broadband internet network for research and education (R&E) across six EaP partner countries in the EU’s Eastern Neighbourhood: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine;
• integrate the national research and education networks (NRENs) in the region into the pan-European GÉANT network;
• decrease the digital divide;
• facilitate participation of local scientists, students and academics in global R&E collaborations;
• deploy eduroam and stimulate integration towards GÉANT services.

By interconnecting the R&E communities across the region and with their European counterparts, EaPConnect will create a gateway for talented individuals in the EaP countries to be truly global players.

 

Funding and organis​ation

With the Eastern Partnership the EU offers its partners in the Eastern Neighbourhood concrete, far-reaching support for democratic reform, sustainable development and overall stability. It recognises the importance of e-Infrastructures in bridging the digital divide and bringing its partners closer to the EU.

The European Commission's Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargements Negotiations (DG NEAR) is contributing 95% (€13m) towards the cost of the EaPConnect project; the remaining 5% will be co-funded by the six beneficiary countries.

The project was officially inaugurated at the 1st Eastern Partnership Ministerial Meeting on the Digital Economy and is expected to have a duration of 5 years.

EaPConnect is managed by networking organisation GÉANT in collaboration with the NRENs in the six partner countries.