Information Society Technologies

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Information Society Technologies
Key Action III Multimedia Contents and
Tools 6th Call for Proposals
Norbert Brinkhoff-Button DG Information
Society European Commission
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Agenda

• 1 Objectives
• 2 Implementation
• 3 Call 6
• 4 Call 7
• 5 Dos and donts
• 6 Non-research actions

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IST Research Programme
Cross Programme Themes
Textual, audio-visual, 3-D, VR content,
streamed over Web, IDTV, broadband, WAP, GPRS,
UMTS
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KA3 Strategic goals

• Convergence in media production
• Creative innovative multimedia businesses
• Competitive mobile services
• Skills competence of European workforce
• Cultural identity / diversity

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Thematic thrust

• Knowledge acquisition, representation
  management
• Middleware to create, access, filter, search
  retrieve, visualise, spatialise, auralise,
  translate, summarise, deliver,
• Applications E-publishing for TV or Internet
  broadcasts Virtual learning labs Libraries
  online Multilingual e-business
• Universal multimedia access
• intuitive interfaces for natural interaction
  voice, visual, haptic Example Natural WAP,
  GPRS, UMTS
• Standardization
• contribution to content standards (JPEG, MPEG)

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Actions time to market
Applications
Futures
Apply new content technology in publishing,
eBusiness, training,heritage, etc
Investigate content forms and service models
radically different from today's eg
e-Learning,digitallibraries, etc
Technology
Develop innovative middleware to create,
access, filter, search retrieve, visualise,
spatialise, auralise, translate, summarise,
deliver, digital content
Research, develop and embed natural, personal,
interactive, multimodal and multilingual
capability at all levels
Support Build IT multimedia competence
Showcase, document and publish research results,
including standardsConduct technology foresight
and market watch
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Example VISIONS - Virtual Storytelling
http//www.visions4d.com/index2.html
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Example ARTISTE

• An Integrated Art Analysis and Navigation
  Environment

Advanced image content analysis techniques,
distributed hyperlink-based navigation methods,
and object relational database technologies.
http//www.artisteweb.org/
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Example DERIVE
Distributed real and virtual Learning-Environment
for Mechatronics and Tele-Service
Integration of different reality and virtuality
oriented views for distributed learning. A
construction kit (suite of modular building
blocks) will enable students and teachers to link
real local learning resources (machines, devices,
actors, sensors) with distributed virtual ones
(simulators, animators) by means of a new kind of
telecoupling mechanism.
The DERIVE project, experimenting with
mixed reality-virtual reality
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Example E-MATTER

• E-Mail Access through the Telephone using speech
  TEchnology Resources.

Mutilingual e-mail access using spontaneous
speech and text verification through the fixed
and the mobile networks.
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Example AVIR Audio-Visual Information Retrieval
for Interactive TV
Can be separately edited and even taken out of
the scene
A video object (the player)
AVIR has developed state-of-the-art DVB
technology for the next-generation interactive TV
with high-capacity home recorders. This involves
an Electronic Program Guide on a personalized TV
receiverrecorder with intelligent search
filtering for consumers to browse more easily
through TV channels. It has contributed directly
to MPEG7 standards for video editing (see
pictures) and was one of the hits at IBC2000 in
Amsterdam.
Philips - NL F (LEP) RAI Radiotelevisione
Italiana - I Tecmath - D TV Spielfilm Verlag -
D University of Brescia - I University of
Paris, Pierre et Marie Curie - F BBC Archive
- GB (sponsor)
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Overview of calls

• Projection over 5 Calls
• 1,218 proposals received
• 274 actions selected ? 22,5 global success
  rate
• Total of 624 contracts handled by INFSO.D in 2001
  (FP4 legacy IST eContent INFO2000 MLIS
  IAP)

Props 577 202 207 206 26
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Budget overview

• Projection over FP5
• Total net intervention 438 M
• 73 of which com-mitted in Calls 1-5
• 117.9 M left for Calls 6-8

Note All figures relating to 5th Call or higher
are purely indicative.
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Success indicators
of proposals ranked of proposals
selected
Quality and success consolidating at
high level (success in RTD 25)
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Distribution of participants (Call 4)
SME Small and Medium sized
Enterprises HEE Higher Education
Establishments RC Research Centres
NrPS Non-research Public
SectorLE Large EnterprisesNrPNp
Non-research Private Non-profit
Record share of SMEs
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Partnership patterns

• Depending on scope
• 6-8 participants
• 20-30 months duration
• 1.8 M funding, on average
• 3-4 M funding when justified
• Corsortium technology, business users
  (citizens/consumers)
• Efficient management

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WP 2001 whats new in KA3

• Concentration from 17 to 11 ALs
• Longer term RTD (5-10 years)
• x-Content futures
• New paradigm Semantic Web
• International Cooperation encouraged
• Re-focussing of Take-up
• More articulated support needs

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KA3 Roadmap 2001
Call 7
Call 6
ElectronicPublishing
Digital Content CulturalHeritage
Area
Education Training
Human LanguageTechnologies
Information Access
Cross-programmeActions
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Call 6 Timetable

• Publication 27 January
• Close 25 April
• Evaluation end of May
• Commitology June
• Negotiation July-August
• Contracts from September on
• Bring time-to-contract down to 180 days !

