ADVISER - Added Value Information Services on European Research Results

Telematic Application Programme of the EU DG XIII

introduced by Philipp Sonntag
(VDI/VDE-IT Teltow/Germany)  

A WWW service to help you find what's new and relevant in European research and to put you in touch with research experts and technology brokers

Coordinator of ADVISER: Christine Leigh, Univ. Leeds, School of Geography, U.K. Manager,: Bill Whyte billw@scs.leeds.ac.uk

German partner: VDI/VDE-IT Teltow/Berlin Dr. Ph. Sonntag, sonntag@vdivde-it.de

ADVISER

ADVISER is designed as your weapon against the information explosion and to be your market-leading tool in the understanding and exploitation of research results.

"Our proficiency in generating information has exceeded our abilities to find, review and understand it.î (Saul Wurman).

No one who uses the Web can disagree with that. It's all out there, somewhere, but even if we could find it, we're overwhelmed.

The task of ADVISER is to find the information you want and present it to you in an easy to understand form, automatically alerting you to the occurrence of new events that fit your own interest profile.

ADVISER is a Research Project in the "Telematics for Researchî sector of the European Fourth Framework Telematics Applications Programme.

ADVISER has been charged with investigating how people can best use Worldwide Web and telecommunications to make it easy for them to access and exploit the many millions of pounds that the European Union spends on collaborative research.

The project team, which consists of specialised university researchers and highly commercial technology transfer brokers, has looked at the needs of a large number of researchers, brokers and potential users of research results, especially small and medium enterprises ("SME'sî). From these studies, we have developed a custom-designed information and operational model that can easily be used through existing Worldwide Web browsers, to seek and find relevant information across a number of European and National research programmes, in collaboration with technology brokers across Europe.

Because ADVISER is specifically designed for accessing research results, it is more effective than general purpose search engines. Users can also enter a personal profile of interests and state that they would like, for example, to be kept aware of progress in the production of the deliverables of any of the many thousands of projects recorded on the system. They will automatically be told when the new deliverables arrive.

Technology brokers also use ADVISER to add value to the basic research information: they advertise workshops, annotate Programme Calls with information relevant to their local areas or native languages. Brokers and others can also announce details of exploitable inventions, intellectual property etc. that are outcomes of the research projects.

The rating of content along industrial user profiles in the Web pages is the decisive step in order to trigger better use of RTD and enhance cooperation, also across borders. This first step of computer mediated communication is closely linked to further steps, where different kinds od ADDED VALUE and tools for cooperation are included. A virtual science and technology transfer park is created, see the predecessor of ADVISER, the virtual technology center at and around Leeds. ADVISER's person-centred approach makes it easy for you to find help and advice from experts and technology brokers, through optional e-mail, interactive net conferences and audio and video telephony.

ADVISER is your weapon against the information explosion and your market-leading tool in the understanding and exploitation of research results. Workable and proven annotation standards can and shall enhance the standards of RTD exploitability reports towards built-in ratability and thus usability. Much the same the features for posting sucessful requests will be improved. A powerful tool using intelligent agents shall nevertheless find usable RTD results out of the bulk of generally available, often demanding RTD descriptions.

Much like Web4 ADVISER does comply with the limitations of HTML, the necessity to allow technically low equipped SMEs and others with feature-poorer browsers to use the system without time consuming downloading of features, but at the same time provide workable tools for those, who want to interact much like in video-conferencing, allowing for instance an RTD provider to demonstate videos of their machinery and processes.

ADVISER is aware of the key role of people in research exploitation and the innovation process. ADVISER maintains up-to-date information on contact persons for research and exploitation advice and uses this information to set-up communication with willing helpers. User details are processed with full confidentiality and not passed on to other parties without explicit agreement.

ADVISER is running now as a pilot service. A workable practical version will be made available. You can get further details and access to pilot versions now by approaching the Manager Bill Whyte billw@scs.leeds.ac.uk.