Information Engineering - 18 new projects to be approved
Eighteen new Information Engineering projects are currently under negotiation following the fourth call for proposals launched under the Community's Telematics Applications programme (OJ No S 244 of 17.12.1996 p. 55). The eighteen projects selected following completion of the evaluation procedure are all due to start by the end of the year. In keeping with the focus on the developing Information Society, the new projects will benefit users from many walks of life, including, industry, researchers, citizens and policy makers. Several of the projects will deal with the issue of information overload by delivering improved systems for managing, publishing and personalizing multimedia information. The projects to be funded (pending completion of contract negotiations) are as follows: - EUROGATHERER and PAIR (feasibility project) propose software agent based retrieval tools for professional information seekers and processors, making information structure and location as transparent as possible; - EXTRAMINT (feasibility project) offers a multi-level intelligent filtering and distribution system which retains the publishers selective role but allows corporate users to personalize the content inside an Intranet; - HAWK provides integration and reuse of existing and new multimedia repositories, enabling European publishers to produce a broad spectrum of targeted and tailored products and services; - INFOMALL (feasibility project) aims to define and specify an application that provides intelligent asset management for information provider and distribution companies, user organisations and end users; - MADMUD will develop digital/multimedia methods of museum administration facilitating better interaction between museums and better flow of information between museums and the public; - MIRAGE will develop a comprehensive digital multimedia development environment for the concurrent production of online/audio and TV information programmes; - HIPM-FAMILY will provide a hybrid interactive publishing model for family entertainment based on CD-ROM, DVD, Internet and Virtual Reality; - STARLAB (feasibility project) will develop a model for a network of European media centres with an emphasis on match-making business, technical and creative skills with industry demand; - ADFORA (feasibility project) will create an EU forum, featuring leaders in the advertising supply chain, to network knowledge and experiment with new media technology; - MWW will deliver an authoritative and integrated mixed media resource on the Global Information Society, exemplifying best practice through prototypes, research and workshops. Five new main phase pilot applications have emerged from the preliminary phase pilots run under the first call in Information Engineering. They have used the feasibility period to better define their applications and their user communities: - GISEDI will provide a European trading infrastructure, which will help users to locate and to purchase geographical information; - NESSTAR offers integrated distributed databases of economic and social data through a common interface; - HYPDOC will provide improved means to interchange technical documentation and data among SMEs; - PROMIS will demonstrate electronic press and information services using a wireless broadcast delivery system to distribute local content; - PROCAT-GEN proposes a system for the preparation and network delivery of multimedia product catalogues for engineering components. Two support actions have been selected that will support projects either through direct services or by investigating issues that have significant implications for the projects: - IESERV2 is a concertation action that will provide information on project activities, results of projects and changes in the Information Engineering environment and promote take-up of results; - UPI will develop a manual offering comprehensive information on best practice methods for user and customer validation throughout the project life-cycle. These projects, mainly pilot applications and support actions, bring many new actors to the programme, including players from the new media and broadcasting sectors. The budget to be allocated by the EU amounts to over ECU 10 million.