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Digital Content Cultural Heritage

• Strategic RTD objectives through to 2005
• improve the accessibility of Europes scientific
  and cultural collections (cultural landscape)
• develop sustainable cultural environments
• focus on high-quality representations of
  artefacts and collections
• provide a test platform for technology trials
• expanding the vision towards other areas of
  cultural multimedia activities
• driven by the research problem not the content

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Core research agenda

• unified access - easy, integrated access for the
  user to multiple collections, and formats
• access, navigation, interoperability networking
• improved functions and services from digital
  collections
• systems and tools for managing resources, digital
  objects, high volume resources
• digital preservation - sustainability over time
• digitisation surrogates born-digital
• Implemented through annual workprogrammes defined
  in Action Lines

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Projects and emerging clusters

• Cluster 1 DL applications
• distributed resources, DL models and tools
• multiple formats - text to broadcast archives
• cultural (eg fine arts) and scientific (data
  software) resources
• metadata and interoperability
• new services and business models

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Projects and emerging clusters

• Cluster 2 Virtual Heritage
• visual representations using streaming video,
  animation, 3-D, VR
• enhancing learning and game playing
• improving user interactions and understanding of
  content.
• innovative Web-based services

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Projects and emerging clusters

• Cluster 3 Culture economy new business models
• creating an open framework for a European
  cultural economy (OPEN HERITAGE)
• building regional networks supporting a cultural
  economy (REGNET)

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AL III.1 2 - Heritage for All

• Aims to
• Improve synergies and cooperation between
  cultural institutions
• Increase visibility and improve content building
  by local/regional institutions
• Encourage a bottom-up, grass roots approach -
  mobilise, examples of good practice
• Overcome social and cultural exclusion
• Establishing an infrastructure for a dynamic
  citizen-driven record of the cultural scene
  across Europe

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AL III.1 2 - Heritage for All
Timeline3-7 years

• Objective
• Support online communities in creating
  documenting the digital record of their
  societies
• Safeguard this record for the future
• Focus
• Local resources in the global context -
  replicable experiments in creating, discovering
  aggregating local resources
• Active participation of end users through online
  communities
• Digital archiving and community memory

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Next generation digital collections

• Aims to
• Build on previous access and DL work - develop
  leadership excellence in research
• Address new distinct communities of users
• Improve resource interoperability comparability
• Address issues surrounding diversity of content
  and its accessibility over time
• Developing content infrastructures for inclusive
  cultural ecologies

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AL III.1.3 Next generation digital collections
Timeline5-10 years

• Objective
• Improve access quality, quantity for citizens
  professionals
• Focus
• Advanced DL applications - visualisation VR in
  DLs large scale networking archive/lib/museum
  resources
• Thematic contextualised collections -
  interoperability, ontologies, schemas
• User-driven - collaboratories, personalisation
• Dynamic content - preservation archiving
  reference environments

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Practical information partnerships

• Players (consortia of European dimension)
• Cultural institutions - archives, libraries,
  museums
• Local and regional authorities (Heritage for All)
• Public/private sector partnerships for
  technologies
• Research institutes and universities (esp. DLs)
• Cooperation
• National and regional programmes for heritage
  digitisation (Heritage for All)
• Other national and international DL programmes -
  specifically EU/NSF agreement

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Practical information project models

• Vertical (technological) RTD project
• technology challenges, mid to long-term,
  technology research teams lead, content owners
  - needs, validation, content, demo of service
  applications
• Horizontal (integrative) RTD project
• consensus driven, EU-wide infrastructures,
  scalability of integration, alliances multiple
  institutional players, organisational/service
  innovation, unique ownership of content or
  uniquely competent to deliver the service

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Education and Training

• Objectives
• Blueprint flexible and cost-effective learning -
  supported by advanced ICT
• Support new learning processes - life-long
  learning innovative pedagogical content
• Research priorities
• Improve the learning process
• Develop high quality learning materials
• Ensure broad access to learning resources
  services

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III.2.1 Self learning for work

• Objective
• Empowering individuals to define, procure and
  manage their own learning for work
• Focus
• Learner models
• Soft skills and informal learning
• Communities of learning
• Personal intellectual capital
• Reflects a growing trend in industry away from
  centralised, prescriptive training departments,
  towards investment in individuals own learning
  programmes

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III.2.2 eLearning futures

• Experimental, longer term research aimed at
  exploring new paradigms for learning, supported
  by ICT
• Driven by experts from cognitive, social and
  pedagogical sciences
• Anticipates future learning needs
• Provides proof of concept

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Practical information

• Partnerships
• schools, universities, and related associations
• corporate universities schools
• industry, professional bodies, training
  providers, etc (esp. for Self-learning)
• researchers, technologists
• pedagogic staff, teachers, educators
• Budget
• 23-28 M total budget (two ALs)
• i.e. 15-20 projects à1.5 M / project

