Laboratory for Open Systems and Networks of the Jožef Stefan Institute and the European Commission from 30 March 2008 to 2 April 2008 under the Slovenian Presidency of the European Union in Bled, Slovenia organized a conference entitled “The Future Of The Internet – Perspectives Emerging from R & D in Europe.”
This Conference was hosted by the Slovenian Government, with an objective to offer a first opportunity to understand what was being researched in EU and worldwide in the area of Future Internet, to identify common problems and propose solutions to overcome barriers and to present the key elements of a roadmap of action. The Conference and the associated technical workshop through exchange of ideas and emerging solution planned to offer a coherent approach to the Future of the Internet as a vehicle for excellence and innovation enabling the European actors of the Internet an opportunity to master and shape the future. The Conference was also an open floor for a discussion of the conditions that must be created in order to help European enterprises to become global leaders in tomorrow’s networking and service infrastructures and ensure that the markets are ready for emerging technologies and business models.
In the context of this Conference, the European Union, notably through its i2010 strategic policy framework was clearly outlining its adherence to the openness, interoperability and end to end principles, governing the Internet. Even though many aspects of emerging networks and the Future Internet will not be realised for some time, obstacles to the development of the information society can already be identified and this Conference was a way to do it. These concern issues from investment in higher bandwidth, net neutrality, through spectrum availability to security.
Internet world as we know it today has undergone far-reaching and profound changes since its early days while becoming a critical communications infrastructure underpinning our economic performance and social welfare. With an estimate of 1.1 billion users world-wide today the Internet is poised to become a fully pervasive infrastructure providing anywhere, anytime connectivity. Thanks in particular to the further deployment of wireless technologies, the number of users of the Internet is expected to jump to some 4 billion in a matter of few years. This event will try to provide some answers to the challenges arising from the emerging new technologies and societal issues related to the Future Internet.
The event took part in Bled, Slovenia. Slovenia is located in Central Europe surrounded by four neighboring countries: Austria, Italy, Hungary and Croatia. Bled, the Alpine pearl is located in the nothern-western part of the country known as highlands of Slovenia. Bled is only 20 kilometers from the international airport Jože Pučnik and 55 kilometers from the Slovenia capital – Ljubljana.
The venue of the conference was located in the heart of Bled. Most of the local facilities and sights are within walking distance from the conference venue. Accommodation was provided in Sava hotels located close to the banks of the beautiful lake of Bled.
Bled is surrounded by mountains, ski resorts and offers rowing, tracking paths, skating, horse riding, golf, many other sport activities and entertainment. The village of Bled is full with historical and cultural sights worth visiting.
The conference officially opened the Minister of Growth, Prof. dr. Žiga Turk and Minister for Higher Education, Science and Technology, Mrs Mojca Dolinar Kucler. At the opening of the conference participants will be welcomed by the European Commissioner for Science and Research, Dr. Janez Potočnik and Viviane Reding, European Commissioner for Information Society and Media.
Prof. dr. Borka Jerman-Blažič was session chair of the conference.
Organisators:
- Laboratory for Open Systems and Networks
- The Internet Society of Slovenia
- European Future Internet Portal
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