VISUALIZATION

On September 15th the European Commission will officially launch four new computer grid projects. The EC is putting €52m into 12 projects which aim to get the benefits of Grid computing out of computer labs and into industry and business. Business competitiveness will increase if the technology becomes more widely available. The following four new projects will receive €9m each: * The SIMDAT project - will develop generic technologies to enable the automotive, aerospace and pharmaceutical industries to develop a wide range of grid applications. * The NEXTGRID project - aims to deliver a new grid architecture, tailored to business and industry requirements, by the end of the decade. * The AKOGRIMO project - will build on Europe’s strengths in mobile communications and IPv6 (the next Internet Protocol), to demonstrate a vision of “mobile dynamic virtual organisations” and demonstrate added value applications in the fields of e-health and e-learning. * The COREGRID project - will bring together existing grid research communities by creating virtual ‘centres of excellence’ and stimulating joint research programmes among research institutes across Europe. Over the last five years Europe has invested about half a billion Euros in grid research through actions implemented on national and at EU levels. Olli Rehn, enterprise and information society commissioner, said: “These projects will accelerate Europe’s drive to turn its substantial Grid research investment into tangible economic benefits. Greater use of Grid tools is key for mobilising Europe’s scientific and technological capital to deliver greater competitiveness and better products.” www.nextgrid.org