New Research Will Improve Access to Multimedia Services
aceMedia is an integrated project to build tools that will make it easier for users to create, find, consume, re-use and communicate multimedia content. This is the first time a consortium of experts have been brought together on such a large scale to allow Europe to acquire a leadership role in methods of derivation, application, and exploitation of knowledge as applied to content processing, communication and consumption - technologies central to the knowledge economy. Bringing together the collective multimedia expertise of aceMedia consortium members to drive research on next generation tools and management for multimedia content will establish the EU as a leader in this field", said Dr Paola Hobson from Motorola, project co-ordinator for aceMedia. In order to simplify the user experience, the aceMedia project will focus its efforts on knowledge discovery and self-adaptability embedded into media content, which will allow it to be self organising, self annotating and more readily searched." The central concept of aceMedia is the idea of an Autonomous Content Entity (ACE). An ACE has three layers: the content itself, its associated metadata, and an "intelligence" layer, consisting of distributed functions that enable the content to reformat and present itself according to its context the network, the user terminal, and user preferences. This will generate value and benefits for end users, content providers, network operators, and multimedia equipment manufacturers, by introducing, developing and implementing a system based on an innovative concept of knowledge assisted, adaptive multimedia content management, addressing user needs. aceMedia is exactly the type of project the Framework Programme was designed to help, says Peter Walters, UK National Contact Point for IST within the EUs 6th Framework Programme. By providing almost 50% funding towards the total cost of the project it has enabled Europes leading experts in this field to work together and ensure we are at the forefront of the development of communication technology. The Framework Programmes are the EUs main vehicle for support of leading edge, internationally collaborative R&D. The current Framework Programme (FP6) runs until 2006 and organisations wanting free information on how to access some of the 19bn (euros) available should log on to http://fp6uk.ost.gov.uk(opens in new window) or call central telephone support on 0870 600 6080. For more information on aceMedia, visit http://www.acemedia.orgThe EU's Framework Programmes are the worlds largest, publicly funded, research and technological development programmes. The Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) covers the period 2002-2006 and is the European Unions main instrument for the funding of collaborative research and innovation. It is open to public and private entities of all sizes in the EU and a number of non-EU countries. It has an overall budget of 19 billion. Most of the budget for FP6 is devoted to work in seven priority thematic areas:,? Life sciences, Genetics and Biotechnology for Health;,? Information Society Technologies;,? Nanotechnologies and Nanosciences, Knowledgebased Multifunctional Materials and New Production Processes and Devices;,? Aeronautics and Space;,? Food Quality and Safety;,? Sustainable Development, Global Change and Ecosystems; and,? Citizens and Governance in a Knowledge-based Society. There is also a focus on the research activities of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) across all seven thematic areas. The services of FP6UK are provided by the Office of Science & Technology (OST) / Department of Trade & Industry (DTI). More information can be found on http://fp6uk.ost.gov.uk(opens in new window) IST Programme ,The IST Priority Thematic Area (PTA) of the 6th Framework Programme (FP6) is the largest of the seven PTA's - with a budget of 3.822bn over the lifetime of FP6. Over 400 projects will arise from the first and second calls, with call budgets of 1070m and 525m respectively. The 3rd Call for proposals was one of three separate calls in the IST domain that have a closing date of 15 October - including a Joint Call with the Nanotechnologies, Materials and Production technologies area. Further calls for 1bn and 800m are expected late 2004 and mid 2005.
Countries
United Kingdom