Information Technologies for water resources management and modelling in semi-arid areas

Keywords:
IT , HPCN, information system, web, GIS, DBMS, numerical modelling, watersheds

Abstract:
The main objective of CruCID is to establish a demonstration project consisting in a concerted action, associated with accompanying measures, focused on the use of High Performance Computing and Networking in the modelling and simulation of flood wave propagation. The end users are organisations concerned with flood alert, inundation prevention, watershed planning and environmental impact studies, as well as institutions interested in HPCN platforms and the associated tools.

Partners:
INRIA (France), FORTH (Greece), Ecole Supérieure d'Ingénieurs de Beyrouth (Lebanon), Ecole Mohammadia d'Ingénieurs (Morocco), Office National d'eau potable (Morocco), Ecole Nationale d'Ingénieurs de Tunis (Tunisia), ERCIM

Duration:
1. December 1998 - 31 November 2000

ERCIM's role:
Project co-ordinator

Total budget:
200 000 Euro

Funding Agencies:
European Commission, INCO DC Programme: 200 000 Euro

Anticipating Future and Emerging Information Society Technologies
Coordination Action

Keywords:
Future technologies

Abstract:

Beyond-The-Horizon (B-T-H) is a European coordination action to identify ICT-related research trends and strategic areas that require support. The action is funded by ISTFET, the Future and Emerging Technologies activity of the EU Information Society Technologies programme. The coordination is handled jointly by ERCIM — the European Research Consortium for Informatics and Mathematics, and FORTH — Institute of Computer Science Greece. A well-defined, extensive and systematic consultation of the science and technology communities in Europe involved in the problems and challenges mentioned above, has led to roadmaps for six strategic research areas, describing the routes research should take in  order to meet the emerging grand challenges.

These areas are: Pervasive computing and communications; Nano-electronics and nanotechnologies; Security, dependability and trust; Bio- ICT synergies; Intelligent and cognitive systems; and Software-intensive systems. In addition, FET itself brought in three strategic areas to be included in the coordination action: Quantum Information Processing and Communication, Complex Systems, and Tera-Device Computing. Similar roadmaps exist for these areas.

The consultations consisted of:

• brainstorming workshops during which eminent researchers from both academia and industry drafted agendas for basic research in the six identified areas
• a plenary workshop in, December 2005, where representatives of the six thematic groups together with prominent invitees like Nobel laureate Claude Cohen- Tannoudji and IST-FET Head of Unit Thierry van der Pyl, discussed the outcome of the individual workshops, and explored research challenges arising at the intersections of the different areas
• on-line consultation of research communities in Europe through the B-T-H website, where the draft documents describing the six areas were available for comment, after which they were finalized during April 2006.

This process has mobilised a wide and multi-disciplinary community providing input at all levels —individual, research groups, institutions as well as funding agencies — to the benefit of the future European Information Society.

Partners:
1-GEIE-ERCIM - France

Duration:
18 months from 1 January 2005 – 30 June 2006

ERCIM's role:
Project co-ordinator

Funding Agencies:
European Commission, FP6 IST Programme, FET
EC funding:  482 000Euro

Links:
BTH home page: http://beyond-the-horizon.ics.forth.gr/

Sharing Cultural Heritage through Multimedia Telematics

Results and Achievements
The project has designed and demonstrated an architecture for a resource discovery system enabling query broadcasting to heterogeneous data sources. The system is based on an open standard -a Z39.50 Application Profile- designed in cooperation with the CIMI consortium (American museums and libraries) which will be proposed as an ISO standard to all museums and cultural organisations, world-wide, to support access to their databases. The project has also designed a software system to create and manage multilingual terminology resources. Last but not least, all partners have together established a valuable know-how on methods and good practices for industrial, large-scale production of digital information where high-quality, reusability and long life of documents are requested.

Partners:
Ministère de la Culture (France), Bibliothèque nationale de France (France), Ministry of Culture (Greece), Ministero per i Beni Culturi e Ambientali, Istituto Centrale per il Catalogo et la Documentazione (Italy), Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England (UK), Museum Documentation Association (UK), Benaki Museum(Greece), Fratelli Alinari (Italy), Giunti Multimedia (Italy), Information, Bull (France), EUROCLID (France), Grif (France), ERGOMATIC Consultants (France), FINSIEL (Italy), INTRASOFT (Greece), System Simulation Ltd (UK), INRIA, CNR-CNUCE, CNR-ITIM (Italy), ICS-FORTH, ILSP (Greece), IMAG (France), LIRMM (France), CLRC

Duration:
1 January 1996 - 31 January 1999

ERCIM's role:
Project co-ordinator

Total budget:
6 038 000 Euro

Funding Agencies:
European Commission, Telematics Programme: 2 999 850 Euro

TELEMonitoring and Advanced teleControl of high yield wastewater treatment plants

Keywords:
Anaerobic digestion, remote supervision, advanced control, wastewater treatment, smart sensors.

Abstract:
The TELEMAC project will design a modular and reliable system supporting a remote telemonitoring and telecontrol of small depollution units with no local expertise. By using a network of smart sensors, robust advanced control procedures, fault detection and isolation techniques, a remote expert will manage the complex non-linear anaerobic digestion process via internet and assist the local technician. The history of the supervised plants will feed a learning data base in order to improve the process management. The TELEMAC project focuses on bringing new methodologies issued from the IST field to the conservative world of water treatment. It will enhance new services for SMEs generating concentrated pollutants. This will enhance the creation of new companies to improve the management of wastewater treatment and cogeneration through the Web.

Partners:
Agralco, s.coop ltda. (Spain), Allied Domecq Brasil Industria e Comercio Limitada (Brazil), Allied Domecq Spirits and Wine (UK), Applitek nv (Belgium), Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils (UK), Ente Per le Nuove Tecnologie, l'Energia e l'Ambiente (Italy), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (France), Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (France), Pierre Lemaire (France), Societa di Progettazione Electronica e Software s.c.r.l. (Italy), Tequila Sauza s.a. de c.v. (Mexico), Universidad de Guadalajara (Mexico), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (Spain), Universiteit Gent (Belgium), Universite Catholique de Louvain (Belgium), ERCIM.

Duration:
1 September 2001 – 31 August 2004

ERCIM's role:
Project co-ordinator

Total budget:
4,596,651 Euro

Funding Agencies:
European CommIssion, IST Programme (IST-2000-28156): 2,070,998 Euro