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European Fundingand Priorities for

ICT Research (2007-2013)

User guideContactsEuropean CommissionDirectorate-General Information Society and MediaRue de la Loi, 200B-1049 Brussels

e-mail: infso-desk@ec.europa.euPhone: +32 2 299 93 99Fax: +32 2 299 94 99

http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/information_society/index_fr.htm

http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/information_society/index_fr.htm

European Fundingand Priorities for

ICT Research (2007-2013)

ContentICT in FP7 at a Glance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

ICT Theme . How to Get Funding? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Challenge 1 . Pervasive and Trusted Network and Service Infrastructures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Challenge 2 . Cognitive Systems, Interaction, Robotics . . . . . . . 11

Challenge 3 . Components, Systems, Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Challenge 4 . Digital Libraries & Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Challenge 5 . Sustainable and Personalised Healthcare . . . . . . 17

Challenge 6 . ICT for Mobility, Environmental Sustainability And Energy Efficiency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Challenge 7 . ICT for Independent Living . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Future and Emerging Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Research Infrastructures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

ICT in FP7 At A GlanceInjecting over €9bn to boost European Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs)

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Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are critical to creating jobs and improving quality of life across Europe.

Although the ICT sector is itself worth 6-8% of the EU’s GDP, their importance goes well beyond that - ICTs are also vital to:

meeting the globalization challenge by boosting innovation, creativity and competitiveness throughout the economy;delivering cutting-edge science in all scienti�c and technological areas;making Europe’s large public sector more e� cient, and modernising sectors ranging from education to energy;tackling social challenges, improving quality of life and meeting the challenge of an ageing society.

Europe must therefore master these technologies to remain competitive and safeguard its quality of life, which

is why ICT research is one of the key themes of the EU's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) for Research and Technological Development, which will fund research across Europe from 2007-2013 (see box).

Tackling the ChallengesEU research funding is deliberately focused on seven key Research Challenges to ensure Europe becomes a world leader in ICTs.

� ree Challenges aim at industrial leadership in key ICT sectors, while four are driven by socio-economic targets.Within each Challenge, the Programme will fund an array of collaborative research projects, each bringing together public and private organisations across Europe to help the EU pool its scienti�c, industrial, �nancial and human resources.

WHAT IS FP7?FP7, the EU's latest research programme, is divided into four speci�c programmes(*):

Cooperation (€32.4bn): building European leadership in ten key � emes through funding research carried out by organisations working together across European national borders;

� e ICT element: with a budget of €9.1bn, the ICT � eme is the largest;Capacities (€4.1bn): building world-class infrastructure for European researchers;

� e ICT element: the e-Infrastructures strand has a budget of ~€600m;Ideas (€7.5bn): an autonomous European Research Council to reinforce European science;People (€4.7bn): strengthening the human potential of European research;

Both Ideas and People Programmes will cover all scienti�c and technological research, and so will also fund ICT-related research. *All �gures are dra�s.

557

179

375

188

161

154

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1. Network and Service Infrastructures (¤557m)

2. Cognitive Systems, Interaction, Robotics (¤179m)

3. Components, systems, engineering (¤375m)

4. Digital Libraries & Content (¤188m)

5. Sustainable and personalised healthcare (¤161m)

6. Mobility, Sustainability, Energy E� ciency (¤154m)

7. Independent Living & Inclusion (¤73m)

Future & Emerging Technology (¤171m)

Horinzontal support actions (¤17m)

Small and medium-sized enterprises are actively encou-raged due to their vital role in innovation and economic growth. Research partnerships will also be forged with advan-ced and developing countries, supporting European competitiveness and helping international development.

1: PERVASIVE AND TRUSTED NETWORK AND SERVICE INFRASTRUCTURESTomorrow's information infrastructure will connect together billions of people, countless organisations and literally trillions of devices – PCs, mobile phones, ser-vers, sensors and much more.� is infrastructure will underpin economic development in all EU regions, and will be at the origin of new services and business opportunities throughout the economy. Mastering the development of this infrastructure is essential to reaping the bene�ts of ICTs in areas as di-verse as manufacturing and home healthcare. It is an immense challenge to make this network and service infrastructure more robust, resilient and secure.

2: COGNITIVE SYSTEMS, INTERACTION, ROBOTICSProviding the next generations of ICTs with more intel-ligence will create many new opportunities in a range of sectors. Research here will focus on developing ICT systems that are more aware of what is going on around them, and will be able to learn, reason and interact with people more

naturally. � ese robots and "smart artefacts" will thus better serve our needs in the real world. Instead of forcing users to learn how to use the machines, the ma-chines will learn how best to work with us. Applications in areas as diverse as manufacturing, edu-cation, healthcare, public safety, environmental protection and service robotics are expected.

3: COMPONENTS, SYSTEMSAND ENGINEERING

European �rms are currently among the world's leaders in supplying electronic components to industries as va-ried as transport, telecoms, consumer electronics and medical equipment. Europe also enjoys leading positions in technologies such as photonics, plastic electronics, �exible displays and micro/nanosystems.Europe is well positioned in the global race to develop these technologies and to embed intelligence into pro-ducts, services and processes. � is Challenge will sup-port European industry and academic researchers in this strategic �eld and ensure that these new technologies meet the needs of European business & society.

4: DIGITAL LIBRARIES ANDCONTENT

ICTs enable us to access, create and share content widely. � ey also allow us to learn better, and to preserve and enrich our cultural heritage.

BUDGET BREAKDOWN, 2009-2010 (DRAFT)

“Instead of us learning how to use machines, they will learn to work with us

”

The ICT Theme's budget for the second two years of FP7 will be just over €1.8 billion.

The e-Infrastructures budget (not shown) is an additional ~€600m over the entire Framework Programme. All �gures are draft, and are in millions of euros.

Every day, however, brings us face to face with the shortcomings of current technologies, and the way they are used. We are often overwhelmed with information. We still have li-mited eLearning tools. And we are still just discovering the op-portunities that ICTs offer for developing our cultural assets and reinforcing our creative po-tential. Research under this Challenge will therefore help develop di-

gital libraries, enabling us to easily create, interpret, use and preserve cultural and scientific resources, and revol-utionise learning through adaptive and intuitive ICTs.

5: SUSTAINABlE AND PERSONAlISED hEAlThCARESustaining Europe’s healthcare systems is a major chal-lenge, with healthcare already accounting for around 9% of EU GDP.The health sector is information intensive, so e-Health is emerging as an important new industry, with e-Health spending predicted to account for around 5% of the total health budget by 2010.Research under this Challenge will improve the quality, availability and effectiveness of healthcare by developing ICTs to improve everything from healthcare administra-tion to biomedical imaging, from personalised, home-based care to the creation of new medicines.

