Next Generation Collaborative Working Environments: Boosting Innovation

1. NCP meetingBrussels, 2 June 2005 SO 2.5.9 “Collaborative Working Environments” 6th EU Framework Programme for Research Isidro Laso Ballesteros IST Programme "The views expressed in this presentation are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Commission"

2. SO Collaborative Working Environments. Goal To develop next generation collaborative working environments (NGCWE), thereby • increasing creativity and • boosting innovation and • productivity. NGCWE will enable seamless and natural collaboration amongst a diversity of agents (humans, machines-robots, etc).

3. SO Collaborative Working Environments. Characteristics of NGCWE NGCWE will be: • distributed, • knowledge-rich and • virtualized working environments. Professional virtual communities and nomadic personal access to knowledge should be supported.

4. SO Collaborative Working Environments. Objective • NGCWE environments should provide collaboration services to make possible the development of worker centric, flexible, scalable and adaptable tools and applications. Applications for collaboration Collaboration tools Collaboration services Collaboration environments

5. SO Collaborative Working EnvironmentsWhere is this SO positioned at? At the crossroad of

6. Research and development activities on NGCWE • Theoretical research:Collaborative Working concepts and methods • Research and development on Core Services for distributed collaboration • System integration into collaboration tools • Development of complex validating applications • Support for internationally agreed reference architecture for CWE

7. Validating Applications Tools for collaborative work Core (crucial) Services for distributed collaboration at work Innovative conecpts and methods for collaborative work Work to be done within SO 2.5.9 Three layered tasks following a systems approach:

8. 1st Focal Layered task:Theoretical research (I) • Methods and concepts to: • To reduce failures in diverse teams in particular when the cultural diversity is high.. Innovation • To improve work practices in Collaborative Working Environments. (“Innovative workplace practices in manufacturing accounted for as much as 89% of the growth in ‘multifactor productivity’, i.e. beyond ICT increases”. San Francisco Fed, 2004) Productivity

9. 1st Focal Layered task:Research and development on Services Components (II) • Research and development of core collaboration service components to complement existing middlewares and platforms, such as: • synchronisation and persistence of distributed group workspaces; • discovery and allocation of group resources; • group identification, traceability and security; • management and interfacing between groups of physical materials and digital representations; • and environment group awareness, with a special emphasis on mobility. • This collaboration services components layer will deliver a high quality experience to co-workers based on flexible management of services and should be customizable to different communities, making use of different (mobile) devices.

10. Collaborative Work Environment providing core collaboration services: Group identification Digital representation of physical objects Environment awareness Group Security Group resources Discovery and allocation. Synchronization and Persistence of Distributed workspaces Group Traceability Technology Pillars Middleware (SOA) Network Access (IP v6, wireless, )

11. 2nd focal layered task: Research on tools for collaborative work • Bringing together core collaboration services (layer 1) into collaboration tools. • These tools will offer sophisticated services. • Focus on: • Group management, • Visualization services, • Augmented group presence, • Sharing support, • Seamless interaction, • Semantic modeling of complex groups of workers, • Service composition.

12. COLLABORATION TOOLS Augmented group Presence Group Management Service composition Visualisation Sharing support Semantic Modelling Of Groups Collaborative Work Environment providing core collaboration services: Group identification Digital representation of physical objects Environment awareness Group Security Group resources Discovery and allocation. Synchronization and Persistence of Distributed workspaces Group Traceability Technology Pillars Middleware (SOA) Network Access (IP v6, wireless, )

13. 3nd focal layered task:Development of Complex applications (I) Innovative validating applications for collaborative work in content-rich, mobile and fixed collaborative environments in ICT rich domains. • ICT-rich domains mentioned in the text where large demonstrators (EARs) are expected: • Collaborative design and engineering, in particular rapid prototyping and simulation in the context of virtual manufacturing; • Collaboration in media/content production workers; • Collaboration among e-Professionals; • Collaboration with and among knowledge and information workers in remote and rural settings. • e-Training for collaborative and remote workers (horizontal)

