Chris Atherton | Senior Research Engagement Manager
Géant

Chris Atherton is a Senior Research Engagement Manager at GÉANT, the pan-European research and education network based in the Netherlands, bringing over two decades of experience in the IT and Space sectors. His career has centred on enabling cutting-edge research by collaborating closely with international user communities in Earth Observation, Astronomy, and Planetary Science. A key focus of Chris’s recent work is the exploration and application of emerging and disruptive technologies, particularly those with the potential to redefine how we observe and interact with our environment. Currently, Chris leads the technical work package for the EU-funded SUBMERSE project, which exemplifies this mission. SUBMERSE is an ambitious initiative that transforms submarine fibre-optic cables—originally intended for data transport—into sophisticated environmental sensors. By leveraging Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) and State of Polarisation (SoP) technologies, the project aims to detect seismic activity and other geophysical events in near real-time, all via existing telecom infrastructure. This approach represents a paradigm shift in environmental monitoring, merging telecommunications and sensing in ways that were previously considered theoretical. Chris played a foundational role in forming the diverse project consortium, uniting academia, research infrastructures, and industry to realise this innovative vision. His work places him at the cutting edge of fibre sensing—an area that sits firmly within the broader landscape of disruptive technologies—and underscores his commitment to driving technological innovation that meets both current and future research needs.