Downloadable studies, event
papers and reportsDownloadable studies, event
papers and reports
| El.pub News |
A free email alerter of the latest news items and associated URLs. |
|
File
Downloads - Please note
|
| File downloads from the El.pub site are currently suspended - the links however have not been updated to reflect this. If you would like access to a particular download file - please email webmasters@elpub.org with a suitable request confirming a description of the file you wish to download. |
Project Events/Meetings/Conferences/Workshops
IEP Concertation Events
IEP Sector 2nd Concertation Meeting
Luxembourg, October 23, 2002
IST within FP6 Information Day
Luxembourg, October 23-24, 2002
INFORM Events
VR World Congress VI
"Visions of Virtual Reality
& Interactive 3D
in European Commission Supported Projects"
Luxembourg
June 24-25, 2003
INFORM Workshop
"User Needs for Mobile Electronic Information Services"
Athens, Greece
20 March, 2003
Mobile Content Services Conference - "Content on the Move"
Media Plaza, Utrecht, The Netherlands
March 14, 2003
VR World Congress V
Paris, France, September 10-11, 2002Interactive Electronic Publishing Conference
"Multimedia Content & Tools: Towards Information & Knowledge Systems"
London, UK, May 30-31, 2002
Interactive Electronic Publishing Workshop on 6th Framework Programme
Barcelona, Spain, April 23, 2002
Consultation meetings
Cross Media
Luxembourg, 27 April 2000
Personalising Content
Luxembourg, 19 May 2000
EPIFOCAL Events
VR World Congress II
Barcelona, 27-29 June, 2001
EVA 2001 - "Electronic Imaging in the Visual Arts"
Florence, March 26-30, 2001 (IPR session)
Multimedia Contents and Tools "Open House" event
Luxembourg, 25-26 September, 2000
VR Futures: Awareness & Exploitation Workshop
London, 29 March, 2000
VR World Congress I
Brussels, 5-7 July, 1999
"Electronic Publishing in the 5th Framework Programme" Workshop
Luxembourg, 20 May, 1999
IESERV Events
"East - West Collaboration in the Development of Interactive Media Products" Conference
Budapest, Hungary, 9-11 May, 1999"Recent Developments in Standards for Electronic Publishing" Conference
Paris, France, 21 - 22 January 1999Web Usability and User Validation Workshop
Paderborn, Germany, 15-16 December, 1998Information Engineering Exploitation Planning Workshop
Brussels, Belgium, 9 July, 1998The potential of XML for Web-based applications
Sophia Antipolis, France, 23-24 October , 1997Designing successful websites: quality and usability
London, UK, 16 June, 1997
IST work programme 2000 (ISTAG)
ISTAG's final report, "Orientations for Workprogramme 2000 - and beyond", has been published on the web. The role of the IST Advisory Group (ISTAG) is to provide the European Commission with independent advice concerning the content and direction of research work to be carried out under the IST Programme.
This involves proposing guidelines for the detailed work programmes, including the timetable of calls for proposals, the criteria to be used for evaluating project proposals, and verifiable objectives for achieving the aims of the key actions. The groups also comment on the strategic nature and exploitation of the work to be carried out and on the analysis of results, with a view to a possible revision or reorientation of the work programmes. Full details of all FP5 Advisory groups, their mandate and membership can be found via the web page below.
ISTAG set up three working groups ("Convergent IST Applications and Services", "Ambient Intelligence" and "User-Friendly IST Applications and Services") to explore key topics that could in combination bring additional focus into the annual revisions of the workprogramme.
This final report consolidates the findings of the three working groups. The report, by intention, does not elaborate full technical details but rather provides strategic orientations and a number of illustrative examples that are relevant to the preparation of Workprogramme 2000.
The vision statement agreed by ISTAG members was to: "start creating an ambient intelligence landscape (for seamless delivery of services and applications) in Europe relying also upon testbeds and open source software, develop user-friendliness, and develop and converge the networking infrastructure in Europe to world-class". The vision for Ambient Intelligence arises from the convergence of three key technologies: "Ubiquitous Computing", "Ubiquitous Communication", and "Intelligent User-Friendly Interfaces".
The report proposes a number of actions to orient the IST workprogramme 2000 towards the vision, and indicates a number of selected topics identified as priorities by the ISTAG working groups: Human Interfaces and Natural Interaction, Network Technology and System Architectures, Mobile Webtone and Next Generation Internet. The importance of the availability of test-beds and usability test laboratories is also emphasised.
