AMERICAS News

Successful Project Angels Skype Conference

2012-01-20T09:48:00.001+01:00

The first Project Angels Skype conference was held on 19 January 2011 and it was attended by Project Angels from Argentina, Colombia, Brazil, Costa Rica and Mexico.

The main issues addressed in the conference were focused on the new Call 9 and on ideas about how to better collaborate and work to increase the participation of Latin American partners in European FP7 ICT projects.

The Project Angels are specifically trained in the understanding of the EU's ICT Programme and EU funding mechanisms. Having received their diploma of having successfully followed the course, they will act locally to help potential project participants with advice on how to participate in EU research programmes.

The - new- AMERICAS project will continue with these efforts and will offer Project Angels summer schools in several Latin America countries during the next two years.

More information on Project Angels

The FP7-ICT Call 9 is now open!

2012-01-18T09:50:00.003+01:00

The new call for proposal has been published today (18/01/2012) with a deadline of 12th of April 2012, at 17:00.00 Brussels local time. The indicative budget is 291 million euros.

Several objectives of the following Challenges are open: Challenge 2: Cognitive systems and robotics, Challenge 4: Technologies for Digital Content and Languages, Challenge 5: ICT for Health, Ageing Well, Inclusion and Governance, Challenge 8: ICT for Learning and Access to Cultural Resources, Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) and International cooperation -partnership building and support to dialogues-.

For more information:
Download the call fiche
Visit the ICT wiki
Visit the Participants portal

Important notification:

2012-01-16T10:17:00.002+01:00

The PRO-IDEAL blog is now taken over by the AMERICAS initiative. Even if the Blog design was re-styled, the content will remain the same and new information about EU-LA ICT cooperation will be posted regularly in this blog. The AMERICAS website will be soon abailable with detailed information about new activities to promote the ICT cooperation between EU and Latin America. If you bookmarked the Pro-Ideal Blog you don´t need to change your bookmark to continue receiving the news.

EUBrazilOpenBio project embarks in the biodiversity research area

2011-12-13T11:39:00.005+01:00

Officially started on 1st October 2011 and funded by the European Commission (FP7-ICT) and the Brazilian Minister of Science Technology and Innovation (MCTI) - National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) within the 2010 edition of the EU-Brazil coordinated call, EUBrazilOpenBio “Open Data and Cloud Computing e-Infrastructure for Biodiversity” will set-up a virtual environment -namely an e-Infrastructure of open access resources-, to tackle the complexity of Biodiversity Science, in line with the European and Brazilian drive to join forces and deploy cloud computing solutions to address scientific challenges in fields such as environment modelling, biodiversity and life science.

"Europe and Brazil share many cultural and social roots and values, which are reflected in the way we have been addressing the socio-economic potential and the challenges of ICT. […] Both sides have a lot to gain in further strengthening collaboration in this field."

Ms Neelie Kroes, European Commission Vice-President for the Digital Agenda, released this statement in conjunction with the Workshop "Brazil-EU Cooperation in ICT R&D" which took place on 7th & 8th November in Brasilia, Brazil, crowning the launch of a new coordinated call for research and development, while the new project had just started exactly to respond to European and Brazilian need of cooperation in biodiversity.

The principal product of the project will be to operate an e-Infrastructure for the biodiversity user communities working on biodiversity taxonomy and niche modelling. “A user services support and operation centre will be set-up to support our user communities while exploiting the Virtual Research Environment provided by the EUBrazilOpenBio platform“ explained Vinod Rebello, EUBrazilOpenBio Brazilian Scientific Director. “The success of EUBrazilOpenBIo will be measured by the level of our users' satisfaction”.

EUBrazilOpenBio has already been presented in Europe, at the GRDI2020 workshop on 18th October in Brussels, and in Brazil at the Workshop "Brazil-EU Cooperation in ICT R&D" 7th Nov 2011, Brasilia by Vanderlei Perez Canhos, Brazilian Coordinator, and Vassil Alexandrov, European Coordinator. It has two main objectives: to empower user groups to leverage data e-Infrastructure of Open Access resources, tools and services & to educate collaborative communities, especially next generation scientists, on the benefits of such data e-Infrastructure, as an example of cooperative research without frontiers.

For more information please refer to the project website.

18 new Project Angels successfully trained in FP7 ICT programme and EU funding mechanisms

2011-12-01T11:43:00.007+01:00

18 Project Angels from Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Bolivia have just received the Project Angels Diploma for their success in the last on-line Project Angels coaching course.

The “Project Angels” network in Latin America is a distinctive contribution of the PRO-IDEAL and the PRO-IDEAL PLUS project that set up a mechanism to train experts (“Angels”) in the understanding of the ICT programme and EU funding rules, thus being able to help potential partners from their countries to become part of a cooperation project. It is an innovative approach to create a sustainable network in the target countries that can provide their acquired special knowledge to potential project partners in their respective countries, and that eventually, will effectively promote the ICT cooperation between the EU and Latin America.

Following the coaching courses and awareness raising events held in the PRO-IDEAL and PRO-IDEAL PLUS target countries – Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Mexico, Colombia, Costa Rica and Cuba – More than 100 candidates to Project Angels have been recruited and coached so as to attain the “Project Angel” certification. After 3 coaching course editions, the network counts now with more than 45 active Project Angels in Latin America.

Future of the Project Angels

The Project Angels coaching courses where part of the Pro-Ideal and Pro-Ideal Plus projects funded by teh EU FP7 ICT programem and which are now going to the end. However, in order to keep the network and continue the collaboration between Latin America and Europe in the ICT R&D field, new initiatives and activities will be offered from 2012 onwards: Project Angels Summer Schools will be organized within a new project “AMERICAS”, Some Project Angels courses will be continued in several Latin American countries (Run by project partners and/or public institutions), a monthly SKYPE call on Q&A will be offered to the active Project Angels from January 2012 onwards and some Project Angels will be invited to join the external advisors network of EMF.

Consult the list of active Project Angels
For more information please contact us

Horizon 2020, the new EU programme for research and innovation

2011-12-01T11:38:00.003+01:00

The European Commission published yesterday its Communication on Horizon 2020, the new R&I Framework Programme. It is fully in line with the EU's policy strategies like the Innovation Union or the Digital Agenda. A SME focus is one of the most important new elements.

With regard to International Cooperation, the Communication emphasises the promotion of internationall mobility of researchers and innovation staff. The focus of international cooperation in Horizon 2020 will be on cooperation with three major country groupings:

(1) industrialised and emerging economies;
(2) enlargement and neighbourhood countries; and
(3) developing countries.

Horizon 2020 will continue with the principle of general openness, while encouraging reciprocal access to third country programmes.

For more information:
Read the Communication
Visit the website

Launch of the Joint Declaration to strengthen EU-LA cooperation

2011-11-29T11:56:00.001+01:00

The Joint Declaration to strengthen EU-LA cooperation was launched yesterday at the “Fostering EU-Latin America ICT Policy Dialogue” event in Brussels in front of 120+ stakeholders from Latin America and the EU.

The ambitious programme gave an overview of EU-LA initiatives and showcased the steady development of the S&T relations of both regions. Pro-Ideal presented the network of Project Angels of the Pro-Ideal Plus project. The event closed its first day of work with a discussion on collaboration priorities and instruments that will be part of the Joint Declaration.

Today, in the afternoon, the Joint Declaration will be presented to the Members of the European Parliament in Brussels.

Open publication - Free publishing

The Joint Declaration is based on the results of studies, activities, meetings and discussion brought forward by stakeholders partnered in a number of project initiatives and follows the identification of common challenges, synergies and future opportunities in EU-LAC cooperation in the field of ICT.

The Joint Declaration is an evolving document and all stakeholders active in ICT international cooperation for R&D+i between Europe and Latin America are invited to support and/or give their contributions based on their specific experience and interest.

Support and/or give your contribution to the Declaration

More information

Fostering EU-Latin America ICT policy dialogue

2011-11-15T13:53:00.006+01:00

Organized by the FORESTA project funded under the EU’s 7Th Framework Programme to support R&D cooperation between Latin America and Europe in the field of ICT, the conference ‘Fostering EU-Latin America ICT Policy Dialogue’ will take place in Brussels, Belgium, on Monday and Tuesday 28 and 29 November 2011. The event will be an important forum for European and Latin-American research stakeholders to discuss strategies to intensify cooperation in Information and Communication Technologies. It bring together stakeholders from ICT research, industry and industry federations, decision-makers, European and Latin-American research and innovation funding agencies, as well as SMEs and large companies from each region interested in cooperation with Latin America and with Europe.

