Thursday, October 15, 2026 | 09:00 – 18:00
Congresgebouw De Vereeniging, Mariaplaats 14, 3511 LJ Utrecht, Netherlands
Costs: Free
Join us for a cross-domain workshop in Utrecht focused on the future of fiber optic sensing. This event highlights a sophisticated evolution in infrastructure: leveraging the fiber infrastructure itself as a large-scale, distributed research instrument.
The program is designed to provide both a technical foundation and a look at what’s possible. We will start with a high-level overview of the underlying technology, followed by concrete use cases and results from various scientific disciplines. Together, we will discuss the transition from experimental pilots to a structural, scalable research infrastructure that serves the entire Research & Education community.
A key goal of the day is to identify the specific needs of researchers and stakeholders to shape SURF’s future support and digital services in the field of fiber optic sensing. It’s a great opportunity to socialize, meet peers from different domains, and continue the conversation in a more informal setting. We wrap up the day with drinks.
Registration Policy: To ensure a high-quality, interactive dialogue, seats are limited and registration is subject to approval.
We welcome a diverse mix of participants: from experienced experts who have already conducted fiber sensing trials to researchers and technical leads who are curious about how this technology could benefit their future work.
AGENDA (preliminary)
09:00-09:30 | Registration & coffee
09:30-10:00 | Introduction & Opening
10:00-11:00 | High-level overview of fiber optic sensing technology & demo
11:00-11:30 | Break
11:30-12:30 | International use-cases and results from various scientific disciplines
12:30-13:30 | Lunch
13:30-15:00 | Current projects in the Netherlands
15:00-15:30 | Break
15:30-16:30 | Pitches for fiber optic sensing use cases by workshop participants
16:30-18:00 | Drinks
Registration Link:
https://event.surf.nl/fiber-sensing-conference-the-network-as-a-research-instrument/registration
For further information, please contact karin.wessel@surf.nl