Call for tender for telematics applications study
The European Commission, DG XIII, has published a call for tender for a study entitled "Options for interregional cooperation in the transfer and customization of telematics applications". Given that the diffusion and use of advanced telecommunications services is of ever-increasing importance to overall economic competitiveness (in the context of the evolving information society), there is a need to identify specific types of application transfer or diffusion measures that could be exploited in the framework of Community initiatives or directly via Article 10 of the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) Regulation. This allows for the funding of certain interregional applications, building on the results of the STAR programme (special telecommunications actions for regional development) and TELEMATIQUE, a Community initiative to support the development of data-communications services and applications in the less-favoured regions (Objective 1) of the Community. The specific study objectives are: - To identify and evaluate the feasibility, sustainability and potential benefits of a number of interregional telematic application projects; - To prepare a detailed plan for the launching of a number of pilot projects for which start-up funding might be available but which should be self-sustaining in the long term. The tasks include: - The identification of telematic applications which facilitate interregional cooperation; - A thorough examination of the conditions for transferability; - A detailed application pilot project planning. For further information please contact: European Commission Directorate-General for Telecommunications, Information Market and Exploitation of Research DG XIII/A Mr. P. Picard (BU 9/5-173) 200 rue de la Loi B-1049 Brussels Tel. +32-2-2968342; Fax +32-2-2968393