Horace describes what is needed in terms of market data and analysis in the field of ICT. See the presentation or download it as a PowerPoint file.

See the presentation or download it as a PowerPoint or as a RTF file.

The European Education Partnership ( http://www.eep-edu.org) consists of major IT, telecom, multimedia companies and educational institutions. EEP has started to identify "ICT Learning entitlements" for all citizens and is lobbying policy makers and decision makers across Europe to ensure that these entitlements are achievable. However, it needs to have firm research evidence on appropriate options for achieving these ICT learning entitlements in terms of technological solutions and socio-economic evidence that the solutions do enhance learning.

Peter also explains the activities of EEP: stakeholders briefs, country briefs, the "Learning Summit" planned in June 1999 following a round table in January, etc.

His presentation generates questions from the audience, leading to a discussion on the needs to obtain quantitative data and to influence the politicians who are responsible for the great number of schools which have no ICT equipment installed.

Highlights of the presentation:

• What is SER (socio-economic research), why do we need it, how do we do it ?
  - SER is an interdisciplinary domain; in fact: all that is not technology
  - we need it to set objectives, to better manage the programme, and to assess the impact
  - to do it, a wealth of information is available, but a bridge is needed between RTD and SER; SER is embedded in some RTD projects, some ESPRIT projects are specifically doing SER; and coordination is needed with other DG's
• SER is approached in very different ways in ESPRIT, TAP, ACTS, etc. They will converge in the IST Programme.
• There was a specific call for SER within the ESPRIT programme, the projects started a few months ago and will be completed within 12-18 months (Espritcomp, Inesprit, Cohen, Resist-Net, Recite, Dipper, Castor, ...).
• Quite often, SER projects are in fact 'evaluating' RTD projects for their own purposes, and there is an interest for such independent and free external service.
• During the IST 98 Conference in Vienna next week, there will be a SER workshop, with the objective to share experiences from ESPRIT, ACTS, etc. and prepare the IST Programme.
  Note on IST:
       Key Action 1: is not pure SER, there are also technology activities
       Key Action 2: work and managerial aspects
       Key Action 3: multimedia access has a direct SE content
       Key Action 4: SE does not evolve (to converge) as quick as does technology
  

Mario introduces briefly FAIR (Forecast and Assessment of Socio-Economic Impact of advanced Communications and Recommendations) for the non-ACTS attendees. The project was completed in October 1998 and its final report will be presented during IST 98 in Vienna.

Based on the project experience, he then presents FAIR suggestions in the following areas:

• socio-economic drivers of the Information Society
• evolution processes of the socio-economic system
• measuring the socio-economic impact of Information Society Technologies
• shaping the Information Society
• SER interaction with the 5th framework programme

EPRI stands for European Parliaments Research Initiative. Klemens presents:

• the project and the mission
• the basic concepts: to get politicians on-line and inform them about ACTS projects
• the tools: the EPRI-WATCH Information Space
• the achievements - facts and figures:
  
  • 747 users in 27 countries, i.e.
    - 288 MEP's and their staff
    - 130 national MP's
    - 144 regional political decision makers
    - 185 other institutional users, ACTS community and experts
  • between June 1996 and June 1998: 197 000 page downloads
  • other activities (promotion):
    - 161 MEP's and staff received training
    - 150 seminars, presentations and workshops
    - 9 video events
    
• the users satisfaction measurements:
  - a survey was made, showing the reasons for success
  - some users expressed wishes for added functionalities
• the impact: for instance, OEIL, a legislation observatory internal to the EP, has taken over EPRI-WATCH tools