6: MOBIlITY, ENVIRONMENTAl SUSTAINABIlITY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCYWith traffic congestion rising, 40,000 people dying on the roads annually and fuel consumption and air pollu-

tion continuing to grow, Europe faces serious challenges on its roads. Air pollution and climate change, moreover, are not Europe’s only environmental challenges.ICTs can help improve safety, optimise natural resource use, design smarter and cleaner processes, and predict and manage the environment. Research in this Challenge therefore covers a lot of ground. ‘Intelligent car’ research will make transport systems sa-fer and more energy efficient, as well as support Europe’s automotive industries, while new ‘mobility services’ will ensure transport resources are used more efficiently. Infrastructure and manufacturing plants, such as power networks, chemical plants and oil pipelines, will also be made more resilient, secure and energy efficient, while new systems to monitor and react to environmental risks will be developed.

7: INDEPENDENT lIVING, INClUSION AND GOVERNANCEWhile ICTs offer many advantages to European society, their impact will not be fully felt until all Europeans can use them. But European society is changing – the proportion of po-pulation over 65 will increase from 20% to 28% between now and 2025, and by 2050 the old-age dependency ratio will have risen by over 160% from the 1985 level.ICTs can help meet this challenge: ex-tending the time elderly people can spend living independently in their pre-ferred environment, for example, and providing a new generation of products and services to help integrate people at risk of exclusion. Such systems both address pressing societal needs and of-fer major opportunities for European industry.The ICTs themselves, however, have to change, becoming more user-friendly, personalised and accessible to all.

i2010 FLAGSHIP INITIATIVESDelivering the Information Society requires more than just research. In four critical areas, Flagship Initiatives have been launched under the Commission’s i2010 initiative to underline the full potential of ICTs to improve quality of life in Europe: • EuropeanDigitalLibrary: making Europe’s diverse cultural and scientific heritage (books, films, maps, photographs, music, etc.) easier and more interesting to use online for work, leisure and study. It builds on Europe’s rich heritage, combining multicultural and multilingual environments with technological advances and new business models;• IntelligentCar:ICTs for smarter, safer and cleaner vehicles, helping reach Europe’s goal of cutting road fatalities in half by 2010;• ICTforIndependentLivinginanAgeingSociety:improving social inclusion by providing people, particularly the elderly, with ICT tools to support their health, well-being and mobility. The new applications will also help to substantially improve ICT take-up across Europe;• ICTFORSUSTAINABLEGROWTH: tackling the unsustainable trends which are undermining economic growth and reducing quality of life for all Europeans. ICT-based environmental monitoring and management tools will optimise the use of natural resources and will play a key role in attaining sustainable development.

“We predict that the old-age dependency ratio will grow to 160% over the 1985 level by 2050

”

“We suffer information overload because it has become easier to send information than it is to use it

”

Beyond the Challenges

FUTURE AND EMERGINGTECHNOLOGIES

As well as addressing today’s challenges, the ICT � eme also looks further ahead, complementing the Challenges with long-term, high-risk, ‘purpose-driven’ research. Known as Future and Emerging Technologies (FET), the idea is to support pioneering research with a high poten-tial for signi�cant breakthroughs. � is is the research ‘at the fringes’ that may become to-morrow’s radical innovations - the sort of work that opens up entirely new markets.FET will therefore explore radical interdisciplinary ave-nues, delivering proofs-of-concept for new options and demonstrating new possibilities. It will strengthen Euro-pe’s science and technology base in new and emerging areas, re�ne new visions to the point where they attract industrial investment, and establish new interdiscipli-nary research communities within European science and industry.

eINFRASTRUCTURES

ICT-based research infrastructures – from supercompu-ters to genetic databanks and high-speed networks - are essential to high quality research. Yet they are increasingly expensive to maintain and de-velop. Europe must therefore get better use out of what it has, and pool its resources to provide its scientists and engineers with world-class facilities.

Hence the Capacities program-me, where the e-Infrastructures strand will oversee the improve-ment of dedicated digital infras-tructures that allow European re-searchers to work together more e�ectively. Powerful new so�ware techni-ques – crucial to tackling the biggest challenges facing Eu-ropean science and industry in areas as diverse as manufacturing and drug design – will also be developed.Work in this area to date has already led to GÉANT, the world’s most powerful research network.More information:http://cordis.europa.eu/ist/rn/home.html

Want to Know More?http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict/

“Instead of us Europe must pool its resources to provide its scientists and engineers with world-class facilities

”

European Technology Platforms and Joint Technology Initiatives� e EU’s own Framework Research Programmes can only ever be a small fraction of all research funding – public and private – across the EU. With the cost of cutting-edge ICT research spiralling upwards, research must be better coordinated across Europe, which is why in many cases the main industrial and academic research stakeholders in certain �elds have formed European Technology Platforms and Joint Technology Initiatives.

participants de�ne, at the European level, a common strategic research agenda, and address technological and non-technological issues for implementing it.

, on the other hand, are long-term public-private research partnerships. O�en resulting from the work of a Technology Platform, each JTI combines private sector investment and national and European public funding, including grant funding from the Research Framework Programme and loan �nance from the European Investment Bank.

ICT Theme Turn yourideas into innovative ICT projects! A guide to European fundinglogies

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Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are one of the themes of the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7). Through FP7, the European Commission co-funds innovative research projects with the aim of advancing the development and implementation of ICT in Europe, thus promoting growth and jobs.

Is your project eligible?� e European Commission focuses its funding on sup-port for the development of Information and Commu-nication Technologies and their applications to boost the competitiveness of the EU economy and for the bene�t of citizens in their day-to-day life.

What type of activities can be funded?� e ICT � eme within FP7 provides funding support for �ve di�erent kinds of projects – known as “funding schemes”:

Research by means of either Large-scale integrating projects (IP) or Small or medium scale focused research projects (STREP). An IP is intended to be broader in scope and ambition than a STREP.

Co-ordination of existing research projects (ICT projects and possibly also other projects) to increase their impact. � is is done by means of Coordination Actions. Other work in support of the ICT � eme can be funded by Support Actions.

. � is is done through Networks of Excellence.

What is a “project consortium”?EU-funded ICT projects should bene�t Europe as a whole, not one particular organisation or country. To ensure this, a project should normally involve at least three mutually-independent organisations from three di�erent countries. � is multinational group of organi-sations carrying out the project – very o�en more than the minimum three – is the “project consortium”.

Realising ICT funding objectives In consultation with the Member States, and through workshops, conferences and calls for expressions of interest, an ICT � eme is established.

How to succeed?Your project must consist of a consortium of at least three organisations and be within the scope of the work requested in a call for proposals. Furthermore, the proposal must be submitted by the deadline �xed for the call. If not, it will be automatically rejected.In the evaluation process your proposal must achieve high scores on a set of three key questions (see overleaf). Show that your project idea is scienti�cally and technically excellent and advances the state of the art. Highlight that your consortium comprises high-quality organisations which have the necessary resources available to carry out work within the framework of a well-organised multinational project. Explain why it is relevant to the goals of the ICT theme, and how it will impact on society and industry.