Multimedia Content & Tools Expert and Consultation meetings
The IST Programme Key Action Line III for Multimedia Content and Tools runs expert and consultation meetings to help in defining future directions of the work programme for research funding. These expert and consultation meetings involve invited experts along with Commission staff.
The European Commission are always interested to hear from experts who wish to be involved in this consultation process.
To give you an idea as to the sorts of projects being funded, and the organisations involved in the project work: draft outlines of 22 projects funded under the Multimedia Content and Tools first call, are available online, via an index page on El.pub.
The IST Work Programme also provides a good starting point as to current thinking.
If you would like to be cconsidered as an invited expert, please contact Pascal Jacques, European Commission's Information Society DG D1.
URL: Pascal Jacques, mailto:Pascal.JACQUES@cec.eu.int
URL: IST Work Programme http://www.cordis.lu/ist/workprogramme.htm
URL: MMCT project drafts base12.htm
Through the mechanism of Framework programmes and associated specific programmes such as IST the European Commission has been supporting the development of the Information Society in Europe through targeted RTD activities. The current 'Interactive Electronic Publishing' initiatives under Key Action III of the IST programme are an example of these targeted support measures. The objective of the meetings were to provide fora to debate the issues facing industry, to identify potential developments and to examine possible implementation mechanisms. In particular, the meetings aimed to identify opportunities for sustainable RTD pilot projects.
A first draft of the content of the future Key Action 3 initiative covering 'Ambient Knowledge and Interfaces' was presented for discussion. In summary, it states that:
"A key component of the programme vision is to enable all users to access knowledge and interact through visual, spoken multimodal and multilingual interfaces with knowledge that surrounds us, embodied not only in virtual objects but increasingly in physical objects (eg. surfaces or implants)."
Underpinning the vision is also the ability to design and construct complex knowledge spaces that are easily accessible and manageable, together with efficient service and business value chains. This requires, in particular, work on knowledge handling technology building on content that is increasingly multilingual and multicultural, interactive, context aware and location and time dependent. A paradigm-shift can be expected by transferring a large amount of the cognitive load for content processing from the user to the middleware infrastructure.
Research activities:
- Intelligent interfaces and surfaces: Natural multi-sensorial interfaces and interactive surfaces for an ambient landscape that is aware of our presence, personality and needs, and which is capable of responding intelligently to spoken or gestured indications of desire, and of mastering the communicative and cognitive features of intelligent dialogue.
- Knowledge handling tools: Many applications demand levels of performance and functionality that cannot be attained without built-in knowledge and self-learning capabilities. Methods for representation, organisation and sharing static and dynamic knowledge are required, such as taxonomies or ontologies, and tools for knowledge detection and extraction, in support of image analysis, object and event recognition, etc. Stimulation of testbeds and infrastructures for knowledge spaces.
- Semantic Web technologies: Enabling the next-generation Web, by developing and testing new semantic-based tools. Work will encompass tools for automated Web content processing and user-friendly information delivery, as well as scaleable Web applications capable of handling high volume and new types of content.
- Dynamic interactive content: Paving the way for future generations of interactive media products, services and marketplaces requires new cost-effective technologies for designing and delivering high-quality content across different media and platforms, wired and wireless. This gives rise to radically new forms of content for media and entertainment, e.g. fusing films, immersive TV, games and virtual reality.
- Technologies for multilingual and multicultural knowledge and communication: Enabling the cost effective provision of digital services meeting the requirements of linguistically and culturally diverse communities implies that the above topical areas are complemented by efforts specially directed towards cross-lingual content technologies for tailoring high-quality content to multilingual and multicultural markets, and for locating, profiling and assimilating knowledge across languages; and conversational interfaces enhancing the naturalness of human-computer interaction and the richness of technology-assisted interpersonal and business communication across languages and cultures.
The aim is to establish European leadership in ambient knowledge handling and intelligent interface technology, whilst empowering European companies, communities and citizens to access and exploit knowledge more effectively. Achieving these research goals depends on a number of additional structuring measures including networks of excellence (NoEs) to leverage on Europe's existing expertise and to promote training platforms, the building of shared repositories, data and metrics for technology development and testing. The activity will also support social and behavioural science across Europe.