‘Fostering EU-Latin America ICT Policy Dialogue’ event will use panels and round tables to elicit the insights of invited experts and inputs from the audience in order to develop strategic recommendations in support of a reinforced EU-LA ICT cooperation. The recommendations will be streamlined into a Joint Declaration that will be presented to representatives of the European Commission, the European Parliament and Latin-American governments in the closing session of the event to be held at the European Parliament.

Pro-Ideal and Pro-Ideal Plus partners will also actively participate at the event

More information

New EU Strategy for SME internationalisation

2011-11-10T18:41:00.000+01:00

The EC issued a new communication on the internationalisation of SMEs yesterday, 9 November 2011 in which it laid down a new strategy to pave the way for SMEs to expand their business outside the EU. Among the activities are:
1. Strengthening and mapping the existing supply of support services
2. Creating a single virtual gateway to information for SMEs
3. Making support schemes at EU level more consistent
4. Promoting clusters and networks for SME internationalisation
5. Rationalising new activities in priority markets
6. Leveraging existing EU external policies

More on SME internationalisation

Communication text

Occupy the digital

2011-11-09T14:06:00.003+01:00

The central challenge our minds and leaders have to face is promoting digitization of the creative economy, health and culture.

Deepens the global crisis, but digital growth continues. In Brazil and the world. The Internet 3.0 is emerging, development is increasingly the result of an individual and collective intelligence that breaks boundaries, territorial and even emotional.

This internet of "the future" is already coming to schools, businesses, governments and civil society. Intelligent cities, creative, social networking and challenges to intellectual property standards, income generation and governance occupy our daily lives. We are becoming social beings that feed semibodies that are growingly embedded in technological audiovisual digital life. The crisis sealed the fate of the financial game. In the network society, the way out of the crisis is digital.

It is a fact that panic often leads to resistance to the digital. Many cling to the occupation of physical space, the place, which still seems to be "real."

But even the physical occupation of the square only works if turned into images, news, digital information circulating in the net as the only means to generate value while remixing the real and the virtual square, as media.

Whether by increasing access to information, communication and knowledge, the many new forms (positive and negative) to colonize the virtual space or turn it into battlefield to change the world, digital realities are now the condition for the survival of individuals, groups, businesses and governments.

On the horizon of the global digital society, three structuring vectors integrate the agenda of the ICT Forum (information and communication technologies), which is now installed by the Pro-Ideal consortium at the School of Communications and Arts at the University of Sao Paulo.

The first vector is health, individual and public, seen as a priority to translate the power of ICTs to accelerate faster improvements in indicators of human development.

The second is digital culture, a process that combines digital and real to redefine the boundaries between education and fun, knowledge or technology and employment, income and wealth.

The scenario os one of expanding the "creative economy", which in many countries have been presented as a "lifeline".

It is worth warning: what are we going to do with the World Cup and the Olympics, not in terms of stadiums, roads and airports, but in education and culture?

Last, but not least, ICTs have been and continue to be a determining factor in the design and reconstruction of debit and credit networks, means of payment and financing, with the emergence of social and creative currencies which can change the speed and give more meaning to local development policies.

To promote the digitization of health, culture and the creative economy is the central challenge that our authorities, business and social leaders as well as academic and cultural intelligences must face.

To occupy the digital is to go beyond weeping and teeth gnashing now plaguing societies worldwide, so many victims of a global financial "meltdown". However, to build the network society, we should not only buy machines or extend cable and wireless networks. We must know how to make the best use of this infrastructureas well. Do we want to change the world? Let´s occupy the digital, now.

An article by Gilson Schwartz and Guilherme Ary Plonski

New coordinated call EU-Brazil for R&D proposals in the ICT field

2011-11-09T12:36:00.002+01:00

The European Commission and the Brazilian Government have agreed, at their annual Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) dialogue in Brasilia, to launch a new coordinated call for research and development proposals with €10 million available in funding.

This call for proposals will allow researchers and industries in the two regions to extend their work together into areas like cloud computing for science, sustainable technologies for smart cities, smart platforms for a smarter society, and hybrid broadcast-broadband TV applications and services. The Commission and the Brazilian authorities have also agreed to share their respective experience and knowledge of policy and regulatory aspects in the ICT field, such as broadband development, internet governance and security, cloud computing and digital broadcasting and content.

This agreement builds on more than a decade of Brazilian participation in the EU's Research Framework Programmes (FP), with a total EU contribution for Brazilian organisations of more than €7 million. In FP7 (2007-2013), 48 Brazilian organisations have already become partners in projects funded under the EU’s ICT R&D and e-Infrastructures programmes. This represents more than a quarter of all Latin American participants in the EU’s research programmes and is expected to grow in the future, thanks to new funding opportunities to support collaboration with third countries. [Source: Europa press releases]

Taller Interactivo Pro-Ideal Plus, 10 Noviembre, Bogotá

2011-11-01T21:12:00.002+01:00

La Universidad Nacional de Colombia, en cabeza de la Oficina de Relaciones Internacionales e Interinstitucionales, tiene el agrado de invitarle a participar en el Taller Interactivo PRO-IDEAL PLUS, que se desarrollará en la ciudad de Bogotá el día jueves 10 de noviembre de 2011, entre las 8:30 y las 12:00h en las instalaciones de la Hemeroteca Nacional – Auditorio Principal. E

l proyecto “Pro Ideal Plus” tiene como objetivo fortalecer la dimensión de la investigación, fortalecer el dialogo en políticas TIC en los países objetivo y el establecer la comunidad de investigación y desarrollo en el área de las TIC entre Europa y Latino América.El taller interactivo busca acercar a los actores involucrados en el tema ubicados Bogotá, con el fin de sentarse a dialogar con una metodología de trabajo ya establecida, y poder definir una ruta de trabajo para el futuro de las políticas TIC en Colombia, así como su alienación con la Unión Europea.
Mayor información:Pablo Andrés Deossa Molina: padeossa@gmail.com - 3012383099

Mas información

Global Public Policy Summit 2011, 6-8 November, Guadalajara

2011-10-18T15:25:00.002+02:00

The WITSA Global Public Policy Summit 2011 will be held from November 6th to 8th, 2011, in the of Guadalajara, Mexico. The theme for this year is "Fulfilling the Promise of the Digital Age: e-Inclusion in an i-Society".

The event will gather 500 ICT executives, government officials and policy makers from more than 40 countries to share and learn how to promote the use of ICTs in public policies to overcome social exclusion and improve economic performance, employment opportunities, quality of life, social participation and cohesion.

More information

ICT Forum in Brazil. 3 and 4 November 2011, Sao Paulo

2011-10-12T09:38:00.008+02:00

The Brazilian ICT Forum 2011 will be held the 3 and 4 November 2011 at Auditório Lupe Cotrim Prédio Central ECA - USP in Sao Paulo . The event, organised by USP and the PRO IDEAL PLUS consortium aims at reinforcing international cooperation between Brazil and the European Union in the ICT field.

The dialogue between national and international ICT leaders and decision makers will focus on the relevance of S&T cooperation in the ICT field between Latin America and Europe, the opportunities to enhance Latin America participation in FP7-ICT R&D cooperation projects, the role of ICT R&D as an enabler for growth, competitiveness and innovation, and the key ICT R&D priorities for international cooperation.

The forum will include a panel on EU - Latin America ICTs: Scenarios, Policies and Connections Intensive Seminar on "Project Angels 2011".

Download the agenda

ICT Forum held in Mexico

2011-10-11T17:30:00.004+02:00

The ICT Forum: Mexico - EU Cooperation in ICT Research was held at the Santa Fe campus of the Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico City on 10 October 2011.

Representatives from Academia, the Public Sector and industry discussed how cooperation between these three stakeholders groups can be reinforced. An important part played the discussion on innovation and how Mexican partners can benefit from European projects in the future.