� e Work Programme outlines the ob-jectives which proposed projects should attain. It is updated on a regular basis to keep up with the fast tech¬nological progress in this area.� e Work Programme also contains a roadmap for upcoming calls for re-search proposals, as well as objectives and timing for the opening and closing of these calls. � is is to allow interested researchers a maximum amount of time to put their ideas together and to pre-pare their proposals.

How to apply?ICT Calls for proposals are published in the EU O� cial Journal and on http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7, from where the ICT Work Programme and a Guide for applicants on how to write and submit a propo-sal can be downloaded.ICT Proposals are submitted to the Commission through the Internet. Consortia are given remote web access to their own dedicated space on one of the Commission’s computers. So proposals are ne-ver “lost in the post”, and applicants located in out-lying regions of Europe do not have a competitive disadvantage due to their location.

� e evaluation process� e Commission asks teams of independent experts, drawn from leading ICT-related industrial, research and academic organisations throughout Europe and beyond, to participate in the evaluation process. � ese experts are asked to evaluate each proposal on a set of three key questions on a scale of 1-5:

Is the proposed project of high scienti�c and technical quality, advancing the state of the art?Do they have a detailed and e�ective plan for carrying out the work?Will the project have a real impact on the research sector and/or the life of the European citizen?

An overall score for each proposal is calculated by simple addition of the scores. For each objective in the call, the European Commission then selects for funding the hi-ghest-scoring proposals.

Contract negotiationsCommission funding is supplied by means of a grant agreement signed between the consortium and the Eu-ropean Commission. � e agreement di�ers according to the type of projects (see above). Grant agreement negotia-tions cover matters such as incorpo-ration of any improvements suggested by the evaluators into the project plan.

� e exact �nancial terms which the Commission will of-fer are also a subject of the negotiations. In addition, the Commission collects from each consortium the detailed �nancial and legal background information about their organisations. � is is necessary to justify the commitment of European taxpayers’ money to their or-ganisations.

You need help?If you are planning a proposal, get in touch with your ICT National Contact Point http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ncp_en.html. Your National Contact Point is not a Commission o� cial, but a person employed by your government or a national research organisation in your country who is specially trained to help and support ICT proposers.Should you have speci�c questions about the ICT � eme, contact the ICT help desk at ict@ec.europa.eu. For technical questions about the contents of the objectives of an open call, a list of European Commission contact persons is available on a dedicated call page accessed from the general website for ICT http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict .

“� e EU does not fund good ideas, but good projects. Funding needs to focus on workable projects producing results.

”“� ere is no ‘behind the scenes’ way of getting funding!

” “� e EU can only a�ord to fund the best projects.

”

All fact sheets can be found at:http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/factsheets/month/index_en.htm

Further InformationCordis ICT Website: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict/FP7 Enquiry servicehttp://ec.europa.eu/research/enquiriesInformation Society and Media Directorate-General:Av. de Beaulieu 25, 1160 Brusselsmail to: infso-desk@ec.europa.eu

FP7 - ICT Challenge 1Pervasive and Trusted Network and Service Infrastructures logies

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Why it’s importantEurope has to be part of the next technological revolution which has the potential to deliver a bonanza of new social and economic opportunities. Over the next 15 years, advancednetwork and service infrastructures will continue to enable a variety of new cost-effective networked applications and services. To reap full benefit from these opportunities, current internet, mobile, fixed and broadcasting networks must be further developed, together with the related software and service infrastructures. Thanks to existing strengths in communications equipment, devices, networks and e-services, Europe is well placed in the world-wide race to define and develop trustworthy networks, software and service infrastructures of the future.

Where do we stand?� ere are now 1.5 billion �xed access Internet users world-wide and it is estimated that a large proportion of the mobile phone users, soon to exceed 4 billion, will become mobile Internet users by 2012. Fuelled by digital convergence,

current network and service technologies have progressed dramatically. Convergence reconciles the worlds of video, audio, data and voice communication services, �xed and mobile usages, bringing them under a common technological umbrella. Voice- and media content over Internet are the most obvious examples of convergence. Others, like mobile TV and Next Generation Networks, are taking o� fast. � e Internet of the Future is emerging globally, incorporating a wide variety of networks, networked applications, electronic devices, usage patterns and user environments.We are hence moving beyond classical networking systems, based on user-terminal interaction. � e trend today is towards increasing device connectivity and awareness, thereby enabling the emergence of an «Internet of � ings». Increasing interconnection of devices like sensors and RFID tags are changing the way we do business, controlling our environments and providing an ever wider variety of networked services - fuelled by the emergence of cloud computing. Such environments will be supported by evolving so�ware-based service platforms. � ey will enable the emergence of advanced services, and varieties of networked applications that can adapt to a multiplicity of contexts and environ-ments, for either public or private purposes. In parallel, the importance of networked communities is rapidly growing, as shown by the rapid uptake of Web 2.0. technologies.

For further information:Challenge 1: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict/programme/challenge1_en.htmlICT Work Programme 2009/10, Calls for proposals and how to participate: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ictICT Helpdesk: → ict@ec.europa.eu

© European Communities, 2008 Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged

As ICT networks and services become more ubiquitous and valuable, our economy and society become more dependent on them. It is therefore of prime importance to make such networks and service infrastructures more secure and trustworthy and to protect them against any kind of failure or attack. � e demand for more interconnected devices, new service features and application scenarios increases the pressures on existing network and service platforms. With the proliferation of devices and services, energy e� ciency has also become an important concern. European research and industry is well placed to de�ne the next generation of secure network, so�ware, and service infrastructures, capable of meeting the expanding needs of the future in Europe and beyond.

Where do we want to go?� e overall goal of Challenge 1 is to enable the emergence of trustworthy network and service technologies that open up new application scenarios and innovative business models, thus creating novel business opportunities, applications of social value and growth. � e aim is to provide the technology for scalable networks of interconnected devices, machines, individuals and organisations, served by new, con�gurable, and dynamic so�ware services. � is will empower users to manage networked media content and will allow organisations to adapt to rapidly changing, networked business ecosystems. However, the complexity of such open and interconnected networks on a global scale exposes them to greater threats and vulnerabilities. ‘Extended home’ or ‘business on the move’ scenarios underline the need for greater robustness, resilience, trust and security, both at network and at service levels. Security, together with accountability and trust will therefore become even more central than they are today. � e European academic and industrial research community also needs a large scale experimental facility for testing innovative network and service architectures and paradigms for the future Internet from a system level perspective. Related issues such as ethics, privacy, liability, risk and governance also demand greater attention. In this race towards a «Future Internet», European actors need to keep a global perspective, in view of the ambitious initiatives in this �eld already underway in other regions of the world.

