GARR

What GARR does

Consortium GARR (legal name: Consortium GARR; legal entity type: associazione senza fini di lucro) is Italy's national research and education network, founded in 1990 and operating under the auspices of the Ministry of University and Research (MUR). It provides ultra-broadband fiber connectivity and a portfolio of digital services to Italian public universities, research bodies, schools, and scientific hospitals, serving approximately 3 million end users across 1,000 connected sites. The consortium is governed by an Assembly of Members drawn from CNR, INFN, ENEA, INAF, INGV, Fondazione CRUI, IRCCS, and IZS, and operates a community-led GTM in which services are delivered to member and affiliated organizations rather than through commercial sales channels.

The core infrastructure is a high-capacity optical fiber network spanning approximately 24,000 km with 120 Points of Presence, operating a 38 Gbps backbone and an 800 Gbps interconnection to GÉANT, the European research backbone of which GARR is a founding member. A second parallel network, GARR-T, carries dedicated high-performance research traffic. Three regional GARR Cloud data centers — in Palermo, Catania, and Naples — provide federated OpenStack-based cloud services with data sovereignty. The service portfolio extends well beyond connectivity: eduroam global WiFi roaming, the IDEM federated identity federation (interfederated with eduGAIN), digital certificates, CERT GARR incident response, SCARR remote vulnerability scanning, web conferencing, GARR TV live streaming, eduVPN, FileSender, GINS network statistics, and .it domain management for the R&E sector. The organization has also invested in proprietary engineering assets, including a multi-vendor network automation tool that auto-generates RESTCONF clients from YANG models and a distributed fiber-optic sensing research program.

The business model is non-profit and mission-driven. Funding flows from member contributions, MUR appropriation, and large public R&D programs — most prominently Italy's PNRR (Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza) — which underwrite flagship projects TeRABIT (HPC networking supporting the Einstein Telescope), ICSC (Italian Center for High Performance Computing, one of five PNRR National Centers), Skills4EOSC, and EaPConnect Phase 2. Revenue is not publicly disclosed. Strategic direction is articulated in the GARR 2026-2028 Three-Year Plan published in 2024 and executed via partnerships with global vendors (Arista Networks) and Italian technology providers (Cubbit for geo-distributed storage), with operational leadership provided by Director Federico Ruggieri (since 1 January 2015) and President Maurizio Tira (re-elected 30 May 2025).

Name

GARR

Legal name

Consortium GARR

Website

https://garr.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Consortium GARR operates Italy's national research and education network, providing ultra-broadband fiber connectivity and digital services to universities, research institutes, schools, and scientific hospitals. Founded under the Ministry of University and Research, it serves about 3 million users across 1,000 connected sites.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Research and Education Network Services (NREN)

NAICS

Wired Telecommunications Carriers (517111), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Computer Communications Equipment (3576), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Business/Enterprise Fixed Connectivity Providers (SME/Enterprise Broadband) (HDAIABAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Optical Transponders & Muxponders (Coherent/Pluggable) (HDAFADAB), Networking & Telecommunications (Routing/Switching, Wireless, VoIP) (EDABAFAG)

Keywords

• National research network
• Research and education networking
• Broadband fiber infrastructure
• Federated cloud services
• Digital identity management

Headquarters

HQ city

Rome

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Contributions: GARR is a non-profit consortium funded under the auspices of the Ministry of University and Research (MUR). Member institutions contribute to consortium operations.
2. Public Funding and Projects: Funded through national research programs including PNRR (Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza) for infrastructure development and modernization projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

GARR operates Italy's national research and education network, providing ultra-broadband fiber optic connectivity to universities, research institutes, schools, and healthcare facilities through a 24,000 km optical fiber backbone with 120 Points of Presence. Beyond connectivity, it delivers a portfolio of digital services including GARR Cloud (OpenStack-based federated cloud), federated digital identity (IDEM/eduGAIN), eduroam WiFi roaming, cybersecurity (CERT GARR, SCARR), digital certificates, web conferencing, live streaming, and training via the Learning GARR platform.

Product overview

GARR (Consorzio GARR) operates Italy's national research and education network, providing high-performance fiber optic connectivity and a comprehensive portfolio of digital services. The core offering is the national network infrastructure spanning approximately 24,000 km with 120 PoPs, connected to the European GÉANT backbone. This infrastructure supports diverse services including GARR Cloud (OpenStack-based federated cloud), network and access services, digital identity management through IDEM/eduGAIN, security services (CERT GARR, vulnerability scanning), collaboration tools (webconference, video streaming), and specialized services like eduroam roaming, digital certificates, and domain management. The network serves approximately 3 million users across 1,000 connected sites in Italy's research and education sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GARR-T: The GARR-T network, an additional high-performance infrastructure.
• GARR Cloud
• Learning GARR
• IDEM
• SCARR
• GARR CERT