More information including the presentations of the ICT Forum will be
up-loaded soon at: http://www.pro-ideal.eu/ict_forum_mexico_2011

ICT Forum held in Buenos Aires

2011-10-07T10:09:00.002+02:00

The ICT Forum Argentina - EU Cooperation in ICT Research was held in Buenos Aires on 6 October. Representatives from Academia, the Public Sector and industry discussed how cooperation can be reinforced in the future. An important part played the network of Project Angels is considered as core to support Argentinian project participants and that is strongly supported by MINCYT and ABEST.
More information including the presentations of the ICT Forum will be up-loaded soon here.

Foro de Innovación de las Américas (FIA 2011)

2011-10-05T15:14:00.003+02:00

El Foro de Innovación de las Américas (FIA 2011) tendrá lugar del 20 al 22 de noviembre de 2011 en el Centro de Exposiciones del LATU en Montevideo.

El Foro de Innovación de las Américas surgió como continuación del Foro de Competitividad de las Américas (Americas Competitiveness Forum – ACF), llevado a cabo en junio de 2007 en Atlanta, Estados Unidos y ya celebró sus dos primeras ediciones en Uruguay, en 2008 y 2009, organizado por la Agencia Nacional de Investigación e Innovación (ANII).

El evento incluye sesiones plenarias y talleres paralelos en los cuales se disertará sobre economía, políticas de innovación, turismo, biotecnologías (tanto en lo que tiene que ver con salud como lo referido a agroindustrias), energías alternativas, innovación social, diseño y temas de interés general.

El encuentro contará con la participación de oradores de prestigio mundial incluyendo CEOs de reconocidas empresas internacionales, gestores de implementación de políticas públicas en innovación y desarrollo y académicos de primer nivel en la temática. Asimismo se prevé la presencia de ministros de estado en C&T, responsables de instituciones científico-tecnológicas públicas y privadas, empresarios y emprendedores de varias ramas de actividad.

Más información

Mexican ICT Forum. October 10, 2011

2011-09-19T11:37:00.006+02:00

The Mexican ICT Forum 2011 will be held in October 10 at ITESM facilities, Campus Santa Fe (Mexico City). The event, organised by ITESM and the PRO IDEAL PLUS consortium in collaboration with CONACYT, aims at reinforcing international cooperation between Mexico and the European Union in the ICT field.

The dialogue between national and international ICT leaders and decision makers will focus on the relevance of S&T cooperation in the ICT field between Latin America and Europe, the opportunities to enhance Latin America participation in FP7-ICT R&D cooperation projects, the role of ICT R&D as an enabler for growth, competitiveness and innovation, and the key ICT R&D priorities for international cooperation.
Please confirm your participation to mgonza@itesm.mx. For more information on the ICT Forum in Mexico, please refer to the ICT Forum 2011 programme.

Uruguay el país latinoamericano más avanzado en TIC

2011-09-16T12:17:00.004+02:00

Según el último informe publicado por la Unión Internacional de Telecomunicaciones (UIT), Uruguay es el país más avanzado en tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC) de América Latina. En el documento se evalúan los niveles de acceso a las TIC y su uso eficiente de 152 países, entre los cuales Uruguay ocupa el puesto 54.

En el primer puesto del ranking mundial se encuentra Corea del Sur, seguido de Suecia, Islandia, Dinamarca y Finlandia. Estados Unidos aparece en la posición 17 y España en la 25.

En América Latina, Uruguay ocupa el primer puesto, seguido de inmediato por Chile y Argentina. Brasil, Venezuela y Panamá son los siguientes tres países de la región en el índice de la UIT, en los lugares 64, 65 y 66, respectivamente. Más allá, en el puesto 70 se ubica Costa Rica, México en el 75, Colombia en el 76, Perú en el 83 y Ecuador en el 88.

El informe también proporciona datos acerca de cobertura, velocidad y precios de los paises.

Sincronizando la investigación entre la Unión Europea y Latinoamérica en TIC

2011-09-12T23:07:00.000+02:00

Sincronizando la investigación entre la Unión Europea y Latinoamérica en TIC

Agencias latinoamericanas de financiamiento de Investigación y Desarrollo Tecnológico por primera vez tendrán cita en un simposio internacional, en el que podrán discutir acerca de los retos y oportunidades de una estrategia coordinada entre la Unión Europea y Latinoamérica en temas de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación (I+D+I).

Los próximos 21, 22 y 23 de septiembre, en Brasilia (Brasil), se llevará a cabo el panel internacional Euro-Latinoamericano en el que se darán cita los principales actores del gobierno, la academia e industria involucrados en temas de cooperación en Ciencia y Tecnología, evento denominado “Sincronizando Investigación, prioridades y oportunidades de la Unión Europea y Latinoamérica” en el que se debatirá acerca de los retos y oportunidades de una coordinación estratégica en I+D+i para la Unión Europea y Latinoamérica. Esta iniciativa permitirá reunir por primera vez a representantes del gobierno y agencias financiadoras de investigación, de distintos países latinoamericanos desde Chile hasta México, un completo hito del proyecto FORESTA, una acción de soporte del Séptimo Programa Marco (7PM) , cuyo objetivo es avanzar en la cooperación en investigación de TIC con los países Latinoamericanos que han establecido acuerdos de cooperación en Ciencia y Tecnología con la Unión Europea.

En los últimos meses, este proyecto llevó a una intensa consulta con las partes interesadas en el dominio de cooperación internacional, y organizaron una serie de conferencias en 5 diferentes países latinoamericanos en los que se han debatido los planes digitales nacionales y expectativas alrededor de la cooperación con Europa. Se han identificado áreas tecnológicas de mutuo interés y se han generado recomendaciones para un marco de colaboración mayor.

En la próxima cita en Brasil, participantes de los países Latinoamericanos, incluidos Chile, Colombia, Uruguay, Brasil, México y Argentina compartirán sus experiencias y prácticas específicas relacionadas con la financiación de investigación con el fin de facilitar la generación de posiciones comunes y fomentar la sincronización de instrumentos de cooperación en investigación en TIC con la Unión Europea. El resultado esperado será un acuerdo sobre un trabajo conjunto para futuras actividades de cooperación con el objetivo final de armonizar mejor las estrategias de investigación de Latinoamérica y Europa.

Las agendas del evento, así como información práctica y detalles de inscripción, están listos y disponibles en la página web del proyecto www.forestaproject.eu. La participación en este evento es libre y se enfoca en todas las personas que tiene alguna relación con Investigación en Innovación y Tecnología, en particular los representantes de organismos de financiación, directivos de programas de financiación, personas involucradas en el dominio de cooperación internacional, así como empresarios interesados en la internacionalización de negocios.

ICT Forum 2011, 6 October, Buenos Aires

2011-09-12T10:59:00.003+02:00

ABEST will coordinate through the PRO-IDEAL project, the ICT Forum 2011 on October 6 at Fundación Cassará (Av. de Mayo 1194, Ciudad de Buenos Aires) to analyse the cooperation of ICT research and development between Argentina and Europe, as well as to offer guidelines on the ICT policies and priorities status in Argentina. The event will be divided into two phases: 1) a general conference of half day to introduce the Argentina- EU ICT cooperation perspectives; the PRO-IDEAL PLUS project outcomes and objectives so far, and the Argentina?s R&D&i capacities: presentation of Argentinean ICT R&D&i projects; 2) at the end of the afternoon, the FP7-ICT project FIRST will be presented followed by the PLATA (Argentinean I+D+i Platform) general assembly.

ABEST was created in October 2005. It operates at the Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation of the Nation (MINCyT), in the National Directorate of International Relations with co-funding of the European Union and the MINCyT.

PRO-IDEAL PLUS Project (its acronym stands for -Promotion of an ICT Dialogue between Europe and Latin America-) with the aim of promoting the ICT programme of FP7 in the region.