Within the Scope of these expert group meetings interest is focussed on opportunities in the Dynamic Interactive Content initiative. To clarify further the planning for RTD funding over the next 5-7 year period the Commission gave a brief presentation of the expectations for implementation of FP6.
In summary the presentation pointed towards the need for input from expert groups to elaborate what:
- Position the EU needs to adopt in respect to this topic area?
- Are the key problems needing further research?
- Different efforts are taking place in Member States?
- Could be done at the EU level and why?
- Are the infrastructure needs for RTD?
- Effect will enlargement have on the issue?
- Mechanisms, or constituencies need to be used and incorporated into the planning?
A key component will be the creation of networks of excellence to derive industry inputs to drive forward initiatives.
Publishers Expert Group Meeting
EPIFOCAL in Association with IEPRC
March 2001The meeting comprised a cross section of invited experts from various fields in the Publishing Industries. To facilitate a free and open discussion in the short time available the agenda (see Appendix A) aimed to maximise opportunities for structured discussion. Each participant had an opportunity to present their perspective following the scene setting presentations of the Commission and moderator.
Most experts present represented not only publishers but also multiple media, multiple channel distributors. A round table introduction to clarify the interests of the experts was, therefore, undertaken, followed by a brief presentation of background ideas.
The morning session then followed an unstructured freethinking format to identify issues and opportunities facing the Publishing industries. For the afternoon session, each delegate was asked to put forward specific proposals to feed into policy development. Attention was drawn to the need to be sensitive to the various sectors of the interactive electronic publishing domain (books, magazines, newspapers, corporate, dotcoms, etc.). In particular, the group sought to identify drivers of the publishing business such as:
- Where knowledge management technology is going in the future.
- The Internet and the development of interactive TV.
- Legal regulatory issues over ownership.
- Mobile communications (Wireless).
- What is it as content people you want the supply chain to deliver for the future?
The group was also encouraged to be sensitive to the need for user interests to be incorporated into their thinking. In addition, despite the lack of representation by the advertising sector at the meeting, the group were conscious of a need to consider the implication changes here could have on the publishing industry, since this business funds much of the developments. The full meeting report can be downloaded from El.pub.
URL: download the meeting report (Word format) http://www.elpub.org/istag/publishing.doc
Broadcasting and Broadband Expert Group Meeting
EPIFOCAL in Association with Unexpected Media
April 2001The meeting comprised a cross section of invited experts from various fields in the Broadband and Broadcasting industry. To facilitate a free and open discussion in the short time available the agenda (see Appendix A) aimed to maximise opportunities for structured discussion. Each participant had an opportunity to present their perspective following the scene setting presentations of the Commission and moderator.
As a starting point in the discussion the group was encourage to examine the issues, concerns and opportunities created through application of broadband and broadcasting technologies. In particular, it was suggested that the group look for opportunities and strengths in EU, rather than adopt a negative 'barriers' approach to the brain storming. The full meeting report can be downloaded from El.pub.
URL: download the meeting report (Word format) http://www.elpub.org/istag/broadband.doc
Personalising content
The Consultation Meeting on "Personalising Content", which was held in Luxembourg on 19 May, 2000 has published it's findings. The meeting, organised by IST Programme Key Action Line III for Multimedia Content and Tools, and attended by representatives from European Commission and invited experts, will provide input into the IST Work Programme being developed for 2001 onwards.
The complete report, which is available for download from El.pub, as a PC-zipped RTF file (85KB), includes: a management summary, general conclusions, and introduction to the framework of consultation, five presentations on the subject of personalisation including: a market perspective, a technology perspective, a user perspective, a mobile and social perspective, a legal perspective.
There are recommendations for the sector concerning personalisation, based on discussions held during the meeting, along with some more general conclusions and recommendations.
URL: download the meeting report (RTF format) http://www.elpub.org/istag/personalising.rtf
URL: meeting agenda agenda18.htm
Creativity and the web
The report from the consultation meeting on "Creativity in the Context of Authoring Web Content", held in Luxembourg on the 17 March, 2000 has been published. The report focuses on the recommendations from the meeting, the purpose of which was to exchange views between invited experts and the Commission on how to facilitate the expression of "Creativity" in the IST programme.
The discussions made particular reference to interactive electronic publishing in general and the authoring of web content in particular. The experts were asked to advise on ways in which the expression of creativity could be improved within the context of authoring web content in the short, medium and long term.
