News
- Forum for the Information Society - Web Accessibility - 06/05/2011
The Web Content Accessibility for citizens with special needs was discussed at a session of the Forum for the Information Society held on the 5th of May of 2011, at the Auditorium of SIBS, organized jointly by the Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC), and the Association for the Promotion and Development of Information Society (APDSI).
This session of the Forum discussed the new Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0) approved by the W3C – World Wide Web Consortium in December 2008, which were published in Portuguese by UMIC on the 25th of February of 2009 (see Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG 2.0) of the W3C Published in Portuguese). Portuguese was the 3rd language in the world in which the new accessibility guidelines were published, only after the original English publication and an Hungarian translation published a few weeks before the Portuguese.
- 1st ceFIMS Project Newsletter - 19/02/2011
The 1st ceFIMS Project Newsletter was published on the 18th of February of 2011. The Special Feature of this Newsletter is the article "Cars That Talk: The Future of Intelligent Transportation Systems" which is subtitled "Portugal Has the Largest Vehicular Networks Testbed in Europe". The article refers to the network of 500 taxi cabs of Porto developed as part of the project DRIVE-IN - Distributed Routing and Infotainment through Inter-Vehicular Networking of the Carnegie Mellon – Portugal Program.
The DRIVE-IN project involves researchers from the universities of Porto and Aveiro, the Associate Laboratory Institute of Telecommunications, the enterprises NDrive and Geolink, and also the Institute for Mobility and Land Transport, the RadiTaxis Cooperative and the Carnegie Mellon – Portugal Program.
- Forum for the Information Society - Digital Economy - 09/10/2010
On the 12th October 2010, at the Portuguese Catholic University in Lisbon, it will be held the Forum for the Information Society – Digital Economy, jointly organized by ACEPI – Association Electronic Commerce and Interactive Advertising and the Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC) (see the Forum agenda (text in Portuguese) with links to presentations) as part of the Portugal |Internet Week’10 (text in Portuguese).
The purpose of this Forum is to discuss some of the main aspects of the Digital Economy, in the context of the Digital Agenda for Europe 2010-2020, launched on the 19th May 2010 by the European Commission Communication "A Digital Agenda for Europe" as the first flagship initiative of the Europe 2020 Strategy for Growth and Employment adopted by the European Council (text in Portuguese) on the 17th of June 2010 (see also European Council Sets Key Objectives of Europe 2020 Strategy for Employment and Growth (text in Portuguese) in the 26th of March 2010), and supported by the Council of EU on Transport, Telecommunications and Energy (text in Portuguese) of the 31st May 2010.
- 1st Brazil-Portugal International Cooperation in Nanotechnology Workshop - 17/07/2010
On 15-16 July 2010, the 1st Brazil-Portugal International Cooperation in Nanotechnology Workshop was held at the CBPF – Brazilian Center for Physics Research of the Ministry of Science and Technology, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, within the Protocol between the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education of the Portuguese Republic and the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Federative Republic of Brazil in Nanotechnology (text in Portuguese). This protocol was signed by Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education of Portugal, José Mariano Gago, and the Minister of Science and Technology of Brazil, Sergio Rezende, in a ceremony held at the Grémio Literário, Lisbon, on 10th October 2009, when they signed four cooperation agreements in areas of science, technology, innovation and information society (see Signing of Protocols on Cooperation in Science, Technology and Information Society between Portugal and Brazil).
- Forum for the Information Society - Internet Governance - 08/07/2010
On July 8, 2010, from 9:00 to 17:30, the Forum on the Information Society – Internet Governance took place at ISCTE-IUL, Edifício II, Auditório B203, Av. das Forças Armadas, Lisboa, (see the Forum program with links to presentations). This Forum was open to all interested participants.
The purpose of this forum, organized back-to-back with the public session of the World Internet Project (July 7, also at ISCTE-IUL, Edifício II, Auditório B203) by the Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC) in collaboration with the Foundation for National Scientific Computing (FCCN) and the Lisbon Internet and Networks Institute (LINI), was to discuss some of the main aspects of Internet Governance.
- Science 2010 – Meeting Science in Portugal: Themes relating to Nanoscience and Nanotechnology - 05/07/2010
As mentioned in the news item Science 2010 – Meeting Science in Portugal : Topics Related to the Internet of the Future, on the 4 and 7 July 2010 the 4th Meeting with Science will take place at the Centro de Congressos de Lisboa, in Junqueira, Lisbon. The sessions outlined in the SCIENCE 2010 Meeting Programme (text in Portuguese) will be webcast in audio and video in real time through FCCN – the Foundation for National Scientific Computation , and will be archived for hearing/viewing at any time. This Meeting brings together scientific institutions and companies to discuss some of the most important areas of scientific activity in Portugal, as well as scientific and technological advances in the following areas:
- Science 2010 – Meeting Science in Portugal : Topics Related to the Internet of the Future - 03/07/2010
The 4th Meeting with the Scientific Community in Portugal: Ciência 2010, organized by the Council of Associated Laboratories in collaboration with the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education, takes place on 4 and 7 July 2010 at the Centro de Congressos de Lisboa, Junqueira, Lisbon. The opening session begins on Sunday, 4 July at 16:00.
The sessions given at the SCIENCE 2010 Meeting Programme (text in Portuguese) are to be transmitted in real–time video and audio over the Internet (webcast) through FCCN - The Foundation for National Scientific Computation and will be archived for hearing/viewing at any time.
- Portugal Elected at OECD to Chair Group on Indicators for the Information Society - 18/06/2010
The President of The Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC), Luis Magalhães, was elected yesterday, 17.06.2010, chair of the WPIIS – Working Party on Indicators for the Information Society at the OECD in Paris. His mandate will commence on 1 January 2011.The WPIIS is one of four specialist groups set up under the committee dedicated to Information Society and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) policies, the Committee for Information, Computer and Communications Policy (ICCP), of which the President of UMIC, Luis Magalhães, has been Vice-Chair since the beginning of 2009.
- 1st Brainstorm on Smart Energy - 15/06/2010
On the 15th June 2010, the 1st Brainstorm on Smart Energy (micro site) was held at the Scientific and Cultural Centre of Macau, Lisbon, organized jointly by the Carnegie Mellon – Portugal Program, the MIT – Portugal Program, and the projects INOVGRID and MOBI.E. The meeting was co-chaired by Marija Ilic, Carnegie Mellon University, and Luis Magalhães, President of the Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC), had as Program Chair of the brainstorms, Inês Lima Azevedo (Carnegie Mellon University), as local organizers António Vidigal (EDP Innovation) and Luis Henriques (EDP Innovation), had the support of coordination of the Directors of the Carnegie Mellon – Portugal Program, José Moura (Carnegie Mellon University) and John Barros (IT / FEUP), and the Director of the MIT – Portugal Program, Paulo Ferrão (ISR Lisbon / IN + / IST).
- Information Session on the 3rd Call for Proposals for the Joint AAL Programme - 23/05/2010
On 4 June 2010, from 14:00 to 17:30, an Information Session was held on the 3rd Call for Proposals for the Joint AAL – Ambient Assisted Living Programme at LNEC – the National Civil Engineering Laboratory, Av. do Brasil, Lisbon, in the Small Auditorium alongside FCCN – the Foundation for National Scientific Computation. This session was organized by The Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC), with the collaboration of FCCN (see programme (text in Portuguese) which contains links to the presentations).
Participation at this informative session was free. However, given logistical requirements and the limited number of places available, those interested had to establish contact by 2 June, stating their interest in attending the session, by sending an email to the International Relations Department of UMIC at ri@umic.pt, and indicating both name and institutional affiliation.