It is a completely free event targeted to professors, researchers, developers and users of ICT applications and services. Due to space restrictions, please confirm your participation to madavidziuk@mincyt.gov.ar

Download the programme

Internet of Things (IoT) Workshop, 16 September, Buenos Aires

2011-09-12T10:49:00.005+02:00

On September 16th, the Liaison Office Argentina - European Union (ABEST) and the CASAGRAS2 project organize the "Internet of Things (IoT) Workshop in Argentina" that is a pragmatic way to discuss with the Argentine community the IoT most relevant aspects as technical, social and economic, governance, standards, for the development of services and acceptance of the IoT by the society. The event will be held from 9.30AM to 7.30PM in Fundación Cassará (Av. de Mayo 1194, Ciudad de Buenos Aires). The meeting in Argentina was in a series of regional workshops raised in Sao Pablo, Bogota and Chile.

The CASAGRAS2 is an European Commission funded project within the Framework Programme 7 and its focus is the study of the fascinating field of the Internet of Things (IoT). International cooperation is seen as an imperative in the developments towards an appropriately governed, appropriately structured realisation of the Internet of Things.

ABEST was created in October 2005. It operates at the Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation of the Nation (MINCyT), in the National Directorate of International Relations with co-funding of the European Union and the MINCyT.

It is a completely free event targeted to professors, researchers, developers and users of IoT applications and services. Due to space restrictions, please confirm your participation to abest@mincyt.gov.ar

Download the programme

Recent developments in the EU-Latin America scientific and technological dialogue

2011-09-07T14:02:00.007+02:00

Following the launch of the Joint Initiative for Research and Innovation at the a EU-LAC Ministerial Forum on Science and Technology in Madrid on 14 May 2010, the first meeting of Senior Officials of the Forum took place on 28-29 March in Brussels. The senior officials agreed on the establishment of three thematic working groups on the Bioeconomy including food security; Biodiversity and climate change; and ICTs for meeting societal challenges. There was, in addition, a commitment to explore a potential fourth group on energy. A cross-cutting working group on funding and successful collaborative mechanisms was also established. For more information, see a short summary article here.

On 9 June 2011, the EU-LAC Senior Officials Working Group on "ICT for Meeting Societal Challenges" met for the first time in Santiago de Chile (under the co-chair of Chile and Finland). Representatives from Colombia, Chile, Finland, France, Peru and Spain attended. It was preceded (on 7-8 June) by a workshop on "Information and Communication Technologies for Innovation" organised by CHIEP II, FORESTA and EULARINET: see proceedings here.

On 19 July 2011, the European Commission briefed Latin American partners on new collaborative opportunities based on the 2012 work programme of FP7, through a video conference: see summary in PPT format here.

BAIT 2011 - Punto de Encuentro Latinoamericano de la Industria IT

2011-08-23T10:34:00.003+02:00

Por cuarta vez consecutiva, el Polo IT Buenos Aires con el apoyo del Ministerio de Desarrollo Económico porteño, reúne a las más prestigiosas empresas de Argentina y el exterior en un evento único e imperdible que tendrá como foco el intercambio de conocimientos y generación de nuevos negocios para dirigentes Pymes de IT.

Esta nueva edición de BAIT 2011, las conferencias se realizarán el Martes 30 de Agosto en el Hotel Panamericano sita Carlos Pellegrini 551, Ciudad de Buenos Aires.

Información y registros en: www.bait.org.ar

Workshop “Presente y futuro de la Investigación de Colombia en los Programas Marco de La Unión Europea”

2011-08-18T13:56:00.001+02:00

Los 'Programas Marco' (PM) han constituido los principales instrumentos de financiación por medio de los cuales la Unión Europea apoya las actividades de investigación y desarrollo, abarcando prácticamente la totalidad de disciplinas científicas. Los PM vienen aplicándose desde 1984 y abarcan un período de cinco años, solapándose el último año de cada PM y el primero del siguiente; sin embargo, en el caso del 7PM, se propuso que dure siete años y actualmente se encuentra en la fase final. Encontrándonos en la última etapa del Séptimo Programa Marco de investigación de la Unión Europea - 7PM, es vital realizar el proceso de evaluación, compartir experiencias exitosas y de aprendizaje que hayan surgido durante el tiempo que ha estado vigente, para prepararnos para la introducción del Octavo Programa Marco – 8PM -"Horizonte 2020 -El Programa Marco de Investigación e Innovación“, inicia a partir del 2014”.

Por lo anteriormente dicho, COLCIENCIAS, CORASFALTOS y la Red Colombiana de Instituciones, entre ellas la Universidad Nacional de Colombia; tienen contemplados el desarrollo de un Workshop denominado “Presente y futuro de la Investigación de Colombia en los Programas Marco de La Unión Europea”, dicho evento se llevará a cabo mañana jueves 18 de Agosto, en la Hemeroteca Nacional Universitaria Carlos Lleras Restrepo, Avenida El Dorado No. 44 A-40, Edificio 571, Piso 2. - Auditorio Adjuntamos agenda. El evento contará con la participación un staff de conferencistas expertos en el tema.

La participación no tiene ningún costo y el cupo es limitado, por lo que agradecemos confirmar asistencia, vía e-mail al correo: lgalvis@corasfaltos.com o comunicarse a los teléfonos: (7) 6551399 – (7) 6550806. Esperamos contar con su participación.

ECLAC/CEPAL report on the ICT sector in Latin America

2011-07-25T14:01:00.003+02:00

"ICT in Latin America. A microdata analysis" is the final report of the ECLAC-IDRC project Observatory for the Information Society in Latin American and the Caribbean (OSILAC).

The book collects nine econometric articles organized in two main sections:
- Section A compares ICT diffusion at household level in Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Mexico, Paraguay, El Salvador and Honduras.
-Section B presents results concerning ICT impacts on firm performance in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru and Uruguay.

OSILAC III is a cooperating project between the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the Division of Production, Productivity and Management, ECLAC-UN, which aims at understanding the dynamics of the ICT evolution and revolution and producing evidence on its potential to promote socio-economic development.

Download the book

The FP7-ICT Call 8 is now open!

2011-07-22T14:43:00.001+02:00

The new call for proposal was published on 20 July 2011 with a deadline of 17th of January 2012, at 17:00.00 Brussels local time. The indicative budget is 787 million euros.

Several objectives of the following Challenges are open: Challenge 1: Pervasive and Trusted Network and Service Infrastructures, Challenge 3: Alternative Paths to Components and Systems, Challenge 4: Technologies for Digital Content and Languages, Challenge 5: ICT for Health, Ageing Well, Inclusion and Governance, Challenge 6: ICT for a Low Carbon Economy, Challenge 8: ICT for Learning and Acc to Cultural Resources, FET and Horizontal actions.

There are already some Info days for this call scheduled in Brussels:
22 September 2011: Trust & Security (Objective ICT-2011.1.4). More

27 September 2011: Cloud Computing, Internet of Services and Advanced Software Engineering (Objective ICT-2011.1.2). More

12 October 2011: FET Proactive Information Day. More

For more information:
Visit the ICT wiki
Visit the Participants portal

Creative cities and audiovisual connections

2011-07-20T10:19:00.002+02:00

Creative cities and audiovisual connections - a publication by Gilson Schwartz (in Brasilian Portuguese)

IV WorkShop ARTICA

2011-07-19T18:38:00.004+02:00

El IV Workshop – ARTICA tiene como objetivo difundir los resultados de investigación e innovación a la comunidad académica y empresarial. Busca también propiciar un ambiente de discusión y análisis para contribuir al fortalecimiento del sector académico y la cooperación entre el sector empresarial y ARTICA. Se llevará a cabo entre los días 25 - 27 del julio en la Universidad EAFIT y la Universidad de Antioquia - Medellín. En el evento se han programado sesiones para mostrar resultados de investigación, tutoriales de cuatro horas orientados a la divulgación de nuevas tecnologías a empresas e investigadores del sector de TIC. También se realizará una sesión empresarial usando la metodología Safari, adoptada por ARTICA para la identificación de oportunidades y proyectos orientados a la innovación, que puedan ser llevados a cabo de forma cooperativa entre el sector empresarial y ARTICA. También habrá una muestra de prototipos e innovaciones desarrolladas, o en proceso de desarrollo, dentro de ARTICA. En esta ocasión el evento contará también con la participación del profesor Dr. Nader Bagherzadeh de la Universidad de California, Irvine, como conferencista invitado. La inscripción para participar en el Workshop es gratuita, pero debido a la limitación de cupos, se recibirán inscripciones hasta completar los cupos disponibles.

