The mismatches in the design objectives between the original and the future Internet avoid its widespread deployment at the expected scales. The challenges with regard to the high-performance IP (metro and core) network infrastructure involve all the layers: physical layer and switching technologies, traffic engineering, control and management, etc. The goal of this Thematic Network aims at building a platform to create synergies and close collaboration among the different Spanish groups with expertise in the Internet topic. Specifically, FIERRO addresses following objectives: 

• Creation of the framework to strength the collaboration among the FIERRO partners towards an international scope. 
• Creation of synergies among the members to generate new collaboration and joint activities.
• Provision of a stable scenario to consolidate the existing relationships among the FIERRO partners. 
• Exposition and dissemination of the ongoing research works in the context of FIERRO produced by the FIERRO consortium. 
• Fostering the interworking between academia and industry.
• Searching of additional resources to conduct the activities such as the organization of plenary meeting, workshops, etc. 
• Preparation of new project proposals within the national framework.
• Preparation of new project proposals within the context of European framework.