The first announcement of this call for proposals was published on 23 April 2010. It stated that the Call for Proposals would remain open until 30 June 2010, up to 16:00 GMT. The second announcement was published on 20 May, and stated that the funds available for this 3rd Call were 54 million euro.
- "Infoday" in Brussels on the 3rd Call for Proposals for the AAL Joint Programme - 20/05/2010
On 31 May 2010 in Brussels, at the Marriott Hotel, Rue A Orts 3-7, an Infoday was held between 10:30 and 18:00 on the 3rd Call for Proposals for the Joint AAL – Ambient Assisted Living Programme, organised by the AAL Association, with a programme aimed at companies, R&D institutions and session for public administration bodies of the participating countries as part of the aforementioned Programme. Taking part in the Infoday was free, but required advanced registration by email as explained in the programme.
The first announcement of the 3rd Call for Proposals for the Joint AAL – Ambient Assisted Living Programme was published on 23 April 2010. It stated that the Call for Proposals would remain open until 30 June 2010, up to 16:00 GMT. The second announcement was published on 20 May, and stated that the funds available for this 3rd Call were 54 million euro.
- European Commission Communication "A Digital Agenda for Europe" - 19/05/2010
The European Commission published its Communication “A Digital Agenda for Europe” on 19.05.2010. It covers one of the emblematic initiatives of the European EU2020 strategy which is intended to continue European policies for the Information Society, succeeding the i2010 – A European Information Society for Growth and Employment initiative. (2005-2010).
The general goal of the Digital Agenda is to extract sustainable economic and social benefits from a digital single market, based on fast and ultra-fast Internet and interoperable applications.
- Future Internet – Challenges and Opportunities - 13/05/2010
A Future Internet – Challenges and Opportunities (text in Portuguese) workshop was held on 25 and 26 May 2010, at the Universidade de Aveiro, in the CIFOP – Integrated Teacher Training – Auditorium. It was organised by tice.pt – Information, Communication and Electronics Technologies Competitiveness and Technology Complex, and the opening session was attended by the President of The Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC).
The breakneck speed with which powerful information and communication infrastructures, social networks, interactive services and cyber-physical systems involving objects on the Internet through sensors and actuators have merged has created new research and development and economic and social progress opportunities, which are in dire need of being harnessed in a concerted fashion. The Future Internet is going to have an enormous impact on application areas including energy management, transport and environmental monitoring systems, health, boosting collaborative creativity in the arts and science, and extending people’s active lives, among others. The related scientific, economic and social opportunities are considerable and should be effectively explored.
- Forum for the Information Society - Future Internet - 10/05/2010
On May 10, 2010, at the Macau Scientific and Cultural Centre, Rua da Junqueira 30, Lisbon, between 9:00 and 17:45, the Forum for the Information Society – Internet of the Future will take place (see Forum Program (in Portuguese)). The Forum is open to all interested parties.
The main objective of this Forum, organized by the Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC) with the support of Profs. Joao de Barros (Carnegie Mellon – Portugal Program, IT and FEUP) and Rui Aguiar (IT, U. Aveiro), is to get together expertise in strategic areas for the development of Future Internet, a subject on which there has been since 2006 a special national support, in particular within the international partnership programs of Portugal with some of the world leading institutions but also within other programs, to discuss the opportunities opening up in Future Internet technologies, applications and services.
- Development Days: Knowledge, Empowerment and Technology Transfer - 20/04/2010
The 3rd “Development Days” (site in Portuguese), an initiative of the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, sponsored by IPAD – Portuguese Development Support Institute, IP, were held on 21-22 April 2010 in the Pavilhão do Rio at the Centro de Congressos de Lisboa, Junqueira. As part of the programme, the “Knowledge, Empowerment and Technology Transfer” Conference (text in Portuguese) was held on 22 April, from 3pm to 5pm for all interested parties in the Pavilion. It was organised by The Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC), of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education, in partnership with IPAD. This Conference focussed on different aspect of Portuguese development cooperation in the fields of science, technology and higher education knowledge, empowerment and technology transfer.
- Partnership Building Open Event: "The Future Internet Public-Private-Partnership" - 28/02/2010
A partnership building open event, The Future Internet Public-Private-Partnership: When smart technologies connect people, was held on 12 March 2010 in Acropolis, Nice, France. The European Commission published its Communication “A public-private partnership on the Future Internet” on 28 October 2009 in which it underscores the importance of building a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) for the Future Internet and it made a commitment to kick-starting this initiative by earmarking 300 million Euros from the 7th Framework Programme for Research of the European Union (EU) for 2010-2013. A call for proposals is planned for this area in July 2010.
- Innovation Forum on Future Internet Technologies and Services (NET-FIT) - 19/02/2010
The Carnegie Mellon – Portugal Program hosts on February 23, 2010, at Forum Telecom, Picoas, Lisbon, the Innovation Forum on Future Internet Technologies and Services (NET-FIT). The goal of this event is to prepare the launching of a Thematic Network on these topics in order to gather the expertise of Portuguese research centers, private companies and government agencies with the objective of placing Portugal at the forefront of innovation in key technologies and services for the Future Internet.
- Innovation Forum on Services and Technologies for Interactive Media (NET-STIM) - 18/02/2010
The Carnegie Mellon – Portugal Program hosts on February 24, 2010, at Pavilhão do Conhecimento Ciência Viva, Parque das Nações, Lisbon, the Innovation Forum on Services and Technologies for Interactive Media (NET-STIM). The goal of this event is to prepare the launching of a Thematic Network on these topics in order to gather the expertise of Portuguese research centers, private companies and government agencies with the objective of creating in Portugal innovation cluster in advanced services and technologies for interactive media.
- Innovation Network on Security and Critical Infrastructure Protection (NET-SCIP) - 18/02/2010
The Carnegie Mellon – Portugal Program hosts on February 22, 2010, at the University of Coimbra Auditorium, Coimbra, the Innovation Network on Security and Critical Infrastructure Protection (NET-SCIP). The goal of this event is to prepare the launching of a Thematic Network, joining together the expertise of Portuguese research centers, private companies and government agencies for developing in Portugal comparative advantages technologies and services for network security and critical infrastructures protection.
- 4th CIP–ICT PSP Community Programme Call - 24/01/2010
The 4th call for projects was launched on 21 January 2010 with a financial envelope of 107 million Euros in the scope of the Community Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Policy Support Programme, otherwise known as CIP–ICT PSP, in the following themes:
- ICT for a low-carbon economy and smart mobility:
- Digital libraries;
- ICT for health and inclusion;
- Open innovation for future Internet services in Smart Cities;
- ICTs to improve public services for citizens and Enterprises;
- Multilingual Internet.
The deadline for tenders for this call ended on 1 June 2010 (at 4pm GMT).
- “Infoday” in Brussels on the 4th CIP–ICT PSP Community Programme Call - 07/01/2010
An Infoday (Information Day on the fourth Call for Proposals of the ICT Policy Support Programme) was organised by the European Commission on 14 January 2010 in Brussels. The agenda was addressed to all the companies, R&D institutions and public administration bodies taking part in the aforementioned Programme, as was announced at the Information Session on the 4th call of the Community CIP–ICT PSP Programme organised by The Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC) on 27 November 2009. There was no fee to take part in the Infoday but participants had to register online.
An ICT PSP Theme 4 Constituency building workshop: Open Innovation for Future Internet-enabled services in "smart" cities was also held in Brussels, this time on 15 January 2010, which participants had to register for in advance by email as indicated on the page accessible via the previous link. This theme presupposes the adoption of the European Commission model for Living Labs.
