GRIDs Expert Group

The European Commission's Information Society Directorate (INFSO), headed by Commissioner Erkii Liikanen and with Fabio Colosanti as Director-General, has a new Unit (F2) led by Wolfgang Boch concerned with Grids for Complex Problem Solving.

The F2 unit arose from the work done on GRIDs within Wolfgang Boch’s previous Unit concerned with IST and the environment, including natural and man-made hazards and long-term environmental monitoring.

A workshop was called in January 2003 with some key speakers. It attracted more than 200 participants. Among the key speakers, three formed a 'core group of experts' to moderate discussions and to assist the Commission (in particular Roman Tirler who is the officer in charge of this activity) in pushing forward the research priorities and work programme. These three are ERCIM members: Thiery Priol (INRIA), Domenico Laforenza (CNR) and Keith Jeffery (CCLRC). Subsequently names were suggested to grow the group to the current 14 experts. This larger group includes Seif Haridi (SICS) and Ludek Matyska (CRCIM).

The group is working very productively. It has convened in two meetings to provide an expert's view on the five to seven year research priorities for the European context. The final report entitled 'Next Generation Grid(s) – European Grid Research 2005 - 2010' is now available on the CORDIS website at:
http://www.cordis.lu/ist/grids/under the heading 'GRIDs Highlights'.