Open Consultation on “FIRE in Horizon 2020”

In preparation of Horizon 2020, there is a need to address the objectives, the scope and the approach in what refers to Research and Experimentation and its role in the Future Internet. The overall objective of this new phase of FIRE is to build a world-class, versatile, integrated and sustainable experimental infrastructure in Europe, open to all interested parties and able to evolve in response to technological developments and novel usage.

In preparation of Horizon 2020, there is a need to address the objectives, the scope and the approach in what refers to Research and Experimentation and its role in the Future Internet. The overall objective of this new phase of FIRE is to build a world-class, versatile, integrated and sustainable experimental infrastructure in Europe, open to all interested parties and able to evolve in response to technological developments and novel usage.

An Open Consultation on FIRE in Horizon 2020 is now launched. Contributions are requested from all interested parties:
— from potential facility providers to experimenters,
— from technology to application developers,
— from SMEs to European and national projects, brought together by the need to experiment, test and validate in the real world, involving the targeted end-users, technical solutions as well as services and applications.

The deadline for contributions is 14 September 2012!

Consultation Workshop

A Consultation Workshop will be held on 21 September 2012 in Brussels, to endorse a common position and identify concrete objectives, mechanisms and expected impact.

Reserve this date in your calendar! Participation in the workshop will be free of charge but you will have to register in advance. Registrations close on 17 September 2012.

What is next in FIRE?

The next phase of FIRE will be focused on a more encompassing, multi-technology, multi-disciplinary approach to network-based experimentation. A greater emphasis will be given to:
—  on-demand experimentation, going beyond the mere federation of facilities
—  and advanced network experimentation.
It involves an extension of network experimentation to non-networking elements, i.e., extending into real-world objects.

As experimental facilities around specific areas of research are built, tested, improved and eventually come online, the next step is to make them available to a wider community as experimental playground for researchers, developers and users alike. The aim is to progressively build a strategic infrastructure of shared experimental facilities and platforms, at the service of the European economy at large.

—  Developing and extending Experimental Facilities for Network Research – making technologies work in the real world, towards large-scale deployment
—  Advanced Network Experimentation – building upon, and improving, next-generation networks
—  Experimentation-as-a-Service – beyond facility federation
—  Building a strategic European Experimental Infrastructure – providing open access to shared, advanced experimental platforms

Given the global nature of network experimentation, International Cooperation is essential. A number of initiatives around the world are relevant, namely GENI and CPS in the US, NWHN in Japan, and similar initiatives in Canada, China and South Korea.

Contributions

Please submit contributions (white papers, presentations, documents or even free-style text) directly to CNECT-CONSULT12-FIRE@ec.europa.eu at your convenience.

Submitted contributions that are indicated for sharing will be published at the above site.

Best regards,
The FIRE office team
[email protected]