VISUALIZATION

The scope for future transatlantic Grid activities is being assessed at a high-level meeting of experts this week in the US. An EU delegation of research networking experts, led by Luis Rodrigez-Rosello of the European Commission’s Information Society DG, is meeting their US and Canadian counterparts to discuss ways to step up collaboration on advanced test-beds, national and regional research and education networks and backbones, and on grid networking infrastructure activities. GEANT, the ultra high-speed European research and education network, together with the grid middleware infrastructure for sharing resources – also known as e-infrastructure, is expanding to Asia, the Balkans, Latin America, the Mediterranean and Russia, with the joint support of several European Commission services (the Information Society and External Relations Directorates General and the EuropeAid Co-operation Office). On 1 August 2004, the ALICE project will extend GEANT's high-speed research network to Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Panama and Mexico, soon to be followed by Venezuela, Uruguay and Paraguay. Algeria joined the EUMEDconnect infrastructure on 18 May 2004, followed by Morocco and Tunisia on 3 June. GEANT and GRID-based research infrastructures enable researchers from all over Europe to use state-of-the-art technology to participate in leading edge projects and to innovate the way they carry out their research.