Más información

Startups; from Latin America to New York

2011-07-12T15:58:00.004+02:00

Buenos Aires startup network Palermo Valley, organized the event “Latin America Meets New York to talk Startups” at the incubator of private tech university NYU-Poly early on July. The event was composed by two panels, featuring entrepreneurs and investors with a deep knowledge the region, both from the US and from Latin America.

Palermo Valley has been working on developing an ecosystem of startups in Buenos Aires, thanks to regular networking events. It’s also taking this further, with the ambition to build bridges between Latin America and the US.

More Information

Workshop on International cooperation projects in Support to Research and Innovation Policies and Competence Building: Conclusions for LA

2011-07-08T12:16:00.004+02:00

The Workshop on International cooperation projects in support to Research and Innovation Policies and Competence Building was held the 16 and 17 of June in Brussels. The event was organized by the European Commission's DG Research's Directorate for International Cooperation (INCO) and it targeted four regions: The Mediterranean Region, Sub-Sahara Africa, South-East Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean Region.

The LA-Caribbean session counted with the participation of different initiatives were Pro-Ideal and Pro-Ideal plus project were also mentioned as collaboration partners. (See the Eularinet presentation by M.A. Macías García)

The main messages that came out from the LA and Caribbean session focused on Target achievement (NCPs, SICAs), Impacts on policy dialogue and at institutional level, the importance of the regional dimension to facilitate the internationalisation of activities and create leverage/critical mass, Grant schemes activated through open calls to ensure motivation, fairness and leverage, and a structured framework for synergies and collaborations .

Some of the outcomes and recommendations were to Increase networking effectiveness and reinforce intra-regional cooperation (BTSF, EUCARINET), to promote intersectoral education/training activities to nurture a new generation of multidisciplinary researchers (EDULINK) and to provide better (more systematic and comprehensive) information.

More information

Project Angels: Inspiration and Community for ICT Development

2011-07-04T18:44:00.006+02:00

The “Project Angels” network in Latin America is a distinctive contribution of the PRO-IDEAL project that set up a mechanism to train experts (“Angels”) in the understanding of the ICT programme and EU funding rules, thus being able to help potential partners from their countries to become part of a cooperation project. It is an innovative approach to the diversity of online and offline activities necessary in order to effectively promote an increase in cooperation between the EU and Latin America. Project Angels form a community of mutually inspiring research and development leaders and are also the source of competence building for those willing to become the future leaders of ICT research and policy dialogue initiatives, able to drive innovation on a transcultural and global basis in European-Latin American agendas.

Following the coaching courses and awareness raising events held in the PRO-IDEAL and PRO-IDEAL PLUS target countries – Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Mexico, Colombia, Costa Rica and Cuba – More than 100 candidates to Project Angels have been recruited and coached so as to attain the “Project Angel” certification.

Alejandra Davidziuk receives the Project Angels diploma award during the ICT 2010 networking session

The Brazilian performance has significantly increased as a result of the policy dialogue, which led to co-sponsorship of the Project Angels hub by the National Social and Economic Development Bank (BNDES). Along with the integration of the Project Angels initiative into the university extension framework (as part of the “Audiovisual Management for Local Development Program” led by the City of Knowledge Research Group), the supporting action involved coaching and successful participation in the submission of projects to the National Research Council (CNPq), São Paulo State Research Foundation (FAPESP) and the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee Research Center (CETIC.br). Private sponsors from the ICT community have also joined the network, such as the Volkswagen Foundation in Brazil.

The reason for the success of the Project Angels methodology is its direct connection to both business and research cultures: the formation of a community supported by the PRO-IDEAL consortium becomes not only an inspirational and testimonial sphere, but conveys a sense of security and confidence that is a necessary condition in order to pro-actively respond to entrepreneurial needs when it comes to copyright, innovation and consortium building challenges and issues.

ICT Forum, Buenos Aires 6 October 2011

2011-07-04T18:33:00.004+02:00

As part of the PRO-IDEAL PLUS activities to support the ICT policy dialogue between Europe and Latin America, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation – National Direction of International Relations - (MINCyT) through the Liaison Office Argentina-EU (ABEST) is organising an ICT Forum that will take place on 6 October at Fundación Cassará (Av. de Mayo 1194), Buenos Aires.
The ICT Forum will bring together national and international ICT leaders and decision makers to discuss and share knowledge on R&D and innovation priorities in the ICT field. The event aims at strengthening dialogue across institutions and ICT research cooperation between Argentina and Europe, thus contributing to the bilateral S&T Cooperation Agreement roadmap.

The ICT Forum sessions will be chaired by the ICT- NCP Rosa Wachenchauzer and the PRO-IDEAL PLUS project coordinator Yolanda Ursa from INMARK, who will guide the Forum discussions intended to explore opportunities for international cooperation in ICT, in areas of common interest between Argentina and Europe, as well as growth, competitiveness and innovation factors that foster ICT development.

At the end of the ICT Forum, the first Assembly of the Argentinean Technological Platform – PLATA will take place, organised by the FIRST project in collaboration with PRO-IDEAL PLUS.

For further information please contact abest@mincyt.gov.ar

Status of ICT policy development in Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay

2011-06-16T17:55:00.003+02:00

The Pro-Ideal project published four Country Reports on the status of ICT policy development in Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay to summarize the situation in each country, including the status of public policies for industry development and the strategies at corporate and business association level.
The reports intend to contribute to the dialogue and cooperation in ICT R&D between the European Union and Latin America through the dissemination of the national policies and priorities. The documents analyse each countries national policies and strategies for ICT industry development, the strategies at corporate or business associations level for ICT industry development, the legal framework and other public documents relevant to national ICT policies, the public and private institutional structure for the development of ICT, the ICT priorities for R&D, etc.

The report also outlines common priority areas for potential Cooperation between the 4 countries and the EU:

Internet of Services, Software and Virtualisation
Nanoelectronic Technology
Technology-Enhanced Learning
ICT for Patient Safety
ICT for Governance and Policy Modelling

Download the Reports:

-Status of ICT policy development in Argentina

-Status of ICT policy development in Brazil

-Status of ICT policy development in Chile

-Status of ICT policy development in Uruguay

G&L Group, BME Systems and ESFE joined the Pro-Ideal platform

2011-06-08T14:40:00.003+02:00

G&L Group from Argentina, BME Systems from Mexico and ESFE from El Salvador joined recently to the Pro Ideal platform partner network.

The 3 new partners appear now in the "about" section of the site together with other supporters and they will acquire editorial rights which will allow to share information on the platform and participate in the restricted collaborative working group of Pro-Ideal supporters.

If you are interested in joining the platform network please fill in the form or contact us.

Fostering Science and Technology Cooperation Between the European Union and Argentina, 9 June, Buenos Aires

2011-06-08T14:26:00.003+02:00

The International Policy dialogue conference on Information Society wants to enhance ICT research and collaboration between Argentina and the European Union. The event is organized by the Universidad de Palermo within the framework of the FORESTA Project.

More than 300 selected names of ICT stakeholders in Argentina covering Academia, Industry and Government sectors have been invited.

English-Spanish/Spanish-English translation service will be assured in order to allow everybody to have a full participation in the opening session and keynote speakers conferences, regardless their language abilities.

Download the agenda
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International Conference: ICT Challenges for Innovation, 7‐ 8 June, Santiago

2011-06-08T14:07:00.002+02:00

The International Conference “ICT Challenges for Innovation” will bring together representatives from the industry, government and national research, with the aim of exploring and proposing instruments, mechanisms and strategies to foster collaboration in R+D+i in the field of ICT with the European Union.

In this event, leading European and Latin American experts will discuss common issues between Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean that will enhance collaboration in R+D+i in ICT between the two regions.
The Conference is organized by CHIEP II, FORESTA, and EULARINET.

Download the agenda
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Roundtable to Identify and discuss ICT priorities in Mexico

2011-06-08T12:33:00.004+02:00

The Mexican Round-Table took place in the headquarters of the National Science and Research Council (CONACYT) the 24th of may 2011. The event was supported by the office for bilateral cooperation between Mexico and the European Commission (UEMEXCYT) and the National Contact Point for Information and Communication Technologies (NCP-ICT-Mexico).