How do we get there? Investment through Challenge 1 will build on Europe’s present strengths in telecommunications, e-services, security and media content. Challenge 1 initiatives will focus on: - Novel Internet architectures and technologies in order to support the increasing number of new applications and de-vices;- Flexible and cognitive network management and opera-tion systems that enable dynamic responses to changing de-mands on the networks;- Next generation mobile radio technologies, cognitive radio and network technologies and novel radio network architectures, bringing mobile access broadband capabilities closer to those of �xed access;- Ultra-high capacity optical transport/access networks overcoming the limitations of segmented networks, ensuring the delivery of ubiquitous broadband services and integrating wired and wireless, �xed and mobile technolo-gies in hybrid access networks;- Services and platforms for the Future Internet that will enable user communities to easily compose, con�gure, share and use services regardless of what kind of devices they use to access them. � is includes service front ends, service platforms and virtualised infrastructures that allow �exible and dynamic provision of advanced services;- Architectures and technologies for an Internet of � ings that facilitate the integration of information stemming from the virtual world and the physical world to support advanced business processes;- Secure, privacy protecting and trustworthy pervasive networks and service infrastructures, enabling users to manage and control their digital assets, identities and personal data;- Delivery of multimedia content and 3D Media through converged networks. � is includes immersive me-dia experiences beyond High-De�nition Television, electro-nic cinema and rich 3D networked environments beyond games;- Building a large-scale experimental facility for Future Internet-related research, linked to experimentally-driven, visionary, multidisciplinary research on network service architectures and paradigms. � is will address the future Internet from a system perspective.� e overall approach is to strengthen European industry through the development of new technologies in networks, so�ware and services and to make dynamic information and media services widely available.Almost 30% of the budget of the 2009-2010 ICT theme will be invested in this Challenge.

FP7 - ICT Challenge 2Cognitive Systems, Interaction, Roboticslo-gies

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Why it’s importantProviding the next generation of machines and devices with more natural intelligence to handle real-world, common-sense problems will open the door to opportunities for ICT-based applications in a range of new sectors.New cognitive and robotic systems working in dynamic situations should be more robust, context-aware and easy-to-use than today’s ‘ring-fenced’ systems. Endowing them with advanced cognitive, learning and reasoning capabilitieswill help facilitate this. They should be able to carry out tasks intelligently for and with people, and provide better assistance in the workplace, at home or in public environments.

Where do we stand?Computing devices are supposed to make all sorts of machines and systems more intelligent and easy to use in everyday environments from shops and o� ces to factories and power plants. However, without extensive human intervention these machines and systems usually don’t adapt to changing service requirements. O�en, their performance falls or they simply stop functioning in response to even minor changes in their operating environment. � eir ability to learn from past experience

and to improve their services is minimal at best. Nor are they particularly user-friendly.Robots are a case in point. Nowadays they are used mainly in manufacturing and engineering environments. However, new markets, such as home care and medical intervention, rescue and retrieval operations and enter-tainment, will open up for robots and robotic devices if we can overcome these limitations in versatility, robust-ness and their ability to interact with people.With today’s methods and technologies computing devicesare largely con�ned to situations that can be unambi-guously speci�ed. But there must be a capability to deal with unexpected and unpredictable situations. � is calls for systems with robust higher-level cognitive processes. � e cognitive load on people dealing with systems of ever growing complexity is indeed enormous, in particular when safety or security are at stake. To lighten this load, these systems must themselves become cognitive. � ey must be able to understand events, objects and people in their environment – and they must be able to understand their own situation and their own limitations. Current means of machine-mediated interaction and communi-cation fall short of this.Another case in point is natural language understanding, a prerequisite for high-quality machine translation. Current approaches are still not yielding satisfactory results. In Europe, with 23 o� cial languages, it is indeed a strategic challenge to make substantial progress in this domain.

Where do we want to goIn the real world, ICT systems should be able to respond intelligently to gaps in their knowledge and to situations that have not been speci�ed in their design. � ey should be able to exhibit robust and versatile behaviour in ever-changing environments, give sensible responses in unforeseen situations, and greatly enhance human-machine interaction.We therefore want robots to understand their environmentsand their users while operating either autonomously or in cooperation with people in complex and dynamic spatial environments.We want arti�cial systems that can understand and control material and information processes e.g. in industrial manufacturing or public services domains, for instance through real-time information gathering and interpretation in natural or arti�cial environments.We want arti�cial systems to allow for rich interactions using all senses and for communication in natural language and using gestures. � ey should be able to adapt autonomously to environmental constraints and to user needs, intentions and emotions.

What impact do we expect?Approximately 10% of the budget for the 2009-2010 ICT theme will be invested in this Challenge.� e research will provide enabling technologies that apply across domains such as robotics and automation, sensing and process control, complex real-world systems, image recognition, natural language understanding, and automated reasoning and decision support.As well as advancing new engineering methods and their scienti�c foundations, we expect the work in this area to have signi�cant industrial and societal impact. It will ex-tend the industrial robotics market to �exible small-scale manufacturing, opening up professional and domestic services markets to robots, novel functionalities for embedded systems and assistive systems for interpersonalcommunications, such as support of e�ective medical diagnostics and therapeutic care.It will extend the capabilities of people to perform routine,dangerous or tiring tasks in previously inaccessible, uncharted or remote spaces; or help saving crucial time in emergencies or hazardous situations.In the case of machine translation, the research will substantially reduce the di�erence in the quality of human and automatic translation. Automated translation will be better at self-learning and more user-friendly.

A new approach is neededMeeting this challenge will require rethinking the way we engineer systems and – because we aim to get machines to exhibit performance capacities that resemble those of humans or animals - will borrow inspiration and insights from the bio-sciences, social sciences and humanities. � is may include the study of new computational paradigms derived from models of natural cognition. In some domains the exploration and validation of the use of new materials and hardware designs is strongly encouraged. Engineering progress will crucially depend on advancing our scienti�c understanding of what both natural and arti�cial systems can and cannot do, and how and why. Structuring research and development in relevant areas, addressing requirements for cognitive capacities of arti�cialsystems and �nding ways to meet these requirements is therefore a key part of this challenge.

For further information:Challenge 2: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict/programme/challenge2_en.htmlICT Work Programme 2009/10, Calls for proposals and how to participate: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ictICT Helpdesk: → ict@ec.europa.eu

© European Communities, 2008 Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged

FP7 - ICT Challenge 3Components, Systems, Engineeringgies

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Why it’s importantBe it children’s toys or car engines, intelligent electronics enriches the functionality and usability of everyday products. Intelligent electronics currently accounts for 20-40% of the value of many widely used products. Europe is world leader in intelligent electronics for areas such as telecom and medical equipment, industrial automation, consumer electronics, and the automotive and avionics industries. European firms also figure among the top semiconductor manufacturers and equipment companies. Other European strengths lie in photonics, plastic electro-nics, flexible displays, integrated micro/nanosystems and embedded systems.

Where do we stand?Rapid innovation and technological change drive the development of the electronics industry towards faster, smaller, more intelligent and reliable products. Taking advantage of these e� ciencies, a new generation of micro/nano systems is emerging combining intelli-gent and adaptive behaviour and o�ering a new range of innovative products and services. � ere’s growing industrial interest in integrating functions such as sensing and communication functions into traditional material, such as textiles.

