Governance & Strategy | KREN - Institutional Sovereignty
Institutional Evolution

From Project Unit to National Agency.

Legally anchored in the mandates of Article 7a, KREN is transitioning into a fully independent National Agency to serve as the sovereign digital backbone of Kosovo.

Legal Competencies
& Authority

Under current and upcoming legislative frameworks, KREN holds exclusive authority over the management of the national academic optical network and sovereign cloud assets.

📜
Network Sovereignty

Operation of the dedicated national academic and research optical backbone.

🔑
Trust Anchor

Management of the national identity federation and eduroam expansion.

🌍
ccTLD Readiness

Designated future technical operator for Kosovo's country-code top-level domain.

Official Declaration

"The mission of KREN is to actively support and empower digital transformation... KREN is committed to working on behalf of all higher education institutions, primary and secondary schools."

Agim Kukaj Director, ICT Department - ME
Legal Statement 2024

Why Independence?

  • ✓ Full membership in GÉANT and European NREN bodies.
  • ✓ Direct participation in Horizon Europe and Digital Europe grants.
  • ✓ Operational agility and stable multi-year budgeting.
  • ✓ Ability to attract and retain high-tier technical talent.

Governance Structure

Ensuring a balance between state oversight, academic needs, and institutional neutrality through a multi-stakeholder model.

Board Chair Ministry of Economy
Education Ministry of Education
Academic Public Universities
Regional Municipal Education
ICT Expert Independent Specialist
ICT Expert Independent Specialist
Finance/Legal Independent Expert

7 Specialized Departments

Department 1 Office of the Director
Department 2 General & Financial Affairs
Department 3 Network Infrastructure
Department 4 IT Systems & Digital Services
Department 5 National CERT & SOC
Department 6 Education & Laboratory
Department 7 User Support & Registry

Triple-Stream
Sustainability Model

To ensure long-term viability, KREN moves away from purely project-based funding to a diversified revenue model inspired by the most successful European NRENs.

I
Central Budget: Funding for "Public Good" services like school connectivity and the National CERT.
II
International Grants: Funding capital investments through Horizon Europe and Digital Europe.
III
Service-Based: Revenue from premium cloud, ccTLD management, and specialized training.

Revenue Distribution Strategy (2030)

Target: 30% of Opex covered by service-based and non-state revenue by 2030.

Implementation Roadmap

Phase 1: Foundation

2026
1

Legal transition to independent status. Approval of ccTLD management mandate and CERT operational framework.

Upgrade to 100Gbps Backbone. Activation of regional corridors (Tirana-Skopje). Deployment of the AI Factory Antenna.

2

Phase 2: Integration

2027 - 2028

Phase 3: Maturity

2029 - 2030
3

Full national coverage. Extension of private 5G to campuses. 30%+ operational self-sufficiency through commercial leverage.