It was the first of a set of two Round Tables, which Pro-Ideal-Plus is organizing also in the other partner-countries of the project. 15 ICT-key-stakeholders from the academia, the private and the governmental sector attended the event.

The most relevant results of the three main-topics were:

1. ICT-priorities for RTD

There is a need to determine the areas in which Mexico is ready to initiate actions and those areas in which medium term development is required.

2. Development of human resources

Mechanisms to provide incentives for people with academic or entrepreneurial talent to participate in ICT-RTD-programs like the FP7 were proposed.

3. ICT-infrastructure

There is a need to establish the position of Mexico in the ICT value chain (definition of the present and future position in concern) as well as to develop indicators and statistics on activities of the sector.

The event was led by PhD Miguel Gonzalez Mendoza, coordinator of Pro-Ideal-Plus Mexico, PhD Neil Hernández Gress, the NCP-ICT of Mexico and PhD Héctor Sámano Rocha, Director of UEMEXCYT.

More information (in Spanish)

Parque del Emprendimiento, ISIS and MEDISIST 3 new partners of the Pro Ideal platform

2011-05-26T12:48:00.009+02:00

Parque del Emprendimiento from Colombia, ISIS Ingeniería from Spain and MEDISIST from Mexico joined recently to the Pro Ideal platform partner network.

If you are interested in joining the platform network please fill in the form or contact us.

Diploma for 18 Project Angels

2011-05-25T15:08:00.002+02:00

18 participants of the Project Angels coaching course from Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, Mexico, Costa Rica, Brazil and Guatemala obtained the Project Angel Diploma after 7 months of study.

The Project Angels are specifically trained in the understanding of the EU's ICT Programme and EU funding mechanisms. Now that they are trained, they will act locally to help potential project participants with advice on how to participate in EU R&D programmes.

The Project Angels course is one of the activities supported by the Pro-Ideal and Pro ideal Plus projects, funded by the European Commission to reinforce the ICT collaboration between Europe and Latin America.

More information and links to the Project Angels

Exsource Group and iSalud 2 new partners of the Pro Ideal platform

2011-05-20T12:30:00.003+02:00

iSalud University from Argentina and Exsource Group from El Salvador joined recently to the Pro Ideal platform partner network.
The 2 new partners appear now in the "about" section of the site together with other supporters and they will acquire editorial rights which will allow to share information on the platform and participate in the restricted collaborative working group of Pro-Ideal supporters.

If you are interested in joining the platform network please fill in the form or contact us.

Foro Euro-Latinoamericano de las Mujeres

2011-05-17T16:20:00.007+02:00

The Foro Euro-Latinoamericano de las Mujeres organised a one-day event on “ Así como determinas el futuro de tu familia, determina el futuro de la sociedad” in the Mercosur Parliament Building in Montevideo. Amongst illustrous speakers as Senator Baraibar (Uruguay), Beatriz Ramirez, Director of the Uruguayan Women Institute, Massimo Leggeri, Italian Ambassador and Senator Escudero (Argentina), Margaretha Mazura, Secretary general of EMF participated via SKYPE conference on the subject: Las TICs oportunidades para mujeres. Her presentation can be downloaded here.

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Bajo el lema "Así como determinas el futuro de tu familia, determina el futuro de la sociedad", el Foro Euro-Latinoamericano de las Mujeres se llevo a cabo este lunes, 16 de mayo en el marco de la Quinta Sesión Plenaria Ordinaria EuroLat, en el Edifico Mercosur, en Montevideo, la capital de la República Oriental de Uruguay. Entre ilustres oradores como el Senador Barailbar (Uruguay), Beatríz Ramirez, Directora del Instituto de las mujeres de Uruguay, Massimo Leggeri, Embajador de Italia y la Senadora Escudero (Argentina), Margaretha Mazura, Secretaria General de EMF participó a través de SKYPE y habló sobre la - Las TICs oportunidades para mujeres-. Pueden descargar la presentación aquí.

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Do you want to become partner of the Pro Ideal platform?

2011-05-16T11:39:00.003+02:00

The Pro Ideal platform gives now the oportunity to join the Pro Ideal community and become partner of the Pro-Ideal platform.
By supporting Pro-Ideal, the logo of the organization will appear in the "about" section of the site together with other supporters. The organization will also acquire editorial rights which will allow to share information on the platform and participate in the restricted collaborative working group of Pro-Ideal supporters.

If you are interested please fill in the form or contact us.

Brazil to be partner country for CeBIT 2012

2011-05-12T12:33:00.000+02:00

It has been announced that Brazil will be the partner country of the CeBIT 2012.
CeBIT is the world's largest and most international ICT fair. It is held each year on the world's largest fairground in Hanover, Germany, and is a barometer of the state of the art in information technology. More than 4,200 companies from over 70 countries participated in CeBIT 2011.
Wolfram von Fritsch, CeBIT director said 2012 will show that Brazil and CeBIT are a "dream team" and looks forward to the samba summit at CeBIT.

European Seal of e-Excellence award at CeBIT 2012

The European Seal of e-Excellence rewards ICT and Digital Media companies with an excellent track record in innovation marketing. Awarded annually since 2003 by EMF and its Partner Organisations at the CeBIT, the Seal is widely known for distinguishing companies with innovative products & services and outstanding marketing.

Applications for 2012 are already open on the Seal website:www.seal-of-excellence.org

More information

First Mexican ICT Dialogue Round Table, 24 May 2011, Mexico-City

2011-05-09T09:44:00.003+02:00

Pro-Ideal-Plus is organizing the 24th of May 2011 the first Mexican Round-Table to promote the ICT-dialogue between Europe and the country.

The event aims to open the discussion about the Mexican ICT research priorities, their long-term perspective and their alignment with the EU research priorities. It is one of a series of round-tables that will be held in the different LA partner countries of the project (Mexico, Cuba, Colombia, Costa Rica, Argentina and Brazil).

The results from these Round Tables will be collected, synthesized and serve as basis for a roadmap on ICT research for the participating LA target countries. Through the joint effort of all relevant stakeholders it is expected to provide a shared insight and long-term vision for ICT cooperation. The roadmap will be a policy document for stakeholders and contribute to a future ICT Agenda in LA in view to strengthen international cooperation with the EU.

The event is targeted to key ICT-stakeholders from academy, government and the private sector.

More information
Download the agenda

2011 call for the EUCARINET Travel Grant is now open

2011-05-05T11:49:00.005+02:00

The 2011 EUCARINET Travel Grant Scheme call is open from the 15th of April 2011 to the 13th of May 2011.
The aim of the travel grant scheme is to promote exchange between Caribbean and European researchers as well as to encourage contacts between research institutions so that they may explore possibilities for joint participation in the European Commission´s Seventh Framework Program for Research and Technological Development (FP7).The travel grant works as a mechanism to facilitate further networking or even joint proposal writing.

Applications and more information

"Technology Day - Costa Rica" 18 y 19 de Mayo 2011

2011-05-02T11:53:00.007+02:00

El Technology Day es la gira de actualización tecnológica más importante de la región, organizada por la revista IT NOW.

Empezó en el 2008, y se repitió en 2009 y 2010. En este último año reunió a más de 5.000 profesionales y responsables de IT de empresas e instituciones de América Central y República Dominicana.

En este año 2011 el Technology Day tendrá una jornada y media de duración en Panamá, Costa Rica, Guatemala y El Salvador. Comenzará a mediodía del primer día con una sesión enfocada en las tendencias IT del sector bancario y financiero.En República Dominicana, Nicaragua y Honduras el evento se mantendrá en un solo día durante este año.

En todos los países se realizan conferencias de actualización brindadas por los especialistas de reconocidas firmas de tecnología a nivel global y regional.

Además, se lleva a cabo una feria exhibición de las empresas participantes de sus productos y servicios, la cual facilita la realización de citas de negocios entre compañías, entidades y sus posibles proveedores tecnológicos.

Más información

Colombia es quinta en la región en desarrollo de TIC

2011-04-27T20:53:00.002+02:00

Cada año, el Foro Económico Mundial realiza un estudio en el que evalúa las capacidades tecnológicas de más de 100 países, algo que significa buenas noticias para unos y malas para otros. En la edición de 2011 del ‘The Global Technology Report’, los gobiernos latinoamericanos en su mayoría tuvieron un desempeño mediocre, pero Colombia hace parte de un puñado de naciones que mejoraron el uso de las TIC en sus territorios.