Embedded systems facilitate the intelligent behaviour of end products and enable their networking capabilities. Electronic components are being replaced by photonics in IT and communications, which is set to play a major role in new areas such as energy saving, medicine, envi-ronment and safety. Research in this area will help European industry cement its leadership through the design and developmentof innovative, ground-breaking products.

Where do we want to go?� e European Union’s key objectives are:

develop electronic systems with improved energy e� ciency and reduced overall environmental impact;lead in nanoelectronics, and close the gap between the increasingly complex new systems and existing system design methods;reinforce Europe’s leading position in the creation of �exible electronics (used, for example, in cameras, mobile phones and satellites) and in the design of complex embedded systems;strengthen European leadership in cross-cutting tech-nologies in all areas of computing systems;lead world developments in photonic technologies, components and systems for communications, lighting and light sources, medical and biological applications, lasers, �bres and imaging;

Images courtesy of Ikerlan-IK4

advance research on future embedded software and •computing systems;address reliability and interconnection limitations of •devices and systems and increase their adaptability and self-awareness for coping with uncertainty.

How do we get there?We need to maintain and develop Europe’s strongholds in the automotive and avionics industries and in industrial automation, consumer electronics, telecoms and medical systems. Investing more than 20% of the 2009-2010 ICT research budget in this area will help Europe to remain a leader in the supply and embedding of electronic components and systems.Backed by this research, Europe should be able to:

make computing systems more flexible, adaptable and •faster;integrate and miniaturise chips and multi-functional •components offering higher performance at lower cost, move beyond 22nm devices and prepare for 450 mm wafer processing;develop roadmaps and benchmarks for the industrial •use of new semiconductor technologies;move towards future-proof all-optical networks with •unlimited bandwidth capacity;create LED-based lighting systems and laser-based •display (e.g. laser TV) and lighting applications;conduct application-driven research in organic •photonics, including organic light-emitting diodes, lasers for lighting, illumination, projection and display

applications, solar cells, light guiding structures and organic photonic sensors, lasers and amplifiers;develop and encourage industrial take-up of next •generation microsystems and smart miniaturised systems in the biomedical, telecoms, environment, food/beverage, transport, safety and security and textile sectors;secure access for academia and research institutes to •affordable silicon, necessary for developing state-of-the-art technologies, for the production of prototypes;stimulate the interest of young people in ICT careers •and encourage multi-disciplinary education in the areas of systems engineering;increase the competitiveness of its component •manufacturers and equipment companies.

For further information:• Challenge 3: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict/programme/challenge3_en.html• ICT Work Programme 2009/10, Calls for proposals and how to participate: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict• ICT Helpdesk: → ict@ec.europa.eu

© European Communities, 2008 Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged

Images courtesy of Ikerlan-IK4

FP7 - ICT Challenge 4Digital Libraries & Contents

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Why it’s importantDigital content is transforming the way we access information and acquire knowledge and skills. Organisations and indivi-duals need to cope with a vast amount of data in a rapidly changing environment. Digital content is now produced by billions of people, millions of enterprises and increasingly by large automated scientific instruments and by billions of networked sensors and devices. To enhance Europe’s knowledge and skills base, we need to link content, knowledge and learning to make content more accessible, interactive and usable over time by humans and machines alike. Europe, with its unique cultural heritage and creative potential, is in a great position to tackle the problems created by this phenomenal increase in data volumes and become a key actor in the knowledge economy.

Where do we stand?While content and knowledge are abundant, they do not always exist in a state that can be e� ciently exploited. Much of the digital content still requires human intelli-gence to interpret it. Moreover, a huge volume of digital

content is not interactive and is unlikely to remain acces-sible and understandable over time.� ere has been progress in knowledge processing and semantic web technologies that are now used by information providers and search engines to o�er more sophisticated services. But future access needs to be secured and preservation tools must overcome hardware and so�ware dependencies.Digital content and technologies have started to re-shape the way we learn. New teaching methods now focus on inquiry-based, problem-solving approaches, and technologies are transforming how «students» can be motivated. Nevertheless, we are still in the early phasesof shi�ing from content delivery technologies to solutions that embed learning into our daily lives and environments.

Where do we want to go?It is crucial that today’s digital information remain acces-sible, usable and understandable in the future. � e creation and management of intelligent content must adapt to these requirements. We must be able to manage the work�ow from the acquisition of reference materials to the versioning and packaging of products, as well as its distribution, presentation and consumption.

Digital library services should enable us to create, store, personalise and use over time cultural and scienti�ccontent. � e di�erent systems and tools for digital preservation must ensure long-term integrity and authenticity. Pulling together resources from di�erent types of media, we must �nd innovative solutions for assembling multi-media digital libraries, enhancing experiences of digital cultural heritage. Learning in the 21st century should support individual and independent learning activities while increasing the scope for collaboration and creativity. Research must reinforce the link between individuals and organisations through systems that embrace talent, knowledge, innova-tion and competency management.Finally, intelligent information management should enable us to acquire, analyse and categorise in real-time extremely large amounts of information while making information available in a user-friendly way.

What impact do we want to have?In 2009-2010, 10% of funding available for the ICT theme will be devoted to this area.

Expected advances include:Digital preservation services o�ering adaptable access to scienti�c and cultural digital resources, improving the way they can be used;

Reinforced capacity for organisations to preserve digitalcontent more e�ectively;

Individually tailored cultural experiences and �exible learning places that will help to support both teachers and learners to develop new skills and competences;

New management and production tools making digital resources easier and more cost-e�ective to create and re-use;

Complex, large-scale information systems that solveimportant business or societal problems and are dynamic, interoperable, trustworthy and accountable by design;

More cross-fertilisation between di�erent disciplines as well as between EU projects, industry and national initiatives;

Strengthened European leadership in computer-aided information and knowledge management and increased competitiveness in the global knowledge economy.

For further information:Challenge 4: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict/programme/challenge4_en.htmlICT Work Programme 2009/10, Calls for proposals and how to participate: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ictICT Helpdesk: → ict@ec.europa.eu

© European Communities, 2008 Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged

FP7 - ICT Challenge 5Sustainable and Personalised Healthcare

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Why it’s important All Europeans want the most effective healthcare for themselves and their families. Yet Europe is ageing, putting immense pressure on healthcare systems which already account for around 9% of the EU’s GDP spending. Europe must also respond to emerging disease risks, and manage huge amounts of health information securely. The health sector is information-intensive, and is therefore relying increasingly on advanced Information and Com-munication Technologies (ICT) to make healthcare more efficient. Europe’s eHealth industry, however, is fragmented. Action at European level is essential to ensure that the European industry takes a leading position in this strategic field, and brings these benefits to all Europeans.