To avoid debate about the meaning of "Creativity", the meeting adopted the following working definition: "Creativity is the use of the imagination to innovate in form, content and meaning. In the IST, it requires collaboration between technologists and creators who may come from a wide range of disciplines - visual, musical and performing arts; film and television; animation; literature and journalism; design; photography; etc."
To focus the discussion, the meeting addressed four Key Questions:
- How can we enable creativity within the current programme?
- What technologies will creative people need in a future environment of ubiquitous computing, ambient networks and intelligent interfaces?
- What are the possible methodologies for integrating creative practice with IST research procedures?
- What other actions can be taken to involve creative companies and individuals in IST activities?
The report summarises the advice of the group, by Key Question, with a preliminary section that contains recommendations of a more general nature. The recommendations are prefaced by a short positioning statement in those cases where some explanation, context or emphasis seems useful.
URL: download the Word version http://www.elpub.org/istag/creative.doc
"Creativity in content, publishing, culture and info-access" consultation meeting
The consultation meeting on: "Creativity in content, publishing, culture and info-access" was held in Luxembourg on September 14, 1999. Further information is available from the workshop agenda page on this site at: agenda14.htm.
A summary report from the meeting along with Powerpoint slides of presentations given, is now available for download as a PC-zipped file.
Slide presentations relating to the Key Action Line III have been included, along with the rapporteurs' conclusions of discussions held in relation to action lines: III.2.1 - III.2.2; III.2.3 - III.2.4; and III.5.
Download a Word version: http://www.elpub.org/istag/wp2.doc
Creating competitiveness, skills and jobs
This report gives a up-to-date picture of the electronic publishing sector in Europe, assessing it with regard to:
- worldwide competitiveness;
- it's current and potential for employment;
- the skills and training required by players in the industry.
Using statistics and studies from established sources, the report bases its findings on four of the top five countries with employees in the electronic publishing sector: France, Germany, Spain and the UK.
Download a copy directly from:
http://www.elpub.org/studies/idate.doc
http://www.elpub.org/studies/idate.pdf
Research Strategies
This report addresses the key competencies required by researchers and developers working in information engineering. It takes as its starting point the requirement for a new breed of professional in the media industries, capable of adding value to traditional content through the use of advanced technologies in its production, storage and delivery.
This report addresses the broader issues of a sector most vital to the quality of the information society. The focus is on presenting the business challenges and business models for, what the authors term, the Interactive Digital Media Services Industry. The report is based on the premise that content in the future will not be: a simple product for reception or reading, for production and reception; but will expanded to include interactivity and customised services.
Download a copy directly from:
http://www.elpub.org/studies/contch.doc
http://www.elpub.org/studies/contch.pdf
Technologies
The study provides an "impact assessment" of digital media, through evaluation of the significant base and application technologies which will shape the development of the media industry over the next five years. This work provides input into planning for the 5th RTD Framework Programme.
The media industry as defined in the report embraces: print, offline and online electronic publishing, broadcasting, film and advertising - segmenting these into three broader domains:
- consumer media;
- knowledge media;
- and corporate media.
The principal objectives of the study were to:
- assess the impact of technology on the development of interactive digital media;
- analyse the technology gap between what is required by media companies, media distributors and their 'customers', against what is available and usable;
- identify crucial areas of unmet and potential needs on which the 5th RTD Framework Programme could concentrate its spending.
Download a copy directly from:
http://www.elpub.org/studies/elpub203.doc
http://www.elpub.org/studies/elpub203.pdf
Policy
This report considers in detail the role of Information Engineering in the development of the publishing industry throughout Europe. By providing a detailed evaluation of the requirements for R&D in Germany and the support given to this through local government initiatives, the author provides insights into requirements for funding by European supported sectors such as Information Engineering.
Download a copy directly from:
http://www.elpub.org/studies/bred_en.doc (English Word doc)
http://www.elpub.org/studies/bred_en.pdf (English pdf doc)
http://www.elpub.org/studies/bred_de.doc (German Word doc)
http://www.elpub.org/studies/bred_de.pdf (German pdf doc)
"Bandwidth - key to the development of communication", is the title of a paper presented by Geoffrey Stephenson, coordinator of EPIFOCAL (the project supporting this web site), to the Digital Asset Management III Conference, held in London on March 5-7, 2000.
