The COST 291 Action ‘Towards digital optical networks’ belongs to the COST Domain: Telecommunications Information Science and Technology. The primary objective of this action is to focus on novel network concepts and architectures exploiting the features of photonic technologies, to enable future broadband telecommunications networks (access, metro and core). It is aiming to propose a new generation of systems and networks that will accommodate the unpredictable growth of data traffic. The action was initiated by the ‘High-speed networks and optical communications’ group of AIT and Prof. Ioannis Tomkos acts as Action Chairman. More than 28 partners contribute to the activities of the project (including several from new member states) and they would be interested to participate in BReATH project meetings. Another possibility is to invite a BReATH project partner to present the results at a COST 291 meeting or even collocate BReATH and COST 291 meetings.