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Future Internet Research & Experimentation

ICT Research in FP7 European Commission

Internet Science
Research on future internet aspects is currently very fragmented, due to the diversity of approaches, coming from several different communities which have traditionally evolved along separate lines, and which only very recently have found their only common denominator in the generic “internet” connotation.

There is an agreement that the complexity of the phenomena underpinning the current Internet developments, at technological, societal and economic levels, and their even more complex interrelations, cannot be understood without a genuine multidisciplinary approach, involving scientific disciplines and human sciences as well. We need a unifying theory understanding the networking needs of humans which can be fulfilled by technological networks.

This kind of multidisciplinary and holistic research cannot be based solely on theories: experimentation and, more in general, an empirical approach, are essential to the definition of this emerging science. And this experimentation of theories must be conducted in research environments which are as close as possible to the real world, in terms of scale and of user involvement.

"In this context, we are launching a call for a 5 million euro multidisciplinary Network of Excellence in the area of holistic Future Internet research, to overcome fragmentation and to integrate life and human sciences (e.g. networking, computing, telecommunications, complex systems, security, trust and identity, privacy, sociology, psychology, energy, user interfaces, anthropology, economics, knowledge management).
This call corresponds to objective 1.6d of the 2011-2012 ICT WP, its deadline is 18 January 2011"

The sustainable goal is to create an “internet scientist” profile with a better understanding of the complex nature of Internet networks, services and applications and their broad implications at societal, economic and environmental levels.

The network would lay the foundations of an Internet Science allowing the design of Future Internet technologies based on desirable social, economic or environmental objectives. As an empirical approach is considered crucial due to the inherent Internet complexity, in this holistic research special emphasis would be expected on the experimental dimension.

This area of research will allow reducing the gap between human networking needs and technological solutions supporting them, allowing more creativity and innovation in social and business developments, understanding which technological developments are most needed to effectively support human activities.

This action is not meant to replace any of the disciplines mentioned above, but to create a new science based on relevant knowledge coming from different but relevant technological and human areas of knowledge.

Please feel free to visit our forum and express your interest.

Contact: F. Sestini (fabrizio.sestini (at) ec.europa.eu)

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