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Tag: Fiber Sensing

  • Researchers! Could the fiber network itself become a new research instrument for your field?

    Researchers! Could the fiber network itself become a new research instrument for your field?



    On Thursday 15 October, SURF is bringing together researchers from different scientific disciplines for a one-day Fiber Optic Sensing Workshop in Utrecht.

    We are particularly keen to connect with researchers whose work could benefit from using existing fiber infrastructure as a distributed sensing instrument — for example in geophysics, seismology, marine science, environmental and climate research, civil engineering, and related fields.

    The focus of the workshop is very much on the science and the research use cases. What can technologies such as Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) make possible? What kinds of measurements, coverage and data could be valuable to different disciplines? And what would researchers need from fiber sensing infrastructure if we want to move from individual experiments towards more structural and scalable research capabilities?

    The day will combine an introduction to the technology with international and Dutch research examples, ongoing projects, discussion across scientific domains, and short pitches from researchers who would like to explore or share a potential fiber sensing use case.

    We will also have a live demonstration with a DAS unit and look at the wider research landscape around fiber sensing, including funding opportunities, consortia and collaboration, and how SURF’s data and compute infrastructure could support this type of research.

    Previous experience with fiber sensing is not required. We are just as interested in researchers who are curious whether this could provide a useful new source of data for their work.

    If this sounds relevant to your research — or to someone in your research network — please have a look and feel free to share.

    Fiber Optic Sensing Workshop: The Network as a Research Instrument
    Date: 15 October 2026
    Place: Utrecht, the Netherlands
    Language: English

    To sign up, please use the registration tool under this link:

  • The North Sea as a Research Instrument

    The North Sea as a Research Instrument

    Together with GÉANT, SURF has operationalised an advanced measurement system and pipeline using Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) on a fibre-optic cable in the North Sea.

    The system spans more than 100 km and continuously captures thousands of measurements, which are securely stored on SURF’s research platform. The resulting dataset offers opportunities for a wide range of research applications, including:

    • monitoring underwater noise and marine ecosystems
    • structural and operational monitoring of offshore infrastructure
    • long-term observation of ocean temperature and current dynamics
    • detection of seismic activity and other geophysical processes

    Wageningen Marine Research was the first organisation to analyse the data and achieved promising initial results, including the identification of acoustic signatures from wind farms, ship traffic, and controlled explosions.

    In the coming months, SURF and partners will continue collecting data and making it available to the research community. Researchers interested in exploring the dataset are invited to get in touch.

    This work is the result of a strong collaboration between many contributors and partners, including GÉANT, Wageningen Marine Research, NTNU, TenneT Netherlands and the SUBMERSE project.

    For more information on fiber sensing at SURF you can visit: https://www.surf.nl/en/themes/network/fiber-sensing .

    Fiber Optic Sensing Workshop October 15th in Utrecht 

    To continue this work, SURF is organising a Fiber Optic Sensing Workshop:

    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. 

    Registration link: https://www.surf.nl/en/agenda/fiber-optic-sensing-workshop-the-network-as-a-research-instrument