The European Commission organised a specific Infoday in Luxemburg on 4 February 2010 on Theme 2 of the call, CIP IC –PSP Digital Libraries, focussed on “Europeana ", open access to scientific information and digitalisation of cultural heritage statistics. Participants had to fill out the respective registration form to take part in the Infoday.
- Training for EU Member States National CIP-ICT PSP Contact Points - 26/11/2009
The Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC) held a Training Session for National CIP-ICT PSP Contact Points of the Member States of the European Union (EU) on 26 November 2009 in conjunction with eServices Europa, which works for the European Commission in this area. The session took place on the margins of the Information Session on the 4th call of the Community CIP–ICT PSP Programme on 27 November 2009.
The aims of this training session are to develop competences in business, marketing and information dissemination strategies and intellectual property in CIP –ICT PSP projects, and further contacts between the National CIP – ICT PSP Contact Points of the different Member States to enable more entities to take part in this Community programme.
- Information Session on the 4th call of the Community CIP–ICT PSP Programme - 25/11/2009
An Information Session was held on 27 November 2009 at the Centro de Congressos,Taguspark, Porto Salvo, in the small Núcleo Central auditorium on the 4th call for projects under the Community Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Policy Support Programme, otherwise known as CIP–ICT PSP (ICT Policy Support Programme (ICT PSP) under the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme – CIP). Thiswill be launched by the European Commission in January 2010 with 107 million Euros earmarked in funding for the following themes (see Information Session Agenda (text in Portuguese) with links to the respective presentations):
- ICT for a low-carbon economy and smart mobility;
- Digital libraries;
- ICT for health and inclusion;
- Open innovation for future Internet services in Smart Cities;
- ICTs to improve public services for citizens and enterprises;
- Multilingual Internet.
- ICT, Innovation and Knowledge - 4th Meeting on the UN's Millennium Development Goals and ICT - 30/10/2009
The 4th Meeting on the UN’s Millennium Development Goals and ICT was held on 3-4 November 2009, at the Centro de Congressos at FIL – Lisbon Industrial Trade Fair in the Parque das Nações. The meeting was dedicated to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), Innovation and Knowledge. This meeting is part of the initiatives involving public bodies, enterprises and civil society to prepare contributions for the Iberia - Latin America Heads of State and Government Summit (site in Portuguese). It was jointly organised by The Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC) and AHCIET – Hispanic-American Association of Research Centers & Telecom Enterprises, a private not-for-profit organisation set up by more than 50 telecommunications operators and enterprises.
Some 100 specialists from 17 Iberian and Latin American countries discussed cooperation in Future of the Internet knowledge and innovation fields.
The meeting’s objective is to analyse policies stimulating ICT innovation and knowledge, involving the public and private sectors: public administrations, international organisations, universities, scientific institutions, enterprises and non-governmental organisations active in the ICT area.
- Portugal and Brazil Sign Scientific, Technology and Information Society Agreements - 11/10/2009
The Portuguese Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education, José Mariano Gago, and the Brazilian Minister of Science and Technology, Sérgio Rezende, signed five cooperation agreements on science, technology, innovation and the information society at the Grémio Literário Literary Club on 10 October 2010:
- Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry for Science, Technology and Higher Education of the Portuguese Republic and the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Federal Republic of Brazil on strengthening the Portuguese language in the Information Society through open/free access scientific repositories, provision of resources for computer processing of the Portuguese language, assessment of Web content in Portuguese and Web archiving (text in Portuguese);
- Agreement between the Ministry for Science, Technology and Higher Education of the Portuguese Republic and the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Federal Republic of Brazil on Distributed GRID Computing (text in Portuguese);
- Agreement between the Ministry for Science, Technology and Higher Education of the Portuguese Republic and the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Federal Republic of Brazil on nanotechnology (text in Portuguese);
- Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry for Science, Technology and Higher Education of the Portuguese Republic and the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Federal Republic of Brazil on research support material in Social and Human Sciences in the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP) (text in Portuguese);
- Agreement between the Ministry for Science, Technology and Higher Education of the Portuguese Republic and the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Federal Republic of Brazil on joint participation in EUREKA and IBEROEKA projects (text in Portuguese);
- Science 2009 - Meeting with Science in Portugal: Topics of Future Internet Highlighted - 29/07/2009
The 3rd Meeting with Science in Portugal, organized by the Council of Associate Laboratories in collaboration with the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education will take place 29-30 July 2009 in the Gulbenkian Foundation headquarters building in Lisbon. The opening session will count with the participation of the Prime Minister and of the Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education.
- New R&D Institute Created in Madeira within the Carnegie Mellon – Portugal Program - 23/07/2009
University of Madeira, Madeira Technopole and Carnegie Mellon University sign, on July 23, 2009, a protocol for creating a new private R&D institute in the area of Information and Communication Technologies, Madeira – Interactive Technologies Institute (Madeira - ITI), in a ceremony in the presence of the Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education, José Mariano Gago, and the Secretary of State of Science, Technology and Higher Education, Manuel Heitor. The creation of this institute had been proposed at the 5th meeting of the Board of Directors of the Carnegie Mellon – Portugal Program, chaired by Luis Magalhães, President of the Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC) and held at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, USA, on the 27th and 28th of May 2009.
- IBM Science Prize 2008 - 22/07/2009
The 2008 IBM Science Prize (text in Portuguese) awards ceremony took place on 22 July 2009 in the Salão Nobre room of the Instituto Superior Técnico, in Lisbon, at a ceremony chaired by the Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education, José Mariano Gago. The ceremony was also attended by the President of the Science and Technology Foundation (FCT), João Sentieiro, and the President of The Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC), Luis Magalhães.
- INL Opens Its Doors: Portugal and Spain Want To Be among the Leading Nations in Nanotechnology - 17/07/2009
Less than four years after Portugal and Spain have signed an agreement to create this R&D laboratory, in November 2005, the building of the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory was officially inaugurated on July 17, 2009. This laboratory will be the 1st in the world with an international legal status with States as members which is specially dedicated to nanotechnology, thus offering the best conditions for the most talented researchers from around the world to develop top research in nanotechnology. It is also the 1st international laboratory in the Iberian Peninsula in any area of research, leading to Portugal and Spain to enter the restricted group of countries that have such research international organizations in their territory.
- 6th Meeting of the INL Board - 19/06/2009
The Board of the INL - International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, meeting in Madrid on 16 June 2009, ratified the research collaboration agreement between the INL and MIT (see INL and MIT launch programme to recruit senior researchers), analysed the proposal to open calls for scientific equipment, examined the 2008 financial report , discussed the progress report presented by the Director-General, and noted the state of preparation of the draft INL rules of procedure.
The INL, which is currently being built in Braga, is a joint Portuguese – Spanish initiative. It is the first international scientific organisation on the Iberian Peninsula and the first, and thus far the only, nanotechnology scientific organisation with international legal status.
The Board comprises: Luis Magalhães, President of The Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC), João Sentieiro, President of the Science and Technology Foundation (FCT), Carolina Rego Costa, Jurist, Assistant to the Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education, on behalf of Portugal, and José Manuel Labastida, Secretary-General for Science and Technology Policy, Montserrat Torné, Director-General for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Innovation and Science, and Fernando Briones, Research Professor at the Higher Scientific Research Council Agency, representing Spain. The Director-General of the INL is Prof. José Rivas (text in Portuguese) and the Deputy Director-General is Prof. Paulo Freitas (text in Portuguese).
