EITC 97 - Convergence: Creating the future
24 November 1997 - 24 November 1997
Belgium
EITC 97, the European Information Technologies Conference and Exhibition, will take place in Brussels, Belgium, from 24 to 26 November 1997. This annual event is organized by the European Commission, DG III, within the framework of the ESPRIT programme.
The theme of EITC 97 will be "Convergence: Creating the future". The main part of the conference will look at the convergence of industries such as telecommunications, broadcasting, IT and publishing, which have until recently been largely distinct. Such sectoral convergence is based on technological convergence, stemming from digitalization. This trend not only offers massive opportunities for the development of new services and the expansion of consumer choice, but will also lead to changes in the way people work, play, do business, learn and socialize.
New interactive services, such as interactive TV and Internet trading, are the subject of intense research and trials. The growth in new cross-sectoral alliances of companies, developed in this process, is leading to pressure for adaptation of the regulatory framework. In addition, governing the nature of the content disseminated through on-line services, as well as publishing and access rights to new media, also raises considerable concerns. All of these aspects will be discussed during the conference, at which the keynote speech will be given by Nicholas Negroponte, director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab.
The final day of EITC 97 will include a presentation of the Commission's plans for the "Information Society Technologies" programme under the Fifth RTD Framework Programme. A number of parallel workshops and forums will cover topics such as research networks, multimedia content, mobility and electronic commerce. In addition, the "Access to Finance" sessions will introduce IT innovators looking for venture capital to the markets through a range of workshops and presentations. There will also be an Investment Forum, by invitation, to introduce venture capitalists to selected high-tech SMEs.
At the EITC 97 exhibition a selection of products developed by R&D projects and take-up actions will demonstrate the range and potential of support from the ESPRIT programme. The 1997 European IT Prizes (see RCN 7487 or CORDIS Focus No 78, p. 2) will be presented at the conference by the President of the European Commission, Jacques Santer. The finalists' entries will also be on display in the exhibition throughout the conference.
For further information, please contact:
European Commission
DG III - Industry
EITC 97 Conference Secretariat
200 rue de la Loi (SC15 6/35)
B-1049 Brussels
Fax +32-2-2991926
E-mail: eitc97@dg3.cec.be
Full information, including a registration form, may also be found on the CORDIS World Wide Web server, at:
http://cordis.europa.eu/esprit/src/eitc97.htm
The theme of EITC 97 will be "Convergence: Creating the future". The main part of the conference will look at the convergence of industries such as telecommunications, broadcasting, IT and publishing, which have until recently been largely distinct. Such sectoral convergence is based on technological convergence, stemming from digitalization. This trend not only offers massive opportunities for the development of new services and the expansion of consumer choice, but will also lead to changes in the way people work, play, do business, learn and socialize.
New interactive services, such as interactive TV and Internet trading, are the subject of intense research and trials. The growth in new cross-sectoral alliances of companies, developed in this process, is leading to pressure for adaptation of the regulatory framework. In addition, governing the nature of the content disseminated through on-line services, as well as publishing and access rights to new media, also raises considerable concerns. All of these aspects will be discussed during the conference, at which the keynote speech will be given by Nicholas Negroponte, director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab.
The final day of EITC 97 will include a presentation of the Commission's plans for the "Information Society Technologies" programme under the Fifth RTD Framework Programme. A number of parallel workshops and forums will cover topics such as research networks, multimedia content, mobility and electronic commerce. In addition, the "Access to Finance" sessions will introduce IT innovators looking for venture capital to the markets through a range of workshops and presentations. There will also be an Investment Forum, by invitation, to introduce venture capitalists to selected high-tech SMEs.
At the EITC 97 exhibition a selection of products developed by R&D projects and take-up actions will demonstrate the range and potential of support from the ESPRIT programme. The 1997 European IT Prizes (see RCN 7487 or CORDIS Focus No 78, p. 2) will be presented at the conference by the President of the European Commission, Jacques Santer. The finalists' entries will also be on display in the exhibition throughout the conference.
For further information, please contact:
European Commission
DG III - Industry
EITC 97 Conference Secretariat
200 rue de la Loi (SC15 6/35)
B-1049 Brussels
Fax +32-2-2991926
E-mail: eitc97@dg3.cec.be
Full information, including a registration form, may also be found on the CORDIS World Wide Web server, at:
http://cordis.europa.eu/esprit/src/eitc97.htm