TRANSNET is a transformative £6 million research programme funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), spearheaded by a world-class team from University College London, Aston University, and the University of Cambridge. Its goal is to develop an adaptive, intelligent optical network infrastructure, integral for the next-generation digital communications. By innovating intelligent, self-optimizing transceivers and applying machine learning to optical networks operating in nonlinear regimes, TRANSNET aims to enhance performance and future-proof network capabilities against unforeseen demands.