- Portuguese Experts in Conference on Sensor Networks Organized by OECD - 06/06/2009
On 8-9 of June 2009, in Lisbon, an OECD Experts Conference was organized, with the support of Portugal, on Using Sensor-Based Networks to Address Global Issues: Policy Opportunities and Challenges. The conference was chaired by Luis Magalhães, President of the Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC) of the Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education, and Vice Chair of the Committee for Information, Computer and Communications Policy (ICCP), the OECD committee involved in organizing the conference. This conference includes sessions on the following themes:
- Health and elderly care
- Protection of the environment
- Transportation
- Policy discussion: Public policies in innovation, research, privacy, security and interoperability.
- INL and MIT Launch Joint Program for the Recruitment of Senior Researchers - 29/05/2009
The International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL), located in Braga, and MIT – Massachusetts Institute of Technology signed an agreement on 30 May 2009 for a joint Program for the recruitment of Senior Researchers and for collaboration concerning particularly promising research leading to scientific contributions of major international relevance for nanoscience and nanotechnology.
This cooperation agreement is the result of detailed preparation work of more than one year which has involved three bilateral meetings (1st INL-MIT Meeting, 2nd INL-MIT Meeting, 3rd INL-MIT Meeting) and numerous other contacts which have involved contacts from MIT and INL and which were mediated by the Ministry for Science, Technology and Higher Education. The agreement foresees the joint hiring of 10 Senior Researchers for the INL who will have periods of working at MIT and at the INL on joint projects and jointly selected themes and which will have major relevance for nanomedicine and nanoscientific applications monitoring the environment, energy systems and control of food quality. The agreement was signed by the Director-General of the INL, José Rivas, and by the Dean of the School of Engineering at MIT, Subra Suresh.
- Portugal Participates in the OECD High Level Conference: ICTs, the Environment and Climate Change - 27/05/2009
The High-level OECD Conference: ICTs, the Environment and Climate Change takes place on 27th -28th May 2009 in Helsingør, Denmark. It was jointly organised by the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation and the OECD in the scope of the OECD’s Information, Computers and Communication Policy Committee (ICCP) of which the President of UMIC, Luis Magalhães, is one of the Vice Presidents (see Meeting of the OECD’s Information, Computers and Communication Policy Committee (57th meeting) and President of UMIC elected Vice President of the OECD's ICCP Committee).
Portugal took part at the Conference after a suggestion tabled by Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC) to the OECD’s Information, Computers and Communication Policy Committee (ICCP) Secretariat, namely through Paulo Ferrão, Director of the MIT – Portugal Program, who presented an intervention on ICT innovations for sustainable urban infrastructures at the “Clean Technologies for Greener Urban Growth” session.
- “Microsoft” Invited Chair - 25/05/2009
On 25 May 2009 a public meeting took place at the Pavilion of Knowledge (Pavilhão do Conhecimento), Parque das Nações. Lisbon, held in the presence of the Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education, José Mariano Gago and the Director-General of Microsoft Portugal, Nuno Duarte, where the “Microsoft” Invited Chair project was presented in the area of information and communication systems applied to the health sector, thus setting forth one of the items envisaged in the Memorandum of Understanding between Microsoft and the Portuguese State on October 2008 (see Microsoft Research Chair and Microsoft Software for Higher Education Students).
- Visit of the Director of “Components and Systems” for DGINFSO to Research Units - 14/05/2009
On 14-15 May 2009, Thierry van der Pyl, Director of Components and Systems of the Directorate-General of the Information Society and Media (DGINFSO) of the European Commission visited Portugal at the invitation of the Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC). The Directorate-General of Components and Systems of DGINFSO is responsible for part of the support R&D activities in nanotechnology under the scope of the 7th Framework Programmeme for Research and Technological Development of the European Union.
Thierry van der Pyl was accompanied on his visit by Professor Luis Melo, Coordinator of the Portuguese Network for Nanosciences and Nanotechnology within the Science and Technology Foundation (FCT). During his two-day stay he visited 7 research units carrying out work in nanosciences and nanotechnologies, located in Taipas, Guimarães, Porto, Aveiro and Lisbon, that is, 4 units and two Associated Laboratories for Nanotechnology and 3 units which form part of Associated Laboratories in other areas (Materials Science and Engineering, Biotechnology and Health Sciences) which carry out significant work in nanotechnology.
- Launching of the Future Internet Forum in Prague - 12/05/2009
The launch meeting for the FIF – Future Internet Forum was held on 12 May 2009, focussing on R&D and innovation policies to enable Member States and Associate Countries to exchange best-practices and experience, to overcome fragmentation of efforts and to seek to forge cross-cutting synergies for programmes and initiatives financed at national and EU level.
The Future Internet Forum’s role and responsibilities dovetail with those of other existing groups and fora, such as the National ICT Research Directors Forum, the i2010 High Level Group, the CIP-PCP Committee, the FP7 ICT Committee (ICTC), the FP7 IST Advisory Group (ISTAG), etc. (Portugal is represented at the first three by The Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC), and represented at the first two by the President of UMIC), with whom the FIF shall endeavour to encourage regular collaboration and information exchange.
- Conference on the Future of the Internet in Prague - 11/05/2009
As part of the Czech presidency of the European Union, the Future of the Internet Conference was held in Prague on 11 -13 May 2009. Its objectives were to analyse the strategic guidelines and trends shaping future Internet- and Online Mobility-based social and economic developments and to put forward ideas and projects of interest in this area.
This conference comes at a time when the Internet as we know it has been identified as being at a crossroads. Interactive and collaborative Internet applications are growing like wildfire. Mobility has emerged as a key social requirement. More than ever before, an increasing number of businesses and services are Internet-centred: transport, health, energy and the environment, oil and gas, banks, entertainment. However, people are increasingly realising that the current architectural Internet technologies may not be able to support such wide-ranging growth from an information service to a critical infrastructure on which lives and economies depend.
- 13th Meeting of the OECD Working Party on Indicators for the Information Society - 23/04/2009
The 13th Meeting of the OECD Working Party on Indicators for the Information Society (WPIIS) of the OECD’s Information, Computers and Communication Policy Committee (ICCP) was held on 23rd – 24th April 2009 in Paris.
The meeting agenda included information and proposals from Member States on ICT measures, the potential for synergies between private and official statistics, the OECD’s Innovation Strategy, the response to the economic and financial crisis for sustainable recovery, the outcomes of the PISA study on ICT and education, the key factors for household spending on ICT, analysis of the role of ICT in transmitting knowledge, analysis of innovation encouraged by ICT, a proposal to update the definition of eCommerce, measuring the relationship between ICT and the environment, ICT statistics and global trade, ICT indicators in the health sectors and gauging the social impact of ICT.
- EIT Call for Tenders for Knowledge and Innovation Communities - 23/04/2009
The 1st EIT- European Institute of Innovation and Technology Call for Tenders for Knowledge and Innovation Communities is open until 5 pm on 27th August 2009.
This call is intended to select the first two or three Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KIC) and encompasses the following three areas:
- mitigating and adapting to climate change
- sustainable energy
- information and communication society of the future.
- European Union National ICT Research Directors Forum, Prague - 22/04/2009
The half-yearly meeting of the National ICT Research Directors Forum was held on 20th April 2009 in Prague, Czech Republic. This forum hosts Directors-General responsible for the Information and Communication Technologies area in the 27 EU Member States and the external associate countries of the EU Framework Research Programme.
