ERCIM News No.26 - July 1996
Mediterranean Workshop
by Jean-Michel Chassériaux
ERCIM organized the workshop 'The Information Society in the Euro-Mediterranean
context: Research and Information Technologies' under the aegis of the European
Union 1-2 April in Sophia-Antipolis, France. The workshop was attended by
130 invited researchers and politicians from 24 countries. This workshop
resulted in concrete propositions and a report which was presented at a
ministerial Euro-Mediterranean forum in Rome 30-31 May. This forum seeks
to associate the countries around the Mediterranean basin into the Information
Society, in order to avoid the rupture between the North and the South of
the Mediterranean.
The Sophia-Antipolis workshop allowed the identification of a few major
lines which could underpin a Euro-Mediterranean scientific and technical
cooperation policy capable of contributing to a harmonious transition towards
an information society. It is located at the crossing point of two very
different tendencies which have converged since 1994. The first is the emergence
of the information society whose impact on lifestyle has been often compared
to that of the first industrial revolution. The second is the relaunch of
Euro-Mediterranean cooperation initiated by the Council of Europe of December
1994 which confirmed the strategic character of the Mediterranean zone for
the European Union and set itself the objective of establishing a genuine
Euro-Mediterranean partnership.
The Italian presidency of the European Union organised, on 30 - 31 May,
in Rome, a ministerial forum on the information society: communication,
education and training, research, prepared by three workshops including
the one set up on 1- 2 April at Sophia-Antipolis, more focused on research.
Researchers can and should play a major role in this transition towards
the information society and new information technology can, in return, give
new impetus to research in the southern countries of the Mediterranean.
The workshop was able to draw up a few concrete proposals:
- supporting the implementation and development of national networks
by contributing in particular to the training of network designers and managers
on the technical but also the economic level, an adapted pricing policy
for services rendered is often necessary; and, where necessary, the purchase
of certain equipment: servers, software tools, etc
- encouraging the optimal use of possibilities offered, thanks to the
awareness of potential users in the academic world, in industry and services
(tourism appears as a priority target); and thanks to demonstration operations
in public services in terms of exchange of computerised documents namely,
and in fields requiring image transmissions and therefore high output such
as medicine, remote teaching (in liaison with the Medcampus programme),
the management of natural resources and the protection of the environment
- encouraging the creation of a regional Euro-Mediterranean network
in order to facilitate exchanges between Mediterranean countries. It will
be based on interconnected national centres which, over and above their
technical role, could be entrusted with support and thematic follow up missions
- carrying out an inventory of existing documentary funds and contributing
to their updating, computerisation and interconnection in order to create
genuine virtual libraries. The compilation of new databases (multimedia)
on issues of regional interest could also come within this framework
- launching one (or several) research and development programmes in
regional cooperation, on varied themes while optimizing the use of information
technology. Several projects were initiated or matured in the workshop in
the most varied fields: multilinguality, health. water, environment, natural
risks, tourism, etc. Tele-teaching is the subject of a separate meeting
in Brussels. Some of them will find an outlet within the community INCO-DC
programme but everyone knows that these means are extremely limited. Such
profusion of ideas, although it shows undeniable vitality, also holds a
certain risk of dispersion. To remedy this, the creation of thematic networks,
distributed and coordinated if necessary by a light communication and cooperation
structure could prove useful.
Whatever its form, a simple and clear reference framework is indispensable.
It should cover all the activities concerned, from basic research to support
in the installation of national and regional networks and demonstration
projects. It will be open to all in the private sector or the public sector,
as long as they are competent,. One should in fact note that many projects
can be considered to have sprung from social demand and are therefore not
very likely to interest the market in the long term. The experience acquired
in the framework of cooperation programmes with Central and East European
countries should here be used while taking into account the specific features
of the Mediterranean countries.
Important financial means have been announced. They should be used effectively.
Europe cannot continue to develop by ignoring its closest environment and
information technology is not only a means of establishing daily links between
the two shores of the Mediterranean but also a means of favouring general
economic development.
More information, including the proceedings of the conference, is available
at:
/www-ercim.inria.fr/medconf/IS-med.html
Please contact:
Jean-Michel Chassériaux - ERCIM Manager
Tel: +33 1 3963 5303
E-mail: office
ercim.org
return to the contents page