Products and services

• GARR Network Infrastructure (Rete Nazionale) High-performance national fiber optic backbone providing ultra-broadband connectivity with 38 Gbps backbone capacity to Italian research and education institutions across 1,000 connected sites.
• GARR-T Network Dedicated high-capacity research network infrastructure connecting Italian research institutions with high-performance backbone services.
• GARR Cloud Federated cloud infrastructure built on OpenStack, providing computing and storage resources with data sovereignty for Italian research and education institutions.
• eduroam Global WiFi roaming service enabling researchers and students to access wireless networks at participating institutions worldwide using their home institutional credentials.
• Digital Identity (IDEM) Federated identity management service enabling single sign-on access to research and education resources through the IDEM federation and inter-federation with international eduGAIN.
• Digital Certificates SSL/TLS digital certificate services for securing web services and communications within the research and education network.
• Security Services (CERT GARR and SCARR) Cybersecurity services including CERT GARR for incident response and security awareness, and SCARR remote vulnerability scanning with remediation suggestions.
• Webconference Video conferencing platform enabling online meetings, webinars, and collaborative sessions for the research and education community.
• Live Streaming and Video (GARR TV) Live streaming and video hosting platform for conferences, events and educational content delivered to the research and education community.
• Domain Name Registration (.it) Domain name registration and management services for Italian research and education institutions under the .it ccTLD.
• FileSender Secure file transfer service for sending and receiving large files within the research and education community.
• Learning GARR E-learning platform and training portal offering courses, webinars, and professional development on cybersecurity, networking, digital identity, and other topics for the research and education community.
• eduVPN Virtual private network service providing secure remote access to research and education network resources.
• GINS (GARR Network Statistics) Network statistics and monitoring platform providing real-time and historical data on network performance and traffic across the GARR backbone.

Quantifiable outcome

• 932 PB annual data traffic processed through the network
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, supporting and pilot.

• GÉANTcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGARR is a founding member of GÉANT, the European research network backbone that interconnects national research networks across Europe. Through this partnership, Italian institutions gain access to global research networks and international collaboration opportunities. GARR participates in multiple GÉANT projects including GN5-FPA, GN5-2, and GN5-IC1 for European research infrastructure development.
• CNR (National Research Council of Italy)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCNR is a member organization of Consortium GARR, contributing to the governance and strategic direction of the national research network.
• INFN (National Institute for Nuclear Physics)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerINFN is a member organization of Consortium GARR, participating in the development of high-capacity network infrastructure for scientific research.
• ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerENEA is a member organization of Consortium GARR, contributing to research network development and innovation.
• Fondazione CRUI (Conference of Italian University Rectors)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFondazione CRUI represents Italian universities within Consortium GARR, providing governance and strategic input for university network needs.
• ICSC (Italian Center for High Performance Computing)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerICSC is one of 5 National Centers established by PNRR. GARR provides networking infrastructure for this unique European project creating a computing ecosystem for research and industrial applications, organized with a central hub and multiple spokes.
• TeRABIT ProjectmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeRABIT is a PNRR-funded research infrastructure project. GARR provides high-speed network connectivity for high performance computing (HPC) access for the Italian scientific community, supporting projects like Einstein Telescope research.
• Skills4EOSCsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerGARR coordinates this European project which aims to develop a network of competence centers at national, regional, and thematic levels for open science skills and FAIR data management principles.
• ICDI (Italian Computing and Data Infrastructure)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerICDI is the national initiative for Open Science Cloud, created by major Italian research institutions to promote synergies at national level and strengthen Italian participation in EOSC.
• EaPConnect Phase 2supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEastern Partnership Connect project aims to establish high-speed broadband internet network for research and education in Eastern European partner countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine).
• SUBMERSE ProjectsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerGARR participates in SUBMERSE (SUBMarine cablEs for ReSearch and Exploration), a European Union-funded project exploring use of existing submarine cables for research purposes, in collaboration with OGS and University of Trieste.
• CubbitpilotTechnology or IntegrationGARR and Cubbit launched the first geo-distributed storage network for Italian universities and research institutions, providing data sovereignty, resilience, and high availability with full local data control.
• Arista NetworkssupportingTechnology or IntegrationGARR procures Arista Networks solutions for network infrastructure upgrades in GARR Cloud data centers in Palermo, Catania, and Napoli, including hardware, management systems, and 36-month maintenance services.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SURF: SURF is the Dutch cooperative for ICT in education and research, operating the national R&E network. Comparable as a non-profit NREN providing high-capacity connectivity, federated cloud, identity, and HPC services to Dutch universities and research institutes.
• JISC (Janet Network): JISC operates the Janet network, the UK's national research and education network. Directly comparable to GARR in mission, customer base (universities, research bodies), and service portfolio (connectivity, identity, cloud, cyber, eduroam).
• Internet2: Internet2 operates the US national research and education network. Most direct functional peer to GARR — both are country-level NRENs providing ultra-high-capacity fiber, federated identity, cloud services, and cybersecurity to universities and research institutions.
• DFN-Verein (DFN): DFN operates the German research network (X-WiN), the country's NREN. Comparable to GARR as a member-driven organization providing high-performance networking and IT services to German universities and research institutions.
• ESnet: ESnet is the US Department of Energy's dedicated science network serving national laboratories. Comparable to GARR's GARR-T infrastructure as a dedicated high-performance research network for large-scale science workloads.
• NORDUNET: NORDUNET is the Nordic regional research and education network interconnecting national NRENs across Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Comparable to GARR's position within the GÉANT federation as a multi-country backbone provider.
• RedIRIS: RedIRIS is Spain's national research and education network operated by Red.es. Comparable to GARR as a Mediterranean-country NREN serving universities, research centers, and schools with similar service portfolio.
• RENATER: RENATER is France's national research and education network. Comparable to GARR in scope (national NREN), customer base (universities, research institutes, schools), and services (connectivity, federated identity, trust and security).

Broad incumbents

• GÉANT: GÉANT is the pan-European research and education network backbone of which GARR is a founding member. Directly comparable as a multi-country NREN operator with similar services (connectivity, identity federation, trust & security) serving similar R&E customers across Europe.

Others

• CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research): CERN operates one of the world's most demanding research networks (LHC data) and is a major GÉANT user. Comparable as a heavy-bandwidth research network operator with sophisticated multi-vendor network operations; also a key customer of the same GÉANT ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ReteGARR
• Xx.com/ReteGARR
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/retegarr

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GARR