Belnet and BNIX increase capacity and flexibility through expansion to Penta Infra Brussels data center

Brussels, 4 December 2025 - Belnet is increasing the capacity and flexibility of its services, both in its role as National Research & Education Network (NREN) and for BNIX, the “heart of the Belgian internet” managed by Belnet. It is achieving this by expanding its presence to the BRU01 data center of Penta Infra in the Zellik Research Park, near Brussels.

The Penta Infra data center, established in the Zellik Research Park by the non-profit organization Green Energy Park, a partnership between the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and the Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, is the first “sustainable by design” data center in Belgium. In collaboration with Vrije Universiteit Brussel, this expansion to BRU01, increases the capacity and flexibility of Belnet's services to its community: Belnet now counts 29 Points of Presence (PoPs) and BNIX 5.

“This strengthens the continuity and future-proofing of our network and marks another step forward in terms of sustainability,” says Managing Director Dirk Haex. “We are constantly seeking ways to realise that value, most recently through the major sustainability upgrade that accompanied the renewal of BNIX. The choice for BRU01, an example of advanced green technology and circular construction practices, was therefore a very logical one. Moreover, the data center is located in a business park with many start-ups active in research, a key group within our community.”

Karin Voets, CIO of VUB, is very pleased with the expansion of Belnet’s service offering to the Penta Infra BRU01 data center. “The immediate access to the Belnet network from VUB’s primary data center is a catalyst that allows us to give the ICT infrastructure of the research groups direct access to the Belnet community.”

Looking forward to the Flemish supercomputer
The arrival of the VSC Tier-1 supercomputer in the Zellik Research Park also proved to be an important factor. It will make enormous computing power available to connected organisations.

Dirk Haex: “A key part of our mission as an NREN is to stimulate scientific research, and we are giving this an extra boost by providing our community with easy access to this vast computing capacity. In addition, Belnet’s key role—as a partner of GÉANT and the NREN community—within the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking to deliver hyperconnectivity to Europe’s HPC, AI and quantum facilities further reinforces our mission.”

Accelerating Belgium’s digital growth
“We are very proud to welcome Belnet and BNIX into our data center,” says Patrick van der Wilt, CCO at Penta Infra. “Their presence further strengthens our role as a central hub in the Belgian digital ecosystem, connecting research, education, enterprises and cloud providers through high-capacity, low-latency connectivity. This partnership aligns perfectly with our vision to accelerate Belgium’s digital growth and enable seamless data exchange while ensuring secure, sovereign and sustainable infrastructure in the country. The presence of BNIX and Belnet increases the value we offer our customers by providing direct access to the leading internet exchange and the national research network of Belgium.”