Where do we stand? Many European patients - particularly elderly patients - receive insu� cient or inadequate healthcare. Individuals cannot yet opt for comprehensive and secure electronic health records, which would make it easier and safer for them to be treated anywhere in Europe. Health professionals do not yet all make use of advanced imaging-based systems or patient-speci�c data to support their diagnoses or to plan treatments. Most health autho-rities and managers do not have adequate management systems available to them which prevents them from comparing health data across Member States to improve their decision-making. At the same time, ICT may o�er solutions to save lives and improve illness prevention and safety of care. Recent developments in �elds like biomedical imaging combined with the latest knowledge about diseases, are leading to a new generation of predictive medicine.

Where do we want to go?ICT contribute to the quality and e� ciency of healthcare delivery. Europe must now pool its resources to develop advanced ICT which will:

halt the rising cost of healthcare without compromising quality and e� ciency; increase the quality of care and save lives through optimised treatments, fewer medical errors, and prevention and prediction of diseases;

facilitate better management of chronic diseases and the transfer of knowledge to clinical practice;lead to safer drugs and medical devices; enable early warning and improved management of large-scale health crises through better risk prediction, assessment and management; bridge the gap between clinical research and medical practice through better collaboration between the pharmaceutical industry, healthcare IT industry, academic institutions and healthcare providers;develop Europe’s excellence in the use of information systems in biomedicine and molecular medicine; boost the eHealth market and reinforce Europe’s eHealth industry by making Europe more attractive for research in all related industries, including the pharmaceutical sector.

How do we get there? While the global eHealth industry is growing, the European one is fragmented into 27 markets. Overcoming this fragmentation will give European industry the economies of scale it needs to grow, and will bring greater health bene�ts to all Europeans.Like all research co-funded by the EU, the idea is to focus on the essential work that has to be done at a European level and to pool Europe’s resources. � e aim is to bring together universities, research institutes, small and large companies and governmental organisations across Europe into strategic, cross-border and interdisciplinary research projects.EU research under this Challenge will focus action on three speci�c aspects of e-health systems:

Personal Health Systems Personal Health Systems (PHS) o�er the means to follow patients’ health using wearable, portable or implantable systems, thus enabling them to live a more normal life. PHS are used by patients in their homes, workplaces or on the move and are connected to hospitals or care centresvia telemedicine links. � ey provide health professionals with comprehensive monitoring and diagnostic data, helping them to make more accurate decisions and o�er more e�ective care to their patients. PHS is achieved by combining several ICTs such as: bio-medical sensors; micro- and nano- systems; mobile and wireless communications; user interfaces; and intelligent signal processing and knowledge management. � ey combine the monitoring of health parameters, as diverse as vital body signs and biochemical markers, and the pa-tients’ social and environmental context with expert bio-medical knowledge to diagnose, treat or manage diseases e� ciently, within the patient’s preferred environment.

� e focus will be on the provision of high quality, perso-nalised care, through better use of the available resources.Particular attention will be paid to the interoperability with hospital information systems and with electronic medical records across multilingual environments in Europe.

Patient safety and risk assessment Safer surgery will need innovative ICT-solutions to improve training for surgeries and computer-aided surgical interventions. � is involves modelling, simulation and visualisation of surgeries as well as developing realistic models of tissues and organs. � e tools will also help with planning and predicting the outcome of operations.Integrated medical databases will aggregate clinical information to enable health professionals to predict, detect, and monitor health problems. Linking electronic health records with clinical research information systems is essential to achieve this objective.Systems for the early detection of public health risks will use innovative data analysis techniques such as text mining and free text interpretation. Much of this information can be retrieved from the media, but audio and video information will have to be converted into searchable information sources.

Virtual Physiological Human � e Virtual Physiological Human will revolutionise the way health knowledge is produced, stored and managed as well as the way healthcare is currently delivered. � e VPH seeks to translate all functions of the human body into a coherent set of multiscale computer models. � e modelling scale could span from the whole body down to the cells and the proteins they synthesise. � e VPH framework will provide ICT tools for developing patient-speci�c computer-based models and simulations using speci�c patient data allowing for personalised and predictive healthcare. � ese multi-scale models will be used to develop integrative approaches to predict the risk of developing a disease and then diagnose and treat it. During drug development, these model organs could be used to assess the e�ect of drugs on speci�c populations. Results will include personalised disease prediction, early diagnosis, better surgery planning and training, and a better understanding of the link between genes, disease and treatment. � e predictive models will signi�-cantly improve the diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of the patients. Finally, international partners working on related International projects will be invited to take part in on-going VPH projects to strengthen global cooperation and international impact of EU-funded research.

For further information:Challenge 5: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict/programme/overview5_en.htmlICT Work Programme 2009/10, Calls for proposals and how to participate: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ictICT Helpdesk: → ict@ec.europa.eu

© European Communities, 2008 Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged

FP7 - ICT Challenge 6ICT for Mobility, Environmental Sustainability and Energy E� ciency logies

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Why it’s importantEurope faces increasing levels of traffic congestion, fuel consumption and pollution. Road accidents cause over 40 000 deaths each year. Unsustainable and rising demands for natural resources lead to a degraded environment, an increase in waste, more frequent disasters, and a higher risk of exposure to pollutants with a negative impact on human health. The number of natural and industrial disasters doubled between 1990 and 1999, killing 500 000 people and causing around €600 billion in damages.Europe’s investment in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) can help meet our goal of halving road fatalities by 2010. It can also contribute to the reduction of environmental degradation and enable a more sustainable production and use of natural resources through the develop-ment of energy-efficient systems and the modernisation of energy networks.

Where do we stand?Issues around energy, environment and transport are all interconnected. To secure future economic growth while preserving our environment, Europe must use energy more e� ciently. Innovative solutions already exist on the energy market, but the impact of climate change, the need for a clean environment and the necessity to further reduce energy consumption require additional action. Transport accounts for about 1/3 of the EU’s total energy consumption. ICTs can help to improve how vehicles use energy as well as to reduce their CO2 emission and to increase the safety of travel. Intelligent systems already exist to assist drivers to avoid congestions, to optimise engine performance and to prevent accidents. In-car computers can now talk to other intelligent cars on the road and can connect to tra� c management systems. But safety remains a key concern and higher energy e� ciency as well as cleaner and more intelligent transport infrastructures are a must for the future. ICT solutions for energy distribution and for protecting our environment must facilitate large-scale monitoring and management in an increasingly intricate environ-ment. Cities in particular present very complex issues, including energy, water, road infrastructures which require integration of a wide range of technologies.

Where do we want to go?Europe should maintain its leadership in intelligent vehicle systems and work towards further reducing energy consumption and road congestion;

Safety and comfort of transport should improve signi�-cantly and the number of deaths on the road should be reduced to zero in the long term;

Tra� c in cities must be better managed, taking into account new mobility concepts and environmental sustainability.