This is a follow-up paper to"Online virtual reality: stretching the technologies", presented at the Online Conference in London in December 1997 (see below), in which the author argued two points: that there was a latent demand for Internet access to applications that required much greater bandwidth for individual users than argued by most analysts at the time, and that such bandwidth was not likely to be available in the near term (under 5 years) primarily for technical reasons.
The conclusion has not changed but time has moved on. There is now general acceptance that there is demand for much greater bandwidth per user and the technical problems are giving way to commercial opportunities. The horizon for availability is now 2-3 years in Europe.
Abstract of the paper: The Internet and the digitisation of communication content are leading to changes in the organisation and economics of communication. Two years ago the future was uncertain for technical as much as commercial reasons. Today the technical position is becoming clear and investors have climbed on the Internet bandwagon. There is still uncertainty but today the questions are not so much "Is it possible?" or "Is there a market?", but "How can we exploit the opportunity?" and "Who will be the winners?".
"VR - a 3D vision" is the title of a paper presented by Geoffrey Stephenson, coordinator of EPIFOCAL (the project supporting this website), to the Virtual Reality in Education & Training (VRET '98) conference, held in London, in July, 1998. The short text version of his 40 minute digital video presentation, covering the main points, is available for download from: http://www.elpub.org/studies/vr3d.doc as a Word 7 file.
The paper considers virtual reality in the publishing environment and the problems to be faced by the R&D community if it is to develop. The author concludes with a stark warning that VR publishing should not simply be viewed as an extension of print publishing, a mistake made by the early publishers of CD-ROMs when they attempted to reuse content designed for a print environment in the new medium.
Online virtual reality: stretching the technologies is the title of the paper presented at the Online '97 Conference, 9 December 1997, London, UK by Geoffrey Stephenson (IESERV) and Roger Frampton, Cyber-Wizard, UK. The paper is available for download from: http://www.elpub.org/studies/onlinevr.doc as a Word 7 file.
Abstract of the paper: The success of the Internet and, in particular the World Wide Web, has led to an explosion in the use of online technology for information dissemination and both inter-company and inter-personnel communication. The imminent arrival of tele-shopping, electronic commerce, web-TV, network games, tele-working and other new applications are widely forecast. Many of these applications require simultaneous improvements in the underlying technologies that are not immediately available. The paper considers the requirements for the new applications and some proposed solutions.
This report constitutes a milestone in European entertainment software publishing and development. It summarises the presentations given by publishers and developers during a one-day workshop organised by CEC DG III at the end of 1996. The papers cover: platforms, tools, content and IPR and also contain notes from the discussions following the formal presentations.
Download a Word 6 copy from: http://www.elpub.org/studies/vg.doc
During 1995 the Information Engineering group, in DG XIII of the European Commission, commissioned a number of studies. These are available for download from the web site.
A study of the telecommunications infrastructure in European Community countries suitable for electronic publishing projects. The study was carried out by OVUM Ltd. and Fischer & Lorentz.
Sections: Introduction; Overview of high-speed networks; User requirements in electronic publishing; TELCO plans for network services; Alternative service providers; Research networks; Service interworking options; Network scenarios.
Download a Word 6 copy from http://www.elpub.org/studies/el101.doc
A review of existing telepublishing projects and a set of interviews with experts on the subject, carried out by TFPL.
Sections: Study objectives and methodology, Requirements of publishers, Review of telepublishing projects, Research projects and pilots, Conclusions, Appendices including reports of interviews.
Download a Word copy from http://www.elpub.org/studies/el104.doc
|
File
Downloads - Please note
|
| File downloads from the El.pub site are currently suspended - the links however have not been updated to reflect this. If you would like access to a particular download file - please email webmasters@elpub.org with a suitable request confirming a description of the file you wish to download. |
El.pub - Interactive
Electronic Publishing R & D News and Resources
We welcome feedback
and contributions to the information service, and proposals for subjects for
the news service (mail to: webmasters@elpub.org)
Edited by: Logical Events Limited - electronic marketing, search engine marketing, pay per click advertising, search engine optimisation, website optimisation consultants in London, UK. Visit our website at: www.logicalevents.org
Last up-dated: 16 February 2024
© 2024 Copyright and disclaimer El.pub and www.elpub.org are brand names owned by Logical Events Limited - no unauthorised use of them or the contents of this website is permitted without prior permission.