El país es quinto en la región en el ranking y ocupa el puesto 58 entre 138 naciones que fueron evaluadas, lo que representa un incremento de 2 posiciones en comparación con el estudio del año pasado. El informe destaca que Colombia “ha consolidado sus logros” de años pasados en materia de TIC (tecnologías de información y comunicaciones). Esas son buenas noticias para el país, pero lastimosamente Colombia y unos pocos países más son una minoría en una región que parece no estar muy interesada en desarrollar todo el potencial de las TIC.

Mas informacion

EU-Caribbean academic cooperation Seminar, 11 May 2011, Kingston

2011-04-27T09:32:00.005+02:00

The CaribErasmus project is organising the 11th of May 2011 an Open Seminar in Kingston, Jamaica, to present some interesting mobility possibilities for Caribbean (especially Jamaican) students and researchers.

The event aims at fostering academic cooperation between Europe and the Caribbean by:

• promoting the mobility opportunities offered to Caribbean students and researchers by the Erasmus Mundus programme;
• Discussing the main barriers to Europe-Caribbean academic cooperation and mobility and advance on possible shared solutions;
• Presenting the first results of the CaribErasmus project, including a survey on the opinions of Caribbean students about European higher education and a website presenting scholarships to study in Europe.

The event is targeted to academic officers in charge of international relations, curriculum development, professors, students and researchers as well as to other higher education stakeholders.

Download the agenda
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EU-Brazil Business Dialogue - A Digital Agenda for Brazil, 10 May 2011, Porto Alegre

2011-04-20T11:52:00.003+02:00

The EU-Brazil Business Dialogue focused on the Digital Agenda will take place in Porto Alegre on 10 May 2011. The event will bring together senior politicians, policy makers and CEOs from Europe and Brazil to discuss ways of making progress in the Digital Agenda in both geographic areas and of strengthening cooperation.

More information
Download the Agenda

The Global Information Technology Report 2010–2011 published

2011-04-15T10:42:00.000+02:00

The World Economic Forum has just released the Global Information Technology Report 2010-2011. The document features the latest results of the Networked Readiness Index, offering an overview of the current state of ICT readiness in the world. The Networked Readiness Index (NRI) measures the propensity for countries to exploit the opportunities offered by information and communications technology. This year’s coverage includes a record number of 138 economies from both the developing and developed world, accounting for over 98 percent of global GDP. The report includes a number of essays and case studies on transformations 2.0 and best practices in networked readiness as well as a comprehensive data section—including detailed profiles for each economy covered and data tables with global rankings for the NRI’s 71 indicators.

The Global Information Technology Report 2010–2011 marks the 10th anniversary of the series under the general theme of transformations 2.0. Over the last decade, the Report has become the most comprehensive and respected international assessment of the preparedness of economies to leverage the networked economy, providing a unique platform for public-private dialogue on best policies and for determining what actions will further national ICT readiness and innovation potential.

More information
Download the report

Costa Rica es uno de los tres países más tecnológicos de América Latina

2011-04-14T21:58:00.001+02:00

Luego de Chile (39) y Uruguay (45), Costa Rica figura como el tercer país latinoamericano cuyo ecosistema digital es más competitivo. Así lo reveló la edición 2010-2011 del Informe Global sobre Tecnologías de Información del Foro Económico Mundial (WEF, por sus siglas en inglés).

Según este influyente estudio, Costa Rica es uno de los 50 países “más tecnológicos” del mundo, entre un total de 138 naciones estudiadas, mejorando tres posiciones con respecto al año anterior y colocándose de número 46.

“Costa Rica se ha mantenido escalando posiciones en el ranking de países desde el 2006, con una mejora adicional de tres puestos desde el 2009-2010 y notables avances en aspectos como “readiness” o preparación para el uso de las tecnologías, en donde mejoró siete puestos”, señala el análisis del Foro Económico Mundial.

De acuerdo con el Presidente de la Cámara de Tecnologías de Información y Comunicación (CAMTIC), Alexander Mora, escalar tres posiciones con respecto al año pasado refleja una mejora significativa.

“Esto envía una señal importante a la comunidad tecnológicasobre los esfuerzos que el país realiza para mejorar su ecosistema digital. Esta señal es muy valiosa de frente a las pretensiones deCosta Rica de consolidarse como un centro global de referencia para el sector digital y proyecta una imagen positiva sobre lacompetitividad del país”, explicó Alexander Mora de CAMTIC.

En su criterio, al analizar con detalle las diversas secciones del índice, “no puede dejar de advertirse queCosta Rica aparece como uno de los países que tiene mayores contrastes, pues en algunas variables es líder, no sólo regional sino mundial, pero en otras se ubica en las últimas posiciones con valores sorprendentes, por deplorables, para un país de renta media y alto desarrollo humano”.

Avances notables

El Informe Global sobre Tecnologías de Información 2010-2011 también destacó que el país cuenta con unsector empresarial sofisticado, que incorpora la tecnología en sus sistemas productivos, en sus procesos y actividades.

Esto, según el Foro Económico Mundial, se refleja en la transformación de su sistema productivo de bienes y servicios, que cada vez son de más alto valor agregado para los mercados internacionales.

El estudio destaca que más del 10 por ciento de las exportaciones de bienes de Costa Rica están conformadas por productos de alta tecnología, lo cual la coloca en el puesto 13 en el mundo y de primero en Latinoamérica.

Otros aspectos que permitieron que Costa Rica avanzara en el ranking son las bajas tarifas de acceso aInternet fija de banda ancha (donde ocupa el tercer puesto a nivel mundial), la libertad de prensa(puesto 11 en el mundo y uno de América Latina), la preparación del recurso humano, la calidad de sus escuelas de administración de negocios y las tarifas de telefonía celular y fija.
El Foro Económico Mundial utiliza diversas fuentes, informes y metodologías para elaborar este informe global y analiza aspectos como el ambiente de negocios, la preparación del recurso humano y el uso de las tecnologías.

“Como todo estudio comparativo nos permite advertir nuestras áreas fuertes y débiles. Por ser un estudio muy influyente en el mundo con respecto a las decisiones de flujos de inversión y comercio, proyectar una mejora es una señal muy positiva. El resultado se convierte en un indicador sobre la calidad y efectividad de lapolítica pública, de la capacidad del país de integrarse a la nueva economía y nuevo orden global regido por el conocimiento”, recalcó Alexander Mora.

CAMTIC califica este índice como un instrumento valioso para que el país gestione esas variables y procure construir un plan de mejoras.

“La Ministra de Comercio Exterior de Costa Rica, Anabel González, ha acertado al proponer una gestión de seguimiento y convocar a instituciones y sectores interesados, para trabajar en la gestión y mejora de las variables incorporadas en el estudio. En ese marco,CAMTIC está proponiendo una estrategia público-privada con la meta de que, para 2015, Costa Rica esté dentro de los 30 primeros países del mundo en este índice”, explicó el Presidente de CAMTIC.

Este informe se considera “la evaluación internacional más completa y legítima del mundo sobre el impacto de las tecnologías digitalesen el proceso de desarrollo y la competitividad de las naciones”.

CAMTIC joins national network for technology cooperation with European Union

2011-04-14T19:58:00.011+02:00

• CAMTIC was selected as the National Contact Point for Information and Communication Technologies in Costa Rica as part of the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Union

• Ministry of Science and Technology chose CAMTIC due to its renowned work and service to the field of digital technologies in Costa Rica

Sandra Angulo Hernández | Communications Officer at CAMTIC | sangulo@camtic.org

The Chamber of Information and Communication Technologies (CAMTIC) will be the National Contact Point (NCP) for information and communication technologies in Costa Rica. As such, CAMTIC will join the national committee to strengthen Costa Rica's participation in cooperation activities in science and technology with the European Union, as part of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7).CAMTIC officially joined the initiative at the invitation of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MICIT, for its acronym in Spanish), who coordinates the National Contact Point network which consists of inter-agency and interdisciplinary strategic actors. This network will coordinate the promotion of formal activities to improve Costa Rica’s participation in European cooperation projects of the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development, known as FP7.