- 1st Euro-Africa Cooperation Forum on ICT Research - 27/03/2009
The 1st Euro-Africa Cooperation Forum on ICT Research was held on 25th and 26th March 2009 in Brussels. It was organised by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for the Information Society and Media, with the support of the African Union Commission and the EuroAfrica-ICT project of the EU’s 7th Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7).
- “Alcatel-Lucent” Invited Chair - 21/03/2009
The announcement (in Portuguese) of the opening of a public tender to enter into a contracted Programmeme with one or several scientific institutions working together with institutions of higher education has been made. This envisages the co-financing of the Alcatel-Lucent Invited Chair by Alcatel-Lucent Portugal and by Science and Technology Foundation (FCT), within the scope of the Invited Chairs Programme of this body which was launched at the Science 2008: More Scientists for Portugal, session held at the University of Aveiro on 10 May 2008.
- Seminar Series on ICT Policy Research (7th session) - 12/03/2009
The 7th seminar in the series on research into public ICT policies, held under the scope of the Carnegie Mellon – Portugal Program and financed by Science and Technology Foundation (FCT), took place on 17 March 2009 at the Instituto Superior Técnico.
The seminar, held within the context of the Partnerships for the Future, activity, had as its theme “How Do Mobile-Voice Operators Compete? IVQR Estimates” with the speaker Ricardo Cabral from the University of Madeira. This was co-organised by the Institute for Robotic Systems - Lisbon and by Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC).
- Invited Chair “Atsutoshi Nishida” - 09/03/2009
The official announcement (in Portuguese) of the opening of a public tender to enter into a contracted Programme with one or several scientific institutions working together with institutions of higher education has been made. This envisages the co-financing of the Invited Chair “Atsutoshi Nishida” by Toshiba Portugal and by Science and Technology Foundation (FCT), within the scope of the Invited Chairs Programme (in Portuguese) of this body which was launched at the Science 2008: More Scientists for Portugal (text in Portuguese) session held at the University of Aveiro on 10 May 2008.
- 5th Meeting of the INL Board - 01/03/2009
The Board of the INL – International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, meeting in Lisbon on 1 March 2009, approved the adjudication proposals presented by the Director-General for the construction work related to fittings, networks, special infrastructures and external finishings and their respective fiscalisation, and also approved the proposal of the Director-General regarding adjustments to the duration and cost of the construction work for the building’s infrastructure, underground networks, roof and façades, and also approved the proposal to open tenders for scientific equipment. It also analysed and debated the report of the 2nd Meeting of the International Scientific Council of INL held on 23 January 2008, in Braga, considered the 2008 activity report, the 2009 activity plan and the proposed budget for 2009, and took note on and discussed the progress report presented by the Director-General.
- Call for tenders for Ambient Assisted Living for the Elderly Projects - 23/02/2009
The 2nd call for tenders in the scope of the AAL – Ambient Assisted Living Programme was launched on 11th February 2009, for R&D projects in Information and Communication Technologies Solutions for Advancing Social Interaction for the Elderly, which closed on 5th May 2009.
The Meeting of the Working Party on the Content of the 2nd Call for Tenders for the AAL Programme (text in Portuguese), which was organised on 11th – 12th September 2008 by the Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC), helped define the terms of reference for this call for tenders.
- OECD Workshop on Measuring Mobile/Wireless Service Data - 22/02/2009
The OECD-ANACOM Expert Workshop on Measuring Mobile/Wireless Service Data was staged on 19th -20th February 2009 at Culturgest, Lisbon. It was organised in the scope of the WPCISP – Working Party on Communication Infrastructure and Services of the OECD’s ICCP – Information, Computer and Communication Policy Committee. The objective of this workshop is to produce a methodology to obtain data on wireless broadband service subscriptions, categorising bandwidth differences and data transfer limits, and comparing prices.
- Sun Microsystems Portugal Research Network and the Sun Academic Initiative - 10/02/2009
The aim of the Sun Microsystems Portugal Research Network is to foster research experiments into new digital systems for Portuguese universities in the Sun Labs (California, USA) and for researchers from Sun Labs and North American universities in research centres in Portugal. A protocol to this effect was signed on 10 February 2009, at the Caparica Campus of the New University of Lisbon, by the President of the Science and Technology Foundation (FCT), João Sentieiro, by the President of Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC), Luís Magalhães, and the Director-General of Sun Microsystems Portugal, Jorge Salamanca, in a ceremony attended by the Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education, José Mariano Gago.
- Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (2007 - 2013) - 09/02/2009
A call for tenders was opened in the scope of the Information and Communication Technologies Policy Support Programme (2007-2013) on 29th January 2009 for the following topics and objectives:
- ICT for health, ageing and Inclusion (ICT for patient-centred health services, Innovative eHealth tools and services in real life – learning together, ICT for ageing well / independent living, e-Accessibility thematic network);
- Digital Libraries (European Digital Library - services, European Digital Library – aggregating digital content in Europeana, European Digital Library – Digitising content for Europeana, Open access to scientific information, Use of cultural heritage material for education);
- 3rd INL – MIT Meeting - 26/01/2009
On 26 January 2009, a meeting took place in Lisbon between senior figures from the INL – Iberian International Nanotechnology Laboratory and MIT – Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with the aim of drawing up an INL-MIT Collaboration Programmeme, with long term strategic objectives and joint activities in the short term, thus continuing the contacts started at the 1st INL-MIT Meeting which was held on 31 October at MIT, in Cambridge, USA , and continued in the 2nd INL-MIT Meeting which was held on 22 November, in the Forum Ciência Viva 2008, in Lisbon.
- 2nd Meeting of the INL International Scientific Council - 23/01/2009
The International Scientific Council of the INL – International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory met in Braga on 23 January 2009 to consider its activities regarding the establishment of this new international laboratory.
The meeting was attended by the President of the INL Board and President of the Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC), Luis Magalhães, the Director-General, José Rivas and the Deputy Director-General, Paulo Freitas.
The members of the INL International Scientific Council are:
- 4th Meeting of the INL Board - 07/01/2009
The Board of the INL – International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, meeting in Madrid on 7 January 2009, approved the adjudication decisions regarding the contracts for the proposed project operators by the Director-General, delegations of power to the Director-General and provisional regulations for contracting, as well as considering the report of the Director-General on the activities carried out, and analysed the first draft of the staff regulations.
The INL is currently under construction in Braga, and is a joint initiative between Portugal and Spain. It is the first international scientific organisation in the Iberian Peninsula and also the first, and until now the only, scientific organisation within the area of nanotechnology with an international legal status.
- Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education Visits INL Construction Works - 18/12/2008
The Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education visited the construction work for the INL – International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory on 19 December 2008, which was started in July of this year in Braga, on a plot of land of approximately 47 500 m2, given for this purpose by the Braga Municipal Council.
The INL is the first, and until now the only, research organisation within the area of nanoscience and nanotechnology with a legal status which is completely international.
The INL – International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory was set up through the joint initiative of Spain and Portugal at the 21st Luso-Spanish Summit, held in November 2005, in Evora. With its headquarters in Braga, the Laboratory will develop scientific policy and recruit internationally renowned researchers and be open in the future to the participation of more countries from Europe and other continents. It is envisaged that there will be around 200 researchers and will involve a total of 400 people, including the technicians, PhD and Post-Doc researchers.
- ZON Prize for Multimedia Creativity - 15/12/2008
The Prize to Stimulate Research into Digital Applications and Content (text in Portuguese), co-financed by ZON and by Science and Technology Foundation (FCT) and by CoLab – International Collaboration for Emerging Technologies set up within the scope of the UTexas Austin – Portugal Program which is taking place as part of the Partnerships for the Future initiative, was awarded on 15 December 2008 in Estoril. This prize seeks to promote innovation and award excellence, stimulate and deepen research in the area of digital applications and content.
