The impact of human networks on communication technologies
A report documenting the main findings from the monitoring of nine Human Capital and Mobility research networks (HCM) in the field of communications technologies has recently been published. The study was carried out within the framework of the EU's RTD programme in the field of Human Capital and Mobility (HCM) and was undertaken at the time when the HCM networks finished their contracts and when their successors, the Training and Mobility of Researchers (TMR) networks, started to be operational. The aim of the study was to contribute to the reflection on the European added-value of the research networks activity by studying the role of Community financial support, the forms of organisation adopted by the partner research teams and the degree of their involvement in collaborative research. The theme of communication technology was particularly relevant given its transdisciplinary aspect, its strong social impact on everyday life and the proximity between research and market innovations. The report is divided into several sections which deal with the following: - General description and previous monitoring of communication technology networks; - Methodology of the impact study; - Organisation of the collaborative work; - Specific features of the communication technology training; - The industrial context of communications technology. In addition, descriptions of all the networks implied in the study, an example of a follow-up form for the monitoring of the networks and a list of topics examined in discussions between the monitoring experts and the networks are provided in the annexes to the report.