14. VALIDATING APPLICATIONS vDesign and engineering eMedia eProfessionals eRural … COLLABORATION TOOLS Augmented group Presence Group Management Service composition Visualisation Sharing support Semantic Modelling Of Groups Collaborative Work Environment providing core collaboration services: Group identification Digital representation of physical objects Environment awareness Group Security Group resources Discovery and allocation. Synchronization and Persistence of Distributed workspaces Group Traceability Technology Pillars Middleware (SOA) Network Access (IP v6, wireless, )

15. 3nd focal layered task:Development of Complex applications (II) • Cross domain fertilization domain would enrich these applications. • These applications should leverage, where appropriate, on experience from collaborative games (disruptive approaches).

16. Other tasks (I) • To promote joint research activities with national programmes, • To define future research agendas, • To identify emerging topics and research groups world wide. Instruments: CAs/SSAs

17. Other tasks (II) • To achieve internationally agreed reference architecture for collaborative work (guidelines), including core components providing seamless collaboration. • Through Collaboration with international research and standardization activities. • Build on international RTD activities in particular USA, Canada, Korea and Japan. • Linked to international standardization activities, including W3C and IETF. Instruments: CAs/SSAs

18. SO 2.5.9. ERA activities • Aim: • strengthen and complement research carried out under ESA, EUREKA and national initiatives. • In particular, links to Eureka ITEA projects related to Nomadic and Cyber-Enterprise domain applications should be described to assess synergies and inter-dependencies in terms of timing and funding.

19. STREP STREP STREP STREP STREP IP IP IP IP Validating Applications Tools for collaborative tasks Core (crucial) Services for distributed collaboration at work S.O. 2.5.9 Instruments for layer CAs

20. IP IP IP IP Validating Applications Tools for collaborative tasks Core (crucial) Services for distributed collaboration at work SO 2.5.9. Integrated Projects (I) • Budget: 70% • Integrated, goal-oriented R&D: • Cut across the 3 layered focal tasks, including Work on: • innovative concepts and methods, • core collaboration services, • tools for collaboration, AND • validation on testbeds and large demonstrators. • Critical mass is required to have impact

21. IP IP IP IP Validating Applications Tools for collaborative tasks Core (crucial) Services for distributed collaboration at work SO 2.5.9. Integrated Projects (III) EARs: • The use of Experience and Application Research (EAR) approach is encouraged. • EAR is defined by the ISTAG: they are designed for an early involvement of users and to create links to structures, business processes and workplace practices of the organisations. • EARs are expected in the ICT rich domains mentioned in the text. • Examples of EARs budget: 700,000 €

22. STREP STREP STREP STREP STREP Validating Applications Tools for collaborative tasks Core (crucial) Services for distributed collaboration at work SO 2.5.9. Targeted RTD Projects • Only in the 1st and 2nd layers. • Tasks: • To explore emerging alternatives to pave the way for additional technological advances in the field. • Disruptive approaches are welcome.

23. Validating Applications Tools for collaborative tasks CA/SSA Core (crucial) Services for distributed collaboration at work SO 2.5.9. Co-ordination Activities • Aim: • to promote and support the networking and coordination of research and innovation activities needed for European leadership in ICT-enabled Collaborative Working Environments. • To ensure that the work is consistent across IPs and STREPs.

24. SO 2.5.9. SMEs • Actions targeting SMEs developing collaborative tools and application are encouraged (2nd and 3rd layers) • Aim: • To achieve better interoperability of complementary services and tools. • To leverage on innovative SMEs.

25. For More Information... • Sources of information: Strategic Objective Web site: http://www.cordis.lu/ist/so/collab-work/home.html New working Environments Unit web site: www.amiatwork.com

26. The End Thank you for your attention! Isidro LASO-BALLESTEROS Isidro.laso@cec.eu.int