- European Union National ICT Research Directors Forum, Lyon - 26/11/2008
The half-yearly meeting of the National ICT Research Directors Forum was held on 26th November in Lyon, France. This forum comprises the Directors-General responsible for Information and Communication Technologies in the 27 EU Member States and associate countries under the EU Framework Programme for Research.
- 2nd INL-MIT Meeting - 22/11/2008
On 22 November, a meeting was held at the premises of the Forum Ciência Viva 2008 (text in Portuguese) in Lisbon between senior figures from the INL – International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, and MIT – Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with the aim of establishing an agreement concerning the preparatory work necessary for an INL-MIT Collaboration Programme, with long term strategic objectives and joint activities in the short term, thus continuing the contacts started at the 1st INL-MIT Meeting which was held on 31 October at MIT, in Cambridge, USA .
INL was represented at the meeting by the President of its Board, Luis Magalhães, its Director-General, José Rivas, and the Deputy Director-General, Pedro Freitas, and MIT was represented by the Dean of the School of Engineering, Subra Suresh, and the Director of the MIT-Portugal Programme at MIT, Daniel Roos.
- 16th European Public Health Conference Starts in Lisbon - 06/11/2008
The annual meeting of the European Public Health Association (EUPHA), on the topic Health and Innovation in the European Space, took place in the Centre for Congresses in Junqueira (the former FIL), Lisbon, from 6 to 8 November 2008, and was organised by the Portuguese Association for the Promotion of Public Health (Associação Portuguesa para a Promoção da Saúde Pública - APPSP), a founder member of the organisation. Around 1,200 individuals participated in the conference, coming from numerous countries.
After the opening ceremony chaired by the Minister of Health, the 1st Plenary Session had as its theme “Innovation, Knowledge and Citizens – Science promoting health and preventing disease, and the citizen” and was opened by an invited paper given by the President of Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC) on the Transfer of Scientific Knowledge to health professionals and citizens.
- 1st INL-MIT Meeting - 31/10/2008
Senior figures from the INL – International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory and MIT – Massachusetts Institute of Technology, met at MIT, in Cambridge, USA on 31 October 2008 with the aim of exploring possibilities of collaboration between the two institutions.
INL was represented at the meeting by the President of its Board, Luis Magalhães, its Director-General, José Rivas, and the Deputy Director-General, Pedro Freitas, and MIT was represented by the Dean of the School of Engineering, Subra Suresh, the Director of the Microsystems Technology Lab (MTL), Anantha Chandrakasan, the Director of the Materials Processing Center (MPC), Carl Thompson, the Director of the Center for Material Science and Engineering (CMSE), Michael Rubner, the Director of the International Innovation Initiative (I3), Charles Cooney, the Associate Dean of Engineering for Research, Karen Gleason, and the Director of the MIT-Portugal Programme at MIT, Daniel Roos.
- Ministerial Conference on the Internet of the Future - 08/10/2008
A Ministerial Conference on the Internet of the Future was held in Nice, France, on 6 October 2008 promoted by the French Presidency of the European Union. At the same time and in the same place, the conference entitled Internet of Things – Internet of the Future took place on 6 and 7 October.
- Toshiba Research and Learning Network - 06/10/2008
A ceremony was held on 7th October 2008 between 11am and 12pm at the Pavilhão do Conhecimento, Parque das Nações, Lisbon, presided over by the Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education, José Mariano Gago and attended by the President and CEO of TOSHIBA, Atsutoshi Nishida, where a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Science and Technology Foundation (FCT), Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC), Ciência Viva – National Agency for Scientific and Technology Culture, and Toshiba-Portugal regarding an investment by Toshiba in Portugal of roughly 1 million Euros over 3 to 5 years, shared out between the following actions:
- Microsoft Research Chair and Microsoft Software for Higher Education Students - 03/10/2008
A Memorandum of Understanding between Microsoft and the Portuguese State was signed on 3rd October 2008 at a ceremony at the Lisbon Centro de Congressos presided over by the Prime Minister, José Sócrates, and attended by the CEO of the Microsoft Corporation, Steve Ballmer. This includes, among other measures, as regards the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education:
- Seminar Series on ICT Policy Research (6th session) - 01/10/2008
The 6th seminar in the series on research into public ICT policies, held under the scope of the Carnegie Mellon - Portugal Program and financed by Science and Technology Foundation (FCT), took place on 7 October 2008, at 18:00, at the Instituto Superior Técnico.
The seminar took place as part of the Partnerships for the Future project with the theme “Technology adoption with forward-looking agents” and with the speaker Filomena Garcia from ISEG – Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestão. This was co-organised by the Institute for Robotic Systems - Lisbon and by Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC).
- 16th European Public Health Conference - 11/08/2008
The annual meeting of the European Public Health Association (EUPHA) takes place from 6 to 8 November 2008 at the Centro de Congressos de Lisboa, Junqueira (formerly the FIL). This year’s event is organised by the Portuguese Association for the Promotion of Public Health (APPSP), a founding member of the aforementioned organisation, and is dedicated to the topic “Health and Innovation in Europe”.
Five plenary sessions are planned in the conference programme, with different parallel sessions, together with the Innovation Fair and European iHealth Innovation Bank exhibitions. Three pre-events are held on the afternoon of the 5 and morning of the 6 November: 1) ASPHER – Association of Public Health Schools in the European Region annual conference; 2) SESPAS – Spanish Public Health and Health Administration Society biannual meeting; 3) APDH – Portuguese Association for Hospital Development and International Hospital Congress annual meeting.
- 3rd Meeting of the INL Board - 27/06/2008
The Board of the INL - International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, meeting in Madrid on 27 June 2008, approved the proposals for awarding the tenders for infrastructure and underground networks construction and the respective inspection work presented by the Director-General. It also approved the launch of calls for tender for the final construction work, special equipment, furniture and the respective inspection work. Additionally, the Director-General's report on activities undertaken was examined.
The INL, which is currently being built in Braga, is a joint Portuguese – Spanish initiative. It is the first international scientific organisation on the Iberian Peninsula and the first, and thus far the only, nanotechnology scientific organisation with international legal status.
- Bell Laboratories in Portugal - 20/06/2008
On 20 June 2008, at a ceremony held between 10:00 and 11:30 in the Pavilion of Knowledge and chaired by the Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education, José Mariano Gago, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the Science and Technology Foundation (FCT) and The Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC), with Alcatel-Lucent Portugal and Bell Labs (Bell Labs), which is also part of the Alcatel-Lucent international group.
- INL Board designates top-level management and defines Laboratory's initial guidelines - 30/05/2008
The Board of the INL - International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, meeting in Lisbon on 28 May 2008, designated the top-level management and laid down the initial guidelines for operating the laboratory.
The INL, which is currently being built in Braga, is a joint Portuguese – Spanish initiative. It is the first international scientific organisation on the Iberian Peninsula and the first, and thus far the only, nanotechnology scientific organisation with international legal status.
The INL Board unanimously approved the following nominations: Prof. José Rivas for Director-General, Prof. Paulo Freitas for Deputy Director-General, Prof. Luis Magalhães for Chairman of the Board, and Prof. Montserrat Torné as Vice-Chairman of the Board.