CAMTIC’s president, Alexander Mora Delgado, accepted and welcomed the invitation of Minister of Science and Technology, Alejandro Cruz Molina. This work group will be coordinated by the scientific adviser to MICIT, Keilor Rojas Jiménez. “With great pleasure and in hopes of a fruitful cooperation, we confirm our nomination to become the thematic contact point of Costa Rica in the area of information and communication technologies of the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Union”, stated Alexander Mora. In his letter of invitation, the Minister Alejandro Cruz acknowledged the “known experience” of the CAMTIC in the field of digital technologies.

As a first activity, CAMTIC will organize Costa Rica’s participation in the ICT Proposer’s Day, to be held on 19 and 20 May, 2011 in the city of Budapest, Hungary. This event takes place in a different European city every two years and is led by the Information Society and Media Directorate-General of the European Commission. It aims to promote cooperation in information and communication technologies between Europe and the rest of the world. It also constitutes the most important meeting for the academic community, business and research with their counterparts in government and the Commission team, as well as its various forums, committees and working groups of general and specific purpose.

In the last three editions of this important event (Helsinki 2005, Lyonne 2007 and Brussels 2009), CAMTIC has represented Costa Rica. For this year's event, and as National Contact Point of Contact, we hope to convince other actors to join the national delegation, seeking to exploit the huge opportunities to integrate the country into consortia and research groups, development and innovation in digital technologies, "said Alexander Mora CAMTIC.

The Seventh Framework Programme of the European Union began in 2007 and its work will end in 2013.FP7 work involves funding and support for “research projects, technological development and demonstration” that help reinforce “the scientific and technological base of European industry”.This initiative also seeks to “promote international competitiveness and research that supports the European Union policies”.The interdisciplinary team of Costa Rica will feature four thematic focal points on: environment, health, energy and information and communication technologies (ICT). This last group will be advised and coordinated by CAMTIC.For CAMTIC authorities, this invitation of the Ministry of Science and Technology also represents a milestone in the project ProIdeal Plus, which has worked with European representatives on the issue of public policies.

For more information on ProIdeal and FP7, please visit: http://www.pro-ideal.eu

Workshop on FP7 - Opportunities for R&D Projects

2011-04-14T16:48:00.004+02:00

The Technology Management Center of the Uruguayan Industry Chamber (CEGETEC - CIU), organizes this workshop in the context of the SALA3D project.

It's goal is to examine SMEs and other institution's possibilities of participation in FP7 projects. The workshop includes a practical training on key issues regarding Latin American entities involvement in FP7.

The event will take place in Montevideo, in April 28-29 at the Uruguayan Chamber of Industries - CIU (Av. Italia 6201, Montevideo).

Constitución de una Agenda Digital Nacional (ADN) en México

2011-04-13T16:59:00.004+02:00

México es el único país, de los 34 miembros de la Organización para la Cooperación y Desarrollo Económicos, que no cuenta con una agenda digital de políticas públicas que impulse a las tecnologías de la información y comunicación como un detonador para su desarrollo social, económico y político.

Por ello, la Comisión Especial de Acceso Digital de la Cámara de Diputados, la Comisión de Ciencia y Tecnología del Senado de la República, con diversos grupos de la sociedad mexicana -integrados por la industria, la academia, sociedad civil y otras organizaciones interesadas en acelerar el desarrollo de México en la transición hacía la Sociedad de la Información y el Conocimiento-, conformaron la Alianza ADN a efecto de colaborar para la creación de un documento de Agenda Digital Nacional.

El lunes 11 de abril se propuso en México la constitución de una Agenda Digital Nacional (ADN) en la que se incluya un conjunto de políticas públicas enfocadas al uso de las tecnologías de la información y comunicaciones (TIC) para contribuir al desarrollo económico y social de México.

Hoy, 13 de Abril, se celebrará la Presentación del documento al legislativo en el Palacio Legislativo de San Lázaro, en Av. Congreso de la Unión No. 66, Col. El Parque, Delegación Venustiano Carranza, México, D.F.

Los objetivos de la ADN son impulsar políticas públicas de promoción, así como todas las capacidades TIC en individuos, industrias y gobiernos; desarrollar la industria de las IT, estableciendo estímulos fiscales, programas y financiamientos para incentivar las TIC, y defender los derechos ciudadanos a la intimidad, la neutralidad, la protección de datos personales y la libertad de expresión.

Más información

CAMTIC joins ICT NCPs network to encourage Costa Rica cooperation with Europe

2011-04-07T16:11:00.001+02:00

The Chamber of Information and Communication Technologies (CAMTIC) was appointed as the National Contact Point for Information and Communication Technologies in Costa Rica as part of the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Union. The Ministry of Science and Technology selected CAMTIC due to its renowned work and service to the field of digital technologies in Costa Rica.

As such, CAMTIC officially joined the NCP network to strengthen Costa Rica's participation in cooperation activities in science and technology and ICT with the EU.
CAMTIC’s president, Alexander Mora, accepted and welcomed the invitation of Minister of Science and Technology, Alejandro Cruz Molina. “With great pleasure and in hopes of a fruitful cooperation, we confirm our nomination to become the thematic contact point of Costa Rica in the area of ICT”, stated Alexander Mora. For CAMTIC, this nomination also represents a milestone in the PRO-IDEAL PLUS project, which has been working with EC representatives in supporting ICT policy dialogue with Latin America.

As a first activity, CAMTIC will organize Costa Rica’s participation in the ICT Proposer’s Day, to be held on 19 and 20 May, 2011 in Budapest, Hungary. This event takes place in a different European city every two years and is led by the Information Society and Media Directorate-General of the European Commission. "In the last three editions in Helsinki, Lyon and Brussels, CAMTIC represented Costa Rica. For this year's event, and as ICT NCP, we hope to convince other actors to join the national delegation, seeking to exploit the huge opportunities to integrate the country into consortia and research groups, development and innovation in digital technologies”, said Alexander Mora.

EU-LAC Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) to go forward the Joint Initiative for Research and Innovation

2011-04-07T16:10:00.001+02:00

As a result of the European Union, Latin America and Caribbean Senior Officials Meeting (SOM), which was held on 28 and 29 March 2011 in Brussels, the working mechanism and roadmap to go forward the implementation of the EU-LAC Joint Initiative for Research and Innovation was approved. This Joint Initiative aims at contributing to sustainable development and social inclusion in six priority areas of cooperation: Energy, Environment and Climate Change, Agro Food, Health, Information and Communication Technologies, and horizontal activities regarding S&T policies focused in both institutional and human capital formation.

Seventeen representatives from Latin American countries, nine representatives from Member States of the EU and Officials of the European Commission Directorate General for Research and Innovation and Information Society and Media, led by the International Cooperation Director, Mr. Isi Saragossi, the Directorate General for Development and Cooperation in Europe and the European External Action Service, attended the two days meeting.

Participants discussed and agreed upon the guidelines for the operation of SOMs in order to further develop and maintain the EU-LAC dialogue on Science, Technology and Innovation. Also a roadmap that will define how to structure the dialogue on science and technology under the Joint Initiative was endorsed.

Additionally, a bi-regional agreement to explore the possibilities for establishing a Common Fund for Resources within the framework of the Joint Initiative was reached. Also, bi-regional pilot activities will be implemented within the framework of the Joint Initiative in the areas of Bio-economy, Biodiversity and Climate Change as well as ICT. In this regard, Mexico proposed to add the Renewable Energy area, which proposal was supported by a number of LAC countries and Spain on the side of the EU.

31 participants from 11 Latin America and Caribbean countries selected for the last edition of the Project Angels coaching course

2011-04-07T11:13:00.005+02:00

31 participants from Cuba, Colombia, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Peru, Nicaragua and Bolivia have been selected to follow the on-line coaching course on the FP7 ICT Work Programme and become Project Angels in their countries.

The Project Angels are specifically trained in the understanding of the ICT Programme and EU funding mechanisms. Once they are trained, they will act locally to help potential project participants with advice on how to participate in EU R&D programmes. They are supported by a team of expert Project Managers in Europe.

The free of charge on line course is one of the activities supported by the Pro-Ideal and Pro ideal Plus projects, funded by the European Commission to reinforce the ICT collaboration between Europe and Latin