Europe should be in a better position to prevent and respond to environmental threats and disasters, thereby signi�cantly reducing loss of life and damage to critical infrastructures;

Europe should achieve more sustainable use and management of natural resources, including systems for reducing the production of waste and pollutants, conserving energy, and preserving biodiversity;

Europe should become a world leader in energy e� ciency technologies. � is should support the emergingpan-European single market for energy through intelli-gent solutions and promote Europe’s objective to save 20% of energy consumption by 2020. Both residential and commercial buildings should be able save about 30% of their current energy consumption.

How do we get there?� e 2009-2010 ICT theme will support solutions which can help achieve these goals by:

improving Intelligent Vehicle Systems that o�er a higher degree of accident prevention and support energy-e� cient driving;

providing new mobility services with enhanced options and information accessible round-the-clock for people on the move; these transport solutions should be safer, more secure, e� cient, competitive and environmentally-friendly;

providing easy-to-use applications to support prediction,decision-making, planning and training in order to tackle the impact of climate change;

securing access to and collaboration between shared information systems to monitor, report and react to environmental risks and stimulate an environmental information service economy in Europe;

creating an open electricity market where ‘virtual power plants’ can respond to changing demands;

designing industrial processes and infrastructures which are more energy-e� cient and secure.

For further information:Challenge 6: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict/programme/challenge6_en.htmlICT Work Programme 2009/10, Calls for proposals and how to participate: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ictICT Helpdesk: → ict@ec.europa.eu

© European Communities, 2008 Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged

FP7 - ICT Challenge 7ICT for independent living, inclusion and governance

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Why it’s importantEurope is experiencing a major demographic shift. Between now and 2025 the proportion of the population over 65 will increase from 20% to 28% . At the same time, a considerable number of Europeans still can not access ICT-based products and services. Currently 30% of Europe’s population is not actively participating in the information society.Technological change drives deep transformation in the way we live and participate in society. New requirements are emerging for social inclusion, policy-making, access to public services and lifelong participation. Information and communications technologies (ICT) can go a long way towards addressing the challenges of independent living and inclusion by, for example, extending the time during which elderly people can live independently in their preferredenvironment or providing a basis for a new generation of inclusive products and services that will help integrate people who are at risk of exclusion. Social networking sites, blogs and other Internet platforms have also changed the way in which people can voice their views and herald the transition to a participative eSociety.Such solutions not only address key societal need, but they also offer a major new economic opportunity.

Where do we stand?Research in the area of eInclusion has signi�cantly contributed to progress in eAccessibility, independent living and assistive technology. Information technology literacy of elderly people is improving and a consumer-driven market for well-being products and services is emerging. Mainstream companies are already betting on this trend and show increasing interest in these �elds. Technology enables social care and healthcare providers, local and regional authorities, insurance companies and service providers to work more e� ciently together and to coordinate more closely their e�ort to achieve higher e� ciency and quality of care provision. In addition ICT can empower elderly people to live better and longer in their preferred environment and provide support for their carers. � e needs of elderly people and people with disabilities in terms of usability can be translated into technology requirements that can also impact the next wave of mainstream products.

Where do we want to go?We need to strengthen the potential of Europe to become a global leader in technologies for ageing well and living independently. � is will in turn increase the e� ciency of social care and healthcare services.

We must radically improve the accessibility and usability of future ICT solutions for people with varying mental and physical abilities, disabilities, functional limitations or lacking digital skills.Europe has to foster novel assistive technologies that make access to ICT easier by building on progress in emerging technologies and systems. Leading positions in service robotics or boosting of European excellence in radical new human-computer interfaces based on brain-neuro-computer interaction should be key objectives.A dynamic and participative eSociety can change the way in which people voice their opinions and influence decision-making and can define how our society will function in the future. In this context, empowering and engaging individuals, groups and societies in policy- making is also a key objective.

How do we get there?The research funded in 2009/2010 aims to:

Provide innovative service robotics solutions for ageing •well that are seamlessly integrated in intelligent home environments and adaptable to specific user requirements. This will provide radically new support to daily living and care activities as well as a substantial increase in the efficiency of care and independence of elderly people;

Develop ‘open systems reference architectures’, standards• and ICT platforms for ‘ageing well’ by building on progress in open middleware, communication standards and service-oriented architectures. This will help provide seamless and cost-effective end-to-end care support

and services for independent living, smart workplaces and mobility of elderly people;

Develop ICT tools that have built-in assistive ICT design •rules, and provide support to ensure accessibility as part of the development process of future ICT and non-ICT products and services. This will enable a radical impro-vement in ease of use of future ICT products and servi-ces by consumers, including people with disabilities and functional limitations;

Achieve breakthroughs in the way humans interact with •computers and how they may overcome their disability and augment their capabilities, building on progress in non-invasive sensor and actuator concepts for brain/ neuronal-computer interaction (BNCI), smart bio- sensors, self-learning/adaptive systems and advanced signal processing;

Consolidate and strengthen Europe’s academic and •industrial efforts in the fields of ageing and emerging assistive technologies combining advanced micro-bio- nano technology, neuroscience and bio-psycho-sociology;

Develop advanced tools to engage communities in the •policy-making process. Identify emerging technologies and promote networking for participation, governance and policy modelling;

Invent the next generation of public services with tech-•nologies that can help to forecast the potential impact of policy measures and aid political decision making. These tools should integrate capabilities for translation, modelling, data mining and visualisation.

For further information:• Challenge 7: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict/programme/challenge7_en.html• ICT Work Programme 2009/10, Calls for proposals and how to participate: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict• ICT Helpdesk: → ict@ec.europa.eu

© European Communities, 2008 Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged

ICT Future and Emerging Technologies

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Why it’s importantThe ‘raison d’être’ of the research into Future and EmergingTechnologies (FET) is to lay the ground for tomorrow’s innovations in information and communication technolo-gies (ICT). The challenge is the timely identification and nurturing of new ideas and promising research directions that have a strong potential for lasting and transformative impact on future ICT and on society at large.

Where do we stand?ICT is at the heart of a thriving products and services in-dustry. In order to remain at the forefront of innovation in this area, new approaches and industry roadmaps are needed to develop future technologies. Radical break-throughs in ICT increasingly rely on fresh synergies and convergence of ICT with di�erent scienti�c disciplines such as life sciences (e.g. biology, neurology), and socio-economic sciences as well as with the arts and humanities.Yet the boundaries between certain disciplines and organisational obstacles to collaboration still need to be overcome for new ideas to emerge and evolve into viable alternatives for future ICT. � is is where FET steps in.

Where do we want to go?FET fosters cutting-edge research across the full range of future information technologies. FET research is long-term and high-risk yet purpose driven. It encourages cross-fertilisation with a broad range of other disciplines and radical new thinking about the nature of future ICT. FET explores new and promising ideas that arise from scienti�c developments that may not be traditionally linked to ICT. � is may unlock fundamental technologicalroadblocks or lead to fresh and innovative approaches that may transform our approach to pressing societal challenges.

