IST EVENT 2004 : Networking

Networking @ IST 2004

Introduction

Networking Sessions complement the conference and exhibition and contribute to one of the prime objectives of the European Commission in the area of Research and Development - to encourage forward thinking collaborative initiatives that support the development of the European Research Area.

Timetable

Networking call: The Networking call is now closed, but the registration for participation in a Networking session will remain open until the 14 November.

Ongoing: Update of accepted Networking sessions

What is Networking?

One of the main objectives of every IST Event is to assist European companies and researchers to forge multidisciplinary and multinational research teams across Europe. These teams are essential to building the European Research Area in the Information Society sector.

Networking sessions bring together people who are interested in a specific topic in order to discuss project ideas, research activities and business partnerships. They are less formal discussion groups than the official conference workshops, encouraging active participation and lateral thinking.

Expected outcomes of Networking sessions:

Focused dialogue on a concrete subject
Personal contacts that will foster future activities within the ERA objectives (European Research Area)
Scheduling of consortia building meetings
Ongoing discussions via web interfaces
Exploratory workshops

How to apply

1) Please be aware that you have to register before participating in a Networking session. Click here for the general IST webpage and then click "register".

2) Once you have registered, which means that you have valid passwords for the Networking pages, you may express your interest in participating in an already proposed Networking session.

The Networking Selection Process

Networking at IST 2004 is almost entirely 'bottom-up'. The Networking Topics are chosen to complement the range of topics chosen for the conference and exhibition.

A similar process to that used for the IST 2003 event was adopted:

A “Call for Ideas” especially targeted to Networking activities, with proposals submitted via the interactive web site. The person submitting a new Networking proposal automatically becomes the coordinator of the session if the proposal is eventually approved.
The proposals are validated by the Organising Committee and published on-line.
Site users can see all the Networking proposals that have been submitted so far. They can show interest for a given proposal in three ways: submit a contribution (active participation), attend without contribution (passive participation) and give comments on the web site without attending the session.
All comments and suggestions are published on-line after being validated by the Organising Committee. In this way the proposal is developed further and the Organising Committee will be able to assess the level of interest in the proposal.
The successful proposals are then 'confirmed' and assigned a date, room and time, so that they appear in the networking programme.

At the Event

Timing and location : Networking sessions take place on the IST 2004 venue. The duration of a shall not exceed 90 minutes. The exact location of all Networking rooms will be indicated in the global map of the event. All Networking spaces include a supporting infrastructure.

A networking information and help-desk in the networking area will be at your disposal during the Event. Our personnel will provide you with the latest details regarding networking sessions and will help all the interested contributors to find their way.

Should you wish to obtain more information on this Call for Networking Session Proposals or should you experience any problems while applying, please contact the IST 2004 Networking Committee