Partners

Telecommunications Software & Systems Group (TSSG)

The TSSG is a research centre within Waterford Institute of Technology (www.wit.ie). All funding received comes from competitive processes. Since its foundation in 1996, the TSSG has expanded to now encompass over 30+ active projects and 120 active staff and students. About two-thirds are professional research staff and the remainder is a mix of academic staff and PhD students.

The TSSG initially focussed on telecoms network management, but their expertise now extends to mobility, security, autonomics, software development tools, pervasive computing and multimedia.

WIT/TSSG has been involved in a number of Coordination Actions (CA), particularly in the ICT Security, Trust and Dependability space, including:

• Think-Trust (FP7 CA): (led by WIT) Assembled major stakeholders to contribute to the development of present and future programmes of Research and Development for ICT for Trust, Security and Dependability;
• SecurIST (FP6 CA): (led by WIT) Elaborated the roadmap for FP7 on all aspects ICT of security, including dependability and trust and including international co-operation. Through its role in the SecurIST project, WIT coordinated the EU Security and Dependability Task Force and Advisory Board;
• ESFORS (FP6 CA): Examined the future challenges for the trust, security and dependability of software and services.

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Université du Luxembourg (UL)

The strategy adopted by the University of Luxembourg is to support deliberately restricted, high priority areas of focus for scientific research. In particular, the Research Groups of the University of Luxembourg’s Faculty of Sciences, Technology and Communication, Computer Science and Communications Research Unit are:

• Communicative Systems Laboratory (ComSys);
• Interdisciplinary Lab for Intelligent and Adaptive Systems (ILIAS);
• The Laboratory of Algorithmics, Cryptology and Security (LACS);
• The Laboratory for Advanced Software Systems (LASSY).

University of Luxembourg, as one of the Luxembourg government’s research-driven institutions, aims to drive and foster outreach and awareness of its research results among all relevant stakeholders from government to industry players and standardisation bodies.

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Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (NWO)

The Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) is the central Dutch organization in the field of fundamental and strategic scientific research. NWO encompasses all fields of scholarship. Consequently, NWO plays a key role in the development of science, technology and culture in The Netherlands. NWO is the largest national sponsor of fundamental scientific research for the thirteen Dutch universities.

Eight scientific divisions, two foundations and three temporary task forces develop grant programmes, implement these and assess their outcomes. The physical sciences division—the division that is involved in ceFIMS—promotes and initiates high-quality pioneering research in the disciplines of Mathematics, Computer science and Astronomy. Focus points in the area of computer science within Physical Sciences are:

• Initiating innovative research programmes;
• Promoting and supporting public private cooperation;
• Developing knowledge and techniques through partnering with other scientific disciplines and public parties.

NWO’s budget totals about 530 million Euro. Of this amount, about 15% is allocated to large-scale investments in scientific equipment, much of it in international cooperation. NWO is actively working to improve innovation and quality in scientific research and ensures that the knowledge generated in this process is disseminated and utilised. NWO wants to excel in both cooperation and competition; for that a clever combination of forces and means is indispensable. The internationalisation policy mainly aims to increase cooperation in Europe. The development of the European Research Area (ERA) is a key element in this. In its turn ERA contributes to the development of the knowledge economy. Apart from this NWO cooperates and maintains contacts with Russia, Asia, Africa and America.

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Nemzeti Innovációs Hivatal (NIH)

The National Office for Research and Technology (NKTH) was founded in 2004. NKTH plays a key role in elaborating and implementing Hungary’s science, technology and innovation policies. The Office is a public body with full powers and an independent budget. It is supervised by the Minister for National Development and Economy.

NKTH provides support for the creation, dissemination and exploitation of new scientific results and technologies. It also promotes the harmonic development of Hungarian national innovation system and fosters Hungarian participation and advocacy in international networks of science, technology and innovation. The Research and Technology Innovation Fund finance the accomplishment of these goals (Budget of the Fund in 2009 is circa €200,000,000). This public funding is recycled by NKTH into the Hungarian economy by supporting R&D activities, primarily through its system of calls for proposals.

NKTH was a member of the CISTRANA consortium which had similarly broad aims to that of ceFIMS.

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Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC)

The Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC) is the Portuguese public agency with the mission of coordinating the policies for the Information and Knowledge Society and mobilizing it through dissemination, qualification and research activities. It was created in January 2005 and operates within the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education. It is driven by the vision of accelerating the appropriation by the Portuguese society of knowledge, information and emerging technologies, highly internationalized and opening the opportunities for the accomplishment of people and organizations.

Its strategy spans:

• Knowledge and Technology. To foster the creation and social benefit of new knowledge in areas with high potential for increasing wealth and employment, such as ICT and Nanotechnology.
• Networks. To enhance collaboration networks between people and organizations, promoting productivity, creativity and excellence.
• Internationalization. To seek highly internationalized knowledge and technology creation and transfer, and Information and Knowledge Society policymaking.
• Observation. To assure objective observation of the Information and Knowledge Society and its evolution.

UMIC activities are currently mainly focused in: e-SCIENCE – Providing new ICT tools for research; KNOWLEDGE – Building ambitious international knowledge networks (including in topics for Future Internet like cyber-physical networks, intelligent ambients, smart grids in energy systems, environment sustainability and transportation, information systems security and critical infrastructures, digital interactive media, ambient assisted living); EDUCATION AND TRAINING – Transforming education with computers and the Internet; ENTERPRISE – Enhancing growth, employment and competitiveness of science and technology based enterprises; INCLUSION AND ACCESSIBILITY – Promoting social inclusion with ICT.

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Asociación Multisectorial de Empresas de la Electrónica, las Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación, de las Telecomunicaciones y de los Contenidos Digitales (AMETIC)

AMETIC is formed by the entire sector of companies (more than 1,000 associated companies), which carry out an industrial activity relating to electronics and telecommunication services within the national territory or in any other country of the European Community, as long as they count with the required infrastructure and services in Spain. 70% to 80%, out of these companies are SMEs.

AMETIC’s main concern is dissemination and exploitation. AMETIC will support dissemination activities by using its knowledge portal to network with other data providers and end-users, especially electronics, information technology and telecommunications industries, across Europe.

AMETIC is arranged into six general groups which represent ICT: Consumer Electronics, Components Electronics, Professional Electronics, Telematics and Telecommunication, Operators/Providers of Telecommunication Services and Information Technologies. AMETIC has also some horizontal departments that provide services to these six groups: Innovation Unit, Foreign Trade Department and a Training Department. AMETIC also represents around 700 ICT-based SMEs.

AMETIC has large experience in technological platforms. AMETIC launched in 2005 four national technological platforms: eNEM, eMOV, eISI, eSEC, in order to organize all the Spanish entities working in each specific field. Up to now more than one hundred national organizations joined to each of these platforms. During 2008 and 2009, the Spanish Es.Internet Technology Platform was launched.