ICT research in the framework programme: Results, trends and prospects on networks and media

ICT continues to be at the core of the EU policies to achieve the goals of growth and competitiveness as set out in the Lisbon agenda and in the ensuing i2010 initiative, the Master Plan for ICT in Europe, i2010 aims at responding to all dimensions concerned by ICT: economic, in terms of new business opportunities in a global market; social, addressing issues such as accessibility, health and education; and industrial. The creation of a single European information space ensuring interoperability of services and access to media is an essential element of this initiative and this has to be underpinned by a world class R&D at European scale. Therefore innovation and investment in research is needed so as to realise the so called @quot;Fifth Freedom@quot; -the freedom of circulation of knowledge-, in which ICT technologies will play a key role. The ambition is to get a world class R&D boosting innovation in ICT in Europe. Alto gether there is more than 9.2Beuro earmarked for the above research for the whole duration of the Seventh Framework Programme (2007-2013), mirroring the importance attributed to ICT by the EU.