Highlights of the SURF Summit 2024
The Netherlands has designated digital infrastructure as its official mainport. As a research and education sector, we use this infrastructure on a daily basis. We also build on it. During the SURF Summit 2024 on 9 October, board members and decision-makers were confronted with existing and new challenges. And above all, there were plenty of opportunities to exchange ideas.
Much to celebrate, but backlog grows
The first keynote speaker of the afternoon, NWO president Marcel Levi, introduced the Golden Age of Science. Because, he reminds the audience, wherever you look, in any discipline, there is lightning-fast development everywhere.
"There is much to celebrate when it comes to science; science has an impact on society," he says. He backs up that claim with concrete examples. "We are living longer because science has come up with all kinds of solutions. And, all the technologies that are in an iPhone originated in the public domain." But he also has a warning.
"It's very nice to see so many colleagues from different institutions and have this interaction. We see that we are all experiencing the same challenges. Things are falling into place."
"Where national investment in research and development is concerned, other countries are now catching up with us, and our gap itself is widening. While we depend for our future and prosperity on our ability to achieve new innovation and knowledge."
"Know each other before you need each other"
Ask yourself which interests you need to protect. That was the main message of the second keynote speaker: Claudia Andrade De Wit, director of Digital & IT at the Port of Rotterdam Authority. In a lively presentation, she took us through the threats and attacks her organisation faces. From website attacks, which increase in impact from 1 to 1000 during politically sensitive visits by leaders to the Netherlands, to vulnerabilities in the ecosystem made up of national and international companies.
"Security is increasingly about digital security." With figures, she pointed out the scale of activity at the port. Every year, 40,000 vessels pass through the port in maritime transport and 100,000 vessels in inland navigation. 14 million is the number of containers passing through the port, with each container going through some 28 transactions. "If a container gets stuck, it creates traffic jams on the A28".
"Inspiring lectures! And I meet people I would not come across in my day-to-day work who have the same issues as I do."
Every year, the Port of Rotterdam Authority conducts a Cybernautics exercise. The area of the Port Authority stretches over 40 kilometres. A lot of companies are located here. "Know each other before you need each other," says de Andrade De Wit of the annual exercise. During Cybernautics, chaos breaks out in the port, the crisis structure is exposed and the plans everyone has become visible. This helps to discover where reinforcement is needed. "You don't want a weak link in your chain," she says.
The Netherlands as a data hub
After presentations on the Golden Age of Science and the Port of Rotterdam as a player in an international field, Ron Augustus (SURF board chairman a.i.) introduced the New Silk Road: the distribution of data around the world. In this, after all, we as the Netherlands have a position to defend as a digital mainport. He gave a glimpse into the world of SURF that perhaps not everyone knew so well yet, which involved infrastructure, standards and collaboration.
"An energetic day. The movement around us, at this venue, further highlights the important challenges we face."
The open discussion
Finally, House of Commons-style, the participants engaged in a discussion with each other around three propositions. But... whether they were for or against didn't depend on the colour of the boat on their table. This produced some nice contrarian statements: "Get hacked, that's where you learn the most. Then we as a sector just shut down for a day", was one of the reactions to the statement that our sector should be more progressive on the topic of cybersecurity, even if the legislature does not yet require it.
The other two statements were: "Collectivity as the standard and the individual solution as the exception" and also, "European cooperation? National cooperation is hard enough, so as much focus as possible on national collective solutions".
"Very inspiring, both the environment and the speakers. There was something rebellious about the debate."
We look back on a successful afternoon, which was greatly appreciated by participants in terms of both the venue and the content.
With the evaluation in hand, the SURF events team is already contemplating the almost impossible task of surpassing the day during SURF Summit 2025.
Text and photos: Maureen van Althuis
Photos speakers: Dyzlo Film
"Highlights of the SURF Summit 2024" is an article from SURF Magazine.
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Questions following this article? Mail to magazine@surf.nl.