Knowledge Web Area Managers and Managing Directors overview (2005)

2 The big challengue  Realizing the Semantic Web. It requires –Support the transition process of Ontology technology from Academia to Industry, OUTREACH TO INDUSTRY –Promote and generate educational activities on the Semantic Web, OUTREACH TO EDUCATION –Coordinate the research on Semantic Web and Semantic Web Services, COORDINATION OF RESEARCH

3 The potential  Critical mass of scientific and technological leaders in the field of ontologies and Semantic Web from several European countries –Leading Universities and Research Centers in Ontologies and the Semantic Web –Leading partners in Multimedia –Leading partners in Human Language Technology –Leadings partners in Workflow –Leading partners in Agents

4 The instruments  A Network of Excellence –48 months –6.7 millions as a grant for integration  Not only!! –Cooperation with other networks, projects, and initiatives

5 The results  Strong European industry in Semantic Web enabled e-work and e-commerce  Leading European research on Semantic Web, Semantic Web Services and its applications  Well-established European education on Semantic Web, VISWE  High and durable impact

6 The structure  Project Coordinator and spiritual leader: Dieter Fensel, UIBK  Scientific director: Guus Schreiber (VU)  Scientific vice-directors: –Jérôme Euzenat, INRIA –Asun Gómez-Pérez, UPM  Area managers: –Industry: Alain Lèger, FT Robert Meersman, VUB –Research: Carole Goble, VUM Rudi Studer, UKARL –Education Enrico Motta, OU Wolfgang Nejdl, L3S  Managing Directors: –Alice Carpentier, UIBK –Leonarda Haid-García, UIBK –Francisco Martin-Recuerda, UIBK

7 Industry Area: Main Goal  Promote greater awareness and faster take-up of SW technology by industry –in close and permanent synergy with the research area  How? create a feedback loop between industry and research, including education and training Academia “bridge the gap” between industry and research (bi-directional process!)

8 Industry Area: setting up Formulate new scientific challenges from industrial needs Establish Industrial Board (inspired by OntoWeb/SIG4) Collect and analyse business uses cases, systemic requirements Evaluate technology with respect to industrial needs Propose methods of evaluating ontology usability and usefulness Analyse utility of ontology-based tools Propose a unified SW framework for interoperability and services Establish cross-project research through related efforts Cooperate with other networks and projects (e.g. Agentcities, REWERSE, OntoWeb, SWWS, DIP, …

9 Industry Area: outreach Show the added value of Semantic Web technology in applications Identify, capture and promote successful business stories Produce technology roadmaps Organize promotional events: seminars, workshops, conferences Creation of Semantic Web Portal For integrating the activities of KWeb partners For promotion of technology to industry activities Establish requirements for “Ontology Outreach Authority” As meeting place for interacting with industrial parties Future certification and publication of ontologies, and ontology-based tools Make recommendations on how to develop and deploy ontologies Capture best practices and guidelines for deployment Contribute to standards work (inspired by OntoWeb/SIG1)

10 Industry Area: workplan WP 1.1: Industrial application needs (Started, led by FT) WP 1.2: Evaluation for technology selection (Start mo.6, led by VUB) WP 1.3: Technology recommendations (Started, led by VUB) WP 1.4: Promotion of ontology technologies (Start mo.6, led by UIBK) WP 1.5: Cross-network cooperation (Started, led by UIBK) WP 1.6: Semantic portal infrastructure (Started, led by UPM)

11 Research Area: Motivation  Previously – Making the Semantic Web a possibility  Now – Making the Semantic Web a reality  Key role of ontologies  Goal: Transform ontology technology into a mature building block for the Semantic Web  Key points: –Scalability –Heterogeneity –Dynamics  Ingestation by Industry  Dissemination through Education

12 Research Area: Vertical activities  Semantic Web Services –Focal point of research –Provides test cases and problem settings –Industry outreach  Semantic Web language extensions –Disseminate results to various standardization bodies  Virtual research centre –Coordinate and foster collaboration –Monitor and evaluate excellence and integration of research

13 Research Area: Workpackages  WP 2.1 Scalability (VU)  WP 2.2 Heterogeneity (INRIA)  WP 2.3 Dynamics (NUIG)  WP 2.4 Semantic Web Services (NUIG)  WP 2.5 Semantic Web language extensions (VUM)  WP 2.6 Towards a Virtual Research Centre (UKARL)  International coordination activities: SDK

14 Education Area: Goals  Different communities: Educational, industrial and research communities  Different kinds of students: students, professionals, researchers  Found an institution (EASE) to support all communities in an integrated way

15 Education Area: workpackages  3.1 Foundations for Virtual Institute for Semantic Web Education (VISWE)  3.2 Educational content and event provision – Course materials, educational events, summer schools, complete courses and training programmes  3.3 Semantic delivery platform – Development of a Semantic Platform for delivering/interacting with learning material about Semantic Web