Europe's Biggest Research Event for Information and Communication Technologies

• Presents Europe's future priorities for research funding in the ICT area
• Examines crucial issues of public policy for stimulating innovation through ICT development and uptake
• Creates opportunities to establish research and business partnerships and simply keep up to date in what is happening in various ICT research fields.

The ICT Event is organised by the European Commission's Directorate General for the Information Society and Media and is usually hosted by the current Presidency of the European Union.

ICT 2008 Conference Themes

• Inventing the Future: ICT technologies for the future, featuring:
  Major current research trends in information and communication technologies (ICT) such as ICT-bio and nano, photonics, cognition robotics and ICTs for general science.
  The 2009-2010 Work Programme for ICT research in the EU's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) will be presented in detail. Other sources of EU research funding for ICT will also be examined, including the new Joint Technology Initiatives (JTIs) and the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (CIP). These initiatives together represent more than €2 billion in EU support for ICT research over the next two years.
• Innovative Europe: new markets, new sectors, new players
  The Conference will seek to involve new actors in the development of next generation ICT and to ensure the expansion of existing businesses. In the spotlight: SMEs, new business sectors and creative industries. The relationship between research and successful innovation will be critically examined. Mobilising and inspiring today's young people as potential researchers and innovators of the future will also receive special attention.
• Impact through Policy:
  Focus on effective public policies to stimulate ICT research and innovation for growth and sustainable development. This will include issues such as Community and public research spending, the creation of conditions favourable to innovation and better coordination of the European research effort in ICT.

ICT 2008 Exhibition

• Cutting-edge ICT research from European labs
• Inventive market solutions from French and international industry
• An "innovator village" focusing on successful small and medium-sized enterprises
• Visible participation by European venture capitalists

Exhibitors at ICT 2008 will be selected following a call for proposals. Full details will be published on this website in March 2008. You will be able to submit your proposals via website. The selection Committee will announce the successful candidates approximately two months after the call for proposals closes.

Networking: build future partnerships

• Get involved! Propose a networking session.
  ICT 2008 will provide opportunities to meet and discuss possible research activities with potential partners interested in similar areas of work. Networking sessions are specifically designed to facilitate such contacts.
  This aspect of ICT Events has always proved extremely attractive. Over 300 suggestions for networking sessions were received for IST 2006, of which over 100 eventually took place.
• Have your say - submit your comments
  The call for networking proposals will be published on this website in March 2008. Researchers, innovators and engineers from all ICT fields are invited to suggest pertinent themes for networking sessions. You will be able to submit your proposals via the website.
  A first draft of proposals received will be published to allow the community to react and submit comments. The level of interest expressed through this online consultation will help the selection committee decide on the final shape of the networking programme.

For further information, please visit:
http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/events/ict/2008/

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