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Human Language Technologies

• Mission support e-business in a global context
  and to promote a human centred infostructure
• Topical areas speech, natural interactivity,
  knowledge management, translation and
  multilingual tools
• eCentres of gravity mobility, eBusiness,
  eSociety
• Approach relatively short term applicative
  showcases and longer term research

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III.3.2 Natural and multilingual interactivity

• Objective
• more intuitive interaction with intelligent
  network services and appliances thru robust
  dialogue and unconstrained speech/language
  understanding
• Focus
• At home interaction with networked information
  and entertainment appliances command and control
  of complex home services and devices
• At work technology-assisted interpersonal and
  group communication, including virtual meetings
  and multilingual dialogues
• On the move interaction with and control of
  personal information and communication appliances

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Implementation

• Examples of target actors
• Telecom, eTailers, Terminal manufacturers
• Home appliances, eGames, Information appliances
  manufacturers
• Video conference software and services
• Car manufacturers, in-vehicle devices OEM
  suppliers
• Language technology industry
• Research centres and academia with the relevant
  competencies
• Other clues
• Big projects are not excluded, if justified
• Longer term, more researchy activities, are also
  welcome
•  Multilingual Web open in 7th call

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III.5.1 x-Content futures

• Experimental AL, addressing new concepts and
  paradigms and providing opportunities for
  breakthrough research / high risk
• Topics between / beyond current ALs in KA3
• Time to market 0-10 years (breakthrough RTD is
  not necessarily long-term !)
• Initial phases of RTD projects as well as full
  blown RTD
• Open in Calls 6 AND 7

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III.5.2 Competence building

• Multimedia skills acquisition
• Addressing the IT/multimedia skills gap in Europe
• Experimenting with innovative eLearning
  solutions. Demonstration of market potential and
  plans to roll-out to other sectors.
• Access to competence in multimedia
• Reinforcing European leadership for the future,
  via
• World-class competence centres existing or
  emerging
• Benchmarking developments, technology
  adoption...
• Sustainable business models / clear exit
  strategies

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III.5.3 KA3 specific support measures

• Emphasis in 2001 demonstrating, assessing
  disseminating results, as programme reaches
  completion
• Impact analysis benchmarking of RTD results,
  comparative analysis against international
  developments technology and market foresight
• Spread of know-how active dissemination of
  lessons learnt outside the programme
• to be communicated widely in print and
  electronic form, at relevant events, etc

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Highlights in Call 7

• Publishing Digital Content
• Interactive authoring, editing and delivery to
  multiple platforms (iTV, broadband Internet,
  mobile devices, etc)
• Content management tools new paradigms and
  business models E-production workflow
• The Semantic Web
• Semantics based methods tools (incl.
  ontologies), for indexing, categorization,
  discovery and intelligent filtering and profiling
  of multimedia information
• Information visualisation, for new navigation and
  searching through unknown complex information
  spaces

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More highlights

• The Multilingual Web
• Collaborative multi-language publishing of online
  (Web) multimedia documents automated translation
  of written and spoken language, multilingual
  generation
• Information delivery over multiple channels
  according to user preference, and in the language
  of the user
• Cross-programme actions
• CPA2 Multimodal and multisensorial dialog modes
• CPA3 Use of Geographic Information
• CPA8 eLearning for European youth in a digital
  age
• All spanning actions repeated

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Dos and donts

• Warning signs - why proposals are rejected by
  evaluators
• technology proposal è relevance to area not
  proven or too general
• access proposal business as usual è portals or
  Web sites
• ignore everyone else proposal no
  state-of-the-art and no references to other work
• echo proposals echo the call text, the
  guidelines, ...

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More dos and donts
Remember real needs - solutions that people
want research with a purpose - meeting a
challenge realistic objectives - practical
results replicability of results - solutions
others can use right team - develop new alliances
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Contacts and resources

• Web resources
• documents http//www.cordis.lu/ist/calls/
• research areas
• http//www.cordis.lu/ist/ka3/iep/home.html
• http//www.cordis.lu/ist/ka3/digicult/
• http//www.proacte.com/infocentre/ecinfo/
• http//www.hltcentral.org/
• http//www.cordis.lu/ist/ka3/iaf/index.htm
• Contact KA3 staff get feedback on pre-liminary
  project ideas

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- only just launched !

• To support the production, dissemination and use
  of European digital content and to promote
  linguistic diversity on the global networks
• Contributes to eEurope Action Plan"stimulate
  the use of internet
• First call tentatively scheduled for 15/3/01,
  focussed on
• Improving access to and expanding use of Public
  Sector information
• Enhancing content production in a multilingual
  and multicultural environment
• http//www.cordis.lu/econtent/

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Safer Internet Action Plan

• Objective
• To tackle the issue of illegal and
• harmful content on the Internet.
• Open Call for Proposals
• Filtering software and services
• close 31 May 2001
• http//www.saferinternet.org/
• http//europa.eu.int/ISPO/iap/