The European Commission will fund the network through the Information Society Technologies Programme (IST) in an effort to promote e-democracy around Europe. The Edinburgh based International Teledemocracy Centre (ITC) will coordinate the research, its director told Government Computing News on 5 September 2005. Ann Macintosh said negotiations on the level of funding are still going on, but it is expected to be about €6m over five years.
Named DEMO-NET, the project will focus on tools and methodologies for e-participation, building on the experience of European research organisations. Its priorities will include coordinating members' research, providing for cooperation between government and academia, promoting equal opportunities for women in e-participation and providing the technological infrastructure for cooperation.
Macintosh said there are 20 partners, mainly academic organisations but also a few governmental bodies. The Oxford Internet Institute and Yorkshire and Humber Assembly are joining the ITC in the UK contingent.
"It brings together the leading academic research groups in e-participation practice into the network," she said.
Macintosh added that the network would support the development of emerging technologies for e-participation, such as natural language processing and argument visualisation.
Quelle: KableNET, 05.09.2005
