Photo illustration of hands reaching toward a futuristic-looking globe.

Internet2 Strategic Plan: Shaping the Next Chapter

As we celebrate 30 years of Internet2, we are undertaking a community-driven process to create a new strategic plan to guide us for the next three years.

Envisioning Our Future

The Next 30 Years Provide Your Input Process & Timeline Updates
Internet2 Strategic Plan

Embarking Upon the Next 30 Years

For 30 years, Internet2 has served the research and education (R&E) community by evolving with its needs. What began as a network collaboration has grown into a community of members, participants, and partners supported by a broad portfolio of services, programs, and initiatives. Evolving challenges for the community we support are creating new opportunities for Internet2 to serve and to lead.

The Internet2 Strategic Plan process ensures we address those challenges and provide solutions with the most value and impact. Internet2 is partnering with a third-party advisor with experience guiding associations through strategic planning, to facilitate this important work. Shaped by community input at every stage, the resulting plan will set clear priorities and align our resources around the outcomes that matter most to you, guiding how we empower the community over the next 30 years.

Get Involved

Community Comment Period

Your input will continue to shape the next Internet2 Strategic Plan. Once the next draft of our proposed strategic priorities, outcomes, and objectives is ready, we’ll invite the community to review it and share feedback during a community comment period.

The community comment period will launch in mid-November. Dates and details will be announced here and through Internet2 community channels.

Icon of shaking hands
Phased Approach

Building the Plan, Together

Internet2 is partnering with a third-party consulting firm with experience guiding associations through strategic planning to facilitate this important work.

The process is a multi-phased approach, built upon and driven by community input. It starts with what we’ve already heard from the community, then goes deeper through direct conversations, interviews, and a broad survey. From there, we pressure-test emerging priorities through focus groups and an open community comment period before bringing a refined set of priorities, objectives, and outcomes to the Internet2 Board of Trustees for approval.

Listen: step 1 of 7

Discovery

March 2026

Internet2’s strategic planning began with a discovery phase in which our planning partner reviewed existing community feedback and research to identify early priorities and opportunities for growth.

Listen: step 2 of 7

Community Input

March – September 2026

Alongside our third party advisor, we gathered community input through facilitated feedback sessions at Community Exchange in Chicago, followed by 22 one-on-one interviews with community members and a broad community survey.

This input identified the trends and themes that should shape the next strategic plan.

We used those findings to draft priorities and outcomes, which were reviewed in fourteen targeted sessions with Program Advisory Groups (PAGs) and focus groups, representing the perspectives from across our community.

Validate: step 3 of 7

Plan Generation

November 2026

Shaped by community input, a refined set of priorities, outcomes, and objectives was developed and will be reviewed by the Internet2 Board of Trustees on November 5, 2026. Following this, a draft of the Strategic Plan will be created, with opportunities for additional community comment and feedback.

Validate: step 4 of 7

Board Ratification

January 2027

Building on the Plan Generation phase and its community comment period, the Board of Trustees will review and formally ratify Internet2’s Strategic Plan for the next three years.

Deliver: step 5 of 7

Launch

April 5-8, 2027

Launch the finalized Strategic Plan at Global Summit, where Internet2 will engage directly with the community to identify operational opportunities and begin translating the plan’s priorities, objectives, and outcomes into practice.

Deliver: step 6 of 7

Implementation

2027 Onward

Internet2 staff and community working groups will collaborate to define implementation steps, key performance indicators, and an overall roadmap, working together to deliver on the strategic plan’s operational objectives.

Deliver: step 7 of 7

Progress Updates

2027 Onward

Internet2 will track progress toward the Strategic Plan’s defined outcomes on an ongoing basis, with updates shared on this page, at community events, and through other community channels. Progress will also be formally reviewed with the community at Global Summit 2028.

Click a step to explore, or use the arrow keys to move between steps.

Internet2 Strategic Plan By the Numbers

6

One-on-one interviews

62

Survey respondents

4

Focus groups

150

Unique voices and counting

What Happens Next

Keeping You Informed

We know plans and roadmaps alone aren’t enough. We’re committed to showing real progress as this work happens. Select one to see what to expect and when.

Global Summit 2027
When:
April 5-8, 2027
What to expect:
The finalized strategic plan will be presented to the Internet2 community at Global Summit, marking its official launch.
Strategic Plan web page
When:
Over the next three years, as the work moves from planning into execution
What to expect:
As priorities move into projects and plans, this page will track where things stand, both milestones reached and what’s coming next.
Other community channels
When:
Ongoing
What to expect:
Updates woven into Internet2’s existing newsletters, communications, and community events.