How do we get there?First, by being continuously open and receptive to vi-sionary and unexpected ideas through FET-Open. � is strand of the FET programme picks up on new oppor-tunities whenever they arise, however embryonic, risky and fragile they may be. Unconstrained by any prior orientation or established thinking, FET-Open encourages cross-fertilisation with other disciplines, stimulates original ideas and alternative research approaches. By doing so, it serves as an early indicator of new directions, avoiding the risk of ‘tunnel vision’ in ICT research. Second, by consolidating emerging European research e�orts in speci�c �elds through FET-Proactive. � is second strand of the FET programme focuses on visionary

� is is a short presentation. For further information:FET: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict/programme/fet_en.htmlICT Work Programme 2009/10, Calls for proposals and how to participate: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ictICT Helpdesk: ict@ec.europa.eu

© European Communities, 2008 Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged

long-term research initiatives that o�er new and promisingdirections for the ICT programme that will make a di�er-ence for Europe in the long run. Major new discoveries are particularly expected from cross-fertilisation of ICT ideas and concepts with disciplines such as biology, social sciences and economy.Here are some of these areas and their associated techno-logical, economic and social challenges and priorities:

Computing Systems: a�er 40 years of miniaturisation allowing combined gains in performance, cost, power e� ciency and size, future computing systems are facing increasing con�ict between further performance improvements and further reduction of size, energy per operation and cost per function. Research addresses radically new approaches to computing and will pursue alternative directions for massively scalable architectures and individual devices, as well as power issues.

Computing and Communication Paradigms: inspired by brain and biological systems, new solutions for architectures, communication and distributed process-ing are being explored to address new requirements on the optimisation of resources and mastering of system complexity. Awareness in networked ICT systems will need to be addressed together with the management of local interconnections. Alternative paradigms for com-munications are investigated, e.g. based on quantum principles, with an emphasis on secure communica-tions.

Living with ICT: thanks to growing experience of the virtual world, research is now increasingly combining the advantages of information processing by humans and by machines. Radical new forms of sensing and interactions are investigated - even for entirely new sensing modalities.

Widening the Horizon of ICT: opportunities for deploying ICT in new areas will be explored together with technological developments. � e aim is to achieve new societal bene�ts and respond to industrial needs using ICT. Examples include improving human health, new forms of therapy, environment monitoring, high precision sensing, and new forms of cognitive work and entertainment.

Fostering new research communities around these topics is also an essential part of the FET mission.

ApproachFET operates two schemes in a complementary bottom-up and top-down approach. Proposals to FET-Open can be received continuously from 1 January 2009 until 31 December 2010 1. Small and medium scale research actions (STREPS) in FET-Open are evaluated through a two-step submission scheme, which begins with the submission of short proposals (5 pages). For 2009-2010, €61m funding is available.FET-Proactive works with �xed deadlines and a single-step submission of proposals on selected themes. Of the 2009-2010 funding, €110m will be used to address the following themes through IPs, STREPs, or both:

Concurrent tera-device computing

Quantum information foundations and technologies

Bio-chemistry-based information technology

Human-computer con�uence

Self-awareness in autonomic systems

Towards zero-power ICT

Molecular scale devices and systems

Brain inspired ICT

In addition both the FET-Open and FET-proactive schemes call for coordination and support actions.FET encourages the involvement and participation of young researchers, high-tech SMEs and industry, as well as international partners, whenever relevant in terms of the activities proposed. Note that FET-Open and FET-Proactive apply their speci�celigibility and evaluation criteria.

1It is planned that the call will be subsequently extended beyond 31/12/2010.

FP7 - Research Infrastructurese-Infrastructure

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Why it’s importantEurope actively supports an innovative way of conducting scientific research by the creation of a new environment for academic and industrial research in which “virtual communities” share, federate and exploit the collective power of European scientific facilities. «e-Infrastructure» refers to this new research environment in which all researchers - whether working in the context of their home institutions or as part of national or multinational scientific initiatives - have shared access to unique or distributed scientific facilities (including data, instruments, computing and communications), regardless of their type and location in the world.

Where do we stand?Europe has built a world-class operational communi-cation and computing infrastructure to facilitate scienti�c research. � is e-Infrastructure provides scientists throughout Europe with very high-speed communicationnetworks and powerful computing middleware tools

that foster collaboration and promote the shared use of expensive computing and data resources.Current e-Infrastructure initiatives, such as GÉANT, EGEE and DEISA, enhance the European research and development potential by rationalising investments in expensive scienti�c resources. Leading edge Information and Communications Tech-nologies (ICTs) play a strategic role in changing the way scientists and engineers will work in the future. Networkedresearch communities share computing platforms and advanced applications running next generation protocols.Such innovative work practices are revolutionising research in �elds as diverse as astronomy, business, aeronautics and environment. Scienti�c communities in disciplines from molecular biology to astrophysics and educational sciences are already actively using the services currently provided by e-Infrastructures.

Where do we want to go?e-Infrastructures will address the speci�c needs of new scienti�c and engineering communities. Europe will continue collaborating with similar initiatives in other continents and seek to develop common inter-continentalpolicies.

FP7 will set new and ambitious targets for e-Infrastructures. Due to the importance of data in the scientific process, European scientific digital repositories will be made inter- operable leading to the creation of a European scientific data infrastructure. FP7 addresses the deployment of new scientific infra-structures, in line with the recommendations of the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI). In this context, the deployment of new supercomputing facilities, reaching peta-flop computing performance, will be supported.

What impact do we want to have?Europe is ready to build on the ICT capabilities of existing infrastructures in order to create a new research environ-ment, in which all scientists have an easy-to-use controlled access to unique or distributed scientific facilities, regardless of their type and location in the world.We want to encourage the emergence of new working and organisational methods, based on the shared use of resources across different disciplines and technology domains.We also need to contribute towards a more intense colla-boration between research centres and their researchers in “virtual research communities”, enabling worldwide sustainable partnerships in all e-Science fields and making the scientific process more efficient.

How do we get there?e-Infrastructures will continue to be a “forerunner” of cross-discipline innovation and a driver in changing the way science is conducted. This will be strengthened by further investment in e.g. European high-end computing capabilities and the deployment of repositories of scientific information. Several infrastructural layers – computing, communica-tion and services – are required to create pan-European virtual centres of excellence and research laboratories. On top of communication and computing capabilities, ICT research will provide technologies for collaboration, knowledge-sharing and experimentation in various areas of science and engineering.

Topics and Budgets for 2007/08

INFRA-2009-1.2.3: Scientific Information Repository •supporting the FP7 Research Programme (4 M€)

INFRA-2009-3.1: ERA-NET supporting cooperation for •research infrastructures in all S&T fields (1.6 M€)

INFRA-2009-3.3: Studies, conferences and coordination •actions supporting policy development in the context of international cooperation for e-Infrastructures (4 M€)

For further information:• More information, including Calls for Proposals and how to participate: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict/programme/infrastructures_en.html• ICT Helpdesk: ict@ec.europa.eu

© European Communities, 2008 Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.© Photos: PhotoAlto, Sami Sarkis.

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