- European Union National ICT Directors Forum, Ljubljana - 12/05/2008
The half-yearly meeting of the National ICT Directors General Forum was held on 14 May 2008 in Ljubljana, Slovenia. This forum hosts Directors-General responsible for the Information and Communication Technologies area in the 27 EU Member States and the external associate countries of the EU Framework Research Programme.
- Seminar Series on ICT Policy Research (5th session) - 23/04/2008
The 5th seminar in the Series of Seminars on Research into Public ICT Policies under the framework of the Carnegie Mellon - Portugal Program financed by Science and Technology Foundation (FCT), took place on 23 April 2008 at 17:00 at IST-Lisbon.
The topic of the seminar, held in the context of the Knowledge Networks action, was "Competition in the Cable Television Industry" and the speaker was Ricardo Ribeiro from the London School of Economics. This was co-organised by the Institute for Robotic Systems - Lisbon and by The Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC).
- Joint Portuguese and Spanish Nanotechnology Network Meeting - 13/04/2008
The Portuguese and Spanish nanotechnology networks - PortugalNano and NanoSpain respectively - jointly organised their PortugalNano Workshop ’08 and NanoSpain 2008 meetings in Braga, Portugal, from 14 to 18 April 2008. The main objective of these meetings as a NanoIberian Conference is to reinforce links between the researchers and institutions of the two countries’ networks and to provide an opportunity for discussion of the latest nanoscience and nanotechnology developments in the two countries.
The meeting took place in Braga, as it is where the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory is located - the first, and thus far the only, nanoscience and nanotechnology scientific research organisation with full international legal status. The INL was set up as part of a joint initiative by Spain and Portugal taken in Évora in 2005 during the 21st Portugal-Spain Summit. Its Foundation ceremony took place at the 23rd Portugal - Spain Summit (text in Portuguese) held in Braga on 18 – 19 January 2008. Located in Braga, the Laboratory shall develop a scientific policy and recruit its researchers globally and with a worldwide scope. The project will be open to participation by other European countries and countries from other continents in the future. The 1st INL construction contract was launched on 11 March 2008. - Applications and Digital Content Research Stimulus Prize - 03/04/2008
The Science and Technology Foundation (FCT), the UT Austin – Portugal Programme, and the company ZON Multimédia launched an Applications and Digital Content Research Stimulus Prize on 3 April 2008 at a ceremony celebrating the agreement signed at the vice-chancellor’s office of the Universidade do Porto.
- Seminar Series on ICT Policy Research (4th session) - 31/03/2008
The 4th seminar in the Series of Seminars on Research into Public ICT Policies under the framework of the Carnegie Mellon - Portugal Program and financed by the Science and Technology Foundation (FCT), took place on 9 April 2008 at 17:00 at IST-Lisbon.
The topic of the seminar, held in the context of the Knowledge Networks activity, was "Capital Structure and Regulation: Does Ownership Matter?" and the speaker was Professor Yossi Spigel, Associate Professor of the Recanati Graduate School of Business Administration, Tel Aviv University. This was co-organised by the Institute for Robotic Systems - Lisbon and by The Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC).
- Seminar Series on ICT Policy Research (3rd session) - 15/03/2008
The 3rd seminar in the Series of Seminars on Research into Public ICT Policies under the framework of the Carnegie Mellon-Portugal Program and financed by Science and Technology Foundation (FCT), took place on 25 March 2008 at 18:00 at IST-Lisbon.
The seminar, held in the context of the Knowledge Networks activities, had as its theme "Dynamic Price Competition with Network Effects" and the speaker was Professor Luis Cabral, W.R.Berkley Term Professor of Economics and Business and Professor of Management and Organizations at the Stern Business School of New York University. This seminar was co-organised by the Institute for Robotic Systems - Lisbon and by The Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC).
- 1st INL construction contract launched - 11/03/2008
The 1st INL - International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory construction contract was launched on 11 March 2008 with the publication of the Notice of International Public Consultation for the Completion of the Contract for Demolition, Foundations, Structures and Subterranean Networks, Cover, Façades and External Window Frames in the Official Journal of the European Union and Portuguese and Spanish journals.
The INL - International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory is the first, and thus far the only, nanoscience and nanotechnology scientific research organisation with full international legal status. It was created under a joint Spanish and Portuguese initiative at the 21st Portugal – Spain Summit, held in Évora in 2005. Located in Braga, the Laboratory will develop a scientific policy and recruit its researchers globally and with a worldwide scope. The project will be open to participation by other European countries and countries from other continents in the future.
- Seminar Series on ICT Policy Research (2nd session) - 05/03/2008
The second seminar in the Series of Seminars on Research into Public ICT Policies under the framework of the Carnegie Mellon - Portugal Program and financed by Science and Technology Foundation (FCT), took place on 12 March 2008 at 17:00 at IST-Lisbon.
The seminar, which was held as a Knowledge Networks activity, was given on the theme " Network Externalities Mediated by Rates: Is Regulatory intervention Good?" with the speaker being Professor Steffen Hoernig, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Economics, New University of Lisbon. This was co-organised by the Institute for Robotic Systems - Lisbon and by The Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC).
- Seminar Series on ICT Policy Research - 20/02/2008
The first seminar of a Series of Seminars on Research into Public ICT Policies held as part of the Carnegie Mellon – Portugal programme and financed by Science and Technology Foundation (FCT), took place on 27 February 2008 at 18:00.
The seminar, which was held as part of the Knowledge Networks activities, was on the theme of “ Real-Time Spectrum Sharing and Secondary Markets” and the speaker was Professor Jon M. Peha, Associate Director of the Center for Wireless and Broadband Networking of Carnegie Mellon University(CMU). This was jointly organized by IST-Lisbon and The Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC).
- Headquarters Agreement for the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory - 18/01/2008
The Headquarters Agreement for this laboratory, as an international organization, and the Portuguese State, was signed in Braga on 18 January 2008 at the site of the future premises of the INL – International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (as seen using Google Earth), during the 23rd Portugal-Spain Summit, in the presence of the Portuguese Prime Minister, José Sócrates, the President of the Spanish Government, José Luis Zapatero, and the ministers from the two countries’ delegations at the said summit.
This Agreement gives the Laboratory the necessary conditions to pursue its objectives and activities independently and effectively, and governs its relationship with the Portuguese State, in particular laying down privileges and immunities.
- Joint Potuguese and Galician PhD Program in Nanomedicine - 15/01/2008
On 16 January 2008 at 11:30 a cooperation protocol was signed in the University of Porto between the Portuguese Universities of Aveiro, Porto and Minho and the Galician Universities A Coruña, Santiago de Compostela and Vigo, which established a Joint PHD program in Nanomedicine, with enrolments having opened for 2008.
This initiative involves 18 Portuguese technological research and development institutions, including the 10 Associated Laboratories, and is open to other institutions, companies and research centres wishing to make a relevant contribution to its aims, and in particular with the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL).
- Meeting of the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory's International Academic Board - 27/11/2007
The International Academic Board of the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL) is meeting at the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education on 3rd December 2007 to assess the work setting up this new international laboratory. The Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education, José Mariano Gago, will take part in the opening of this Board meeting.
The INL’s International Academic Board includes:
- High Level Conference on Nanotechnologies - 16/11/2007
The High Level Conference on Nanotechnologies is being held on 20th –21st November 2007 in Braga. It is being jointly organised by Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC), the Science and Technology Foundation (FCT), the Setting-up Committee of the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL) and the European Commission’s Directorates-General for Research, Technology and Development and the Information Society and Media.
This conference, conducted in the scope of the Portuguese Presidency of the EU, will be attended by the Portuguese Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education, José Mariano Gago, Spain’s Minister for Education and Science, Mercedes Cabrera Calvo-Sotelo, the Commissioner for Information Society and Media, Viviane Reding, and the Commisioner for Research, Janez Potocnik.
- 9 committees and councils of various EU programmes meeting in Braga - 16/11/2007
On 19th November 2007, the day before the High Level Conference on Nanotechnologies, 9 committees and councils of various EU programmes are meeting in Braga. These include the half-yearly Forum of National ICT Directors-General of the European Union and 3 meetings of European Technology Platform committees and councils, namely:
- European Union National ICT Research Directors Forum, Braga - 16/11/2007
The half-yearly National ICT Research Directors Forum of the European Union will be held on 19th November 2007 in Braga, the day before the High Level Conference on Nanotechnologies. This forum brings together the Directors-General responsible for the field of Information and Communication Technologies in the 27 Member States of the EU and external countries associated with the EU’s Framework Research Programme.
- "On RFID – The next step to THE INTERNET OF THINGS" Conference and Exhibition - 28/10/2007
The On RFID – The next step to THE INTERNET OF THINGS Conference is being held on 15th –16th November 2007 in Lisbon under the Portuguese Presidency of the EU and with the support of the European Commission. It is being jointly organised by the Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC), IAPMEI – SME and Innovation Support Institute and the Portuguese company Link Consulting. It is also being publicly sponsored by the Science and Technology Foundation (FCT), ANACOM – National Communications Authority, IST - Instituto Superior Técnico, and Universidade do Minho, in addition to several companies.
The conference’s Organising Committee comprises:
- Launch of the 2nd Wave of Living Labs - 10/10/2007
The launch of the 2nd Wave of the European Network of Living Labs is taking place in Brussels on 17th October 2007 under the Portuguese Presidency of the EU at the event: “Co-creative Research, Development and Innovation to Connect the Lisbon Strategy to People: Launch of the 2nd wave of the European Network of Living Labs”.
- Call for tender for Preparatory Actions for Urban Networks for Competitiveness and Innovation - 06/10/2007
The Directorate-General for Spatial Planning and Urban Development has launched a call for tenders (text in Portuguese) closing on 16th November 2007 for Preparatory Action projects for cooperation between cities with a view to setting up Urban Networks for Competitiveness and Innovation, under the POLIS XXI Cities Policy (text in Portuguese).
- Portugal in the Ambient Assisted Living Association set up in Brussels - 18/09/2007
The Ambient Assisted Living Association was set up in Brussels on 19th September 2007 to manage European R&D projects in the area of intelligent ambient assisted living based on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), which shall be co-funded under the European Union’s Research Framework Programme.
Portugal is represented in the new association by Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC), which joins as one of the founding members. The association includes founding members from the following countries: Germany, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, the Netherlands, Hungary, Ireland, Israel; Italy; Portugal and Sweden. Norway, Poland, the United Kingdom and Switzerland plan to join the association at a later date.
- Fraunhofer Institute to be located in Porto - 09/07/2007
The Steering Committee of the Fraunhofer - Portugal Program has decided to locate the Fraunhofer Institute near the University of Porto (text in Portuguese), following an assessment by Fraunhofer Gesellschaft of proposals received from various Portuguese universities, which involved visits to and face-to-face interaction with those responsible. As such, another decisive step has been taken in the setting up in Portugal of the first Fraunhofer Institute to be located outside Germany.
The Launching of the Fraunhofer – Portugal Program took place on April 18, 2007, under the framework of the Knowledge Networks activities, with the signing of an agreement between the Science and Technology Foundation (FCT), The Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC) and FhG – Fraunhofer Gesellshaft – the company that manages 56 applied research laboratories in Germany and is the largest applied research organization in Europe.
- "RFID: Towards the internet of things" Conference, Berlin - 25/06/2007
The “RFID: Towards the internet of things” Conference is being held on 25th-26th June 2007 in Berlin under the German Presidency of the EU, organised in conjunction by the German Federal Ministry of the Economy and Technology, the Federal Ministry of Education and the European Commission.
The background paper for the conference is the European Policy Outlook RFID publication and the event will be attended by the Parliamentary Secretary of State at the Federal Ministry of the Economy and Technology, Peter Hintze, the Secretary of State at the Federal Ministry of the Economy and Technology, Bernd Pfaffenbach, the Secretary of State at the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Johann Hahlen, the Director-General for Key Technologies – Research and Innovation at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Wolf-Dieter Lukas, all from Germany, and the Head of Cabinet for the Information Society and Media at the European Commission, Rudolf Strohmeier.
- Information and Communication Technology Policy Support Programme (2007-2013) - 24/05/2007
The Information and Communication Technology Policy Support Programme (ICT PSP) aims to speed up sustainable development in a competitive, innovative and inclusive information society. It is one of the three specific programmes belonging to the EU's Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme.
The first call for ICT PSP proposals will run from 25th May to 23rd October 2007.
The budget for the ICT PSP 2007 Working Programme will be 65.5 M€ and will focus on the following themes:
- National ICT Research Directors Forum and High Level Event on ICT R&D and Globalisation, Berlin - 23/04/2007
A meeting of the National ICT Research Directors Forum will be held on 23rd April 2007 in Berlin under the German Presidency of the EU where EU Member States and EU Framework Research Programme associate countries will be represented by the Directorates-General responsible for Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) research.
Portugal will be represented by the President of Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC) at the National ICT Research Directors Forum.
- The EU Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (2007-2013) - 30/01/2007
The EU Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP – Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme) came into force following a Decision of the European Parliament and Council, on 24 October 2006, and covers the period 2007-2013, with a budget of approximately 3.6 billion euros.
The Internet regularly publishes calls for tenders for EIP, calls for tenders for ICT PSP and calls for tender for IEE.
The Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP) seeks to contribute towards the EU’s competitiveness and potential for innovation as an advanced knowledge society. It has the following objectives:
- Calls Open for the EU's 7th Research Framework Programme - 04/01/2007
Calls for proposals have been launched for several of the Information and Communication Technologies topic objectives. More information can be found at CORDIS FP7.
Challenge 1: Pervasive and Trusted Network and Service Infrastructures
The network of the future, Service and software architectures, infrastructures and engineering, ICT in support of the networked enterprise, Secure, dependable and trusted infrastructures, Networked media;
- International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory - 26/11/2006
The 23rd November 2006 meeting of the Council of Ministers approved the creation of the Setting-up Committee for the Iberian International Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL) as a private non-profit making public utility association Its respective statutes were also approved. From the Portuguese side, the associates are the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education, via the Science and Technology Foundation (FCT) and the Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC), and on the Spanish side, the Ministry of Education and Science, represented by its Secretary General’s Office for Scientific and Technological Policies.
The Setting-up Committee’s objective is to carry out all additional action required for setting up the INL. It is its responsibility to launch international calls for tender for the design and/or construction of the premises, hiring of scientific and administrative staff, as well as preparing and carrying out the scientific activity programme until the INL starts operating.
- Open Source Software Agreement - 09/03/2006
At the Forum for the Information Society held in Aveiro on 10th March 2006, Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC) and the company Sun Microsystems signed a cooperation agreement on making open source software freely available to researchers, professors, students and civil servants conducting any activities related to teaching, research and the development of information technologies.
- European Union National ICT Research Directors Forum, Brussels - 11/10/2005
The half-yearly meeting of the National ICT Research Directors Forum was held in Brussels, Belgium on 11 October 2005. This forum hosts Directors-General responsible for the Information and Communication Technologies area in the 27 EU Member States and the external associate countries of the EU Framework Research Programme.