It’s time to say goodbye from Bergen, Norway. The NORDUnet 2024 conference week came and went so fast. Thanks to the many, many people – speakers, sponsors, engineers, planners, logistics people, and more who helped make this a successful event, and to the even more people who joined us in Bergen or online.
In the closing plenary, Lars Gjesvik from the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, spoke about _The Return of Geopolitics_. Geopolitics and communications have always been intwined; Throughout history, power and communications have been two sides of the same coin. In 2024, geopolitics is everywhere, often in the context of geo-economics. Computer chips, high-performance computing, and submarine cables are examples of this.
In his talk, Lars made the point that globalisation has led to highly complex supply chains with a high degree of specialisation and inter-dependence. This makes global trade in highly connected and dependent on a multitude of industries and actors working together.
Communication networks is the substrate that keep this fast moving and fragile system working. For this reason, communication networks and subsea networks have become not just essential but also a target of threats – espionage, disruption, sabotage, military action. This is a risk research networks must learn to deal with.
The talk highlighted two approaches this situation: Decoupling – going back to independent economies – and derisking (building barriers to protect critical ressources). Which of these approaches will be dominated is word in progress, and the outcome will be decide on all aspects of future infrastructure. Derisking will be essential to the development of technologies that support science and progress global communication networks, but will at the same time be very difficult.
In his closing remarks, host Tom Røtting thanked speakers and participants who had made a personal impression and given his memories to take home and handed over the baton – or, in this case, the NORDUnet flag – to Maria Häll, CEO of Sunet. Following on the theme set by Tom, Maria thanked speakers for talks that have given her learnings to bring home, before revealing that Sunet will host the 33rd NORDUnet conference in Luleå, Sweden, 8-10 September 2026.
Thanks for joining us for NORDUnet 2024. We hope to see you all again in northern Sweden in two years time.
