European research - EU - Japan

Opening of the 2nd EU-Japan Symposium on the "Future Internet"

Tokyo 13 October 2009

Today the second edition of the "Japan-EU Symposium on the Future Internet" was opened by the president of NICT, Mr Hideo Miyahara and the Deputy Director General, Mr Antti Peltomäki (European Commission, DG INFSO).

The major objective of this event (13/14 October in the Bellesalle Conference Centre in Kudan, Tokyo) is to explore prospects for deeper exchange and collaboration between the Japanese and European research communities in the area of what is referred to as "New Generation Network (NWGN)" in Japan or the "Future Internet (FI)" in Europe.

The first symposium took place in Brussels in June 2008 as a spin-off of the continuous EU-Japan Co-operation Forum on ICT research, when held in Tokyo in March 2008. At the first symposium EU and Japanese research activities were first introduced.

The second edition of the symposium now offers EU and Japanese researchers an opportunity to be updated. The event addresses both industry and academic interests and invites Japanese partners to participate in EU's "FI" related research. A broad set of research activities is presented currently running in Japan and under the EU's 7th Framework Programme for collaborative research.

In his opening key note speech, Masataka Kawauchi, Director-General of International and Technology Policy Coordination/Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) drew a picture of the Japanese ICT vision on the future society. Antti Peltomäki, European Commission/ Deputy Director General for Information Society, responded with the European visions on the "Future Internet" and the post 2010 EU strategy in ICT.

Interesting presentation by European and Japanese speakers followed talking about these driving visions and the related research strategies in Europe and in Japan, and the level and nature of public support, including available instruments.

The main part of the conference consists of 14 technical sessions ranging from network architecture to issues such as Green IT.

See here for the full symposium programme.

More information on the European activities on the Future Internet can be found at http://ec.europa.eu/foi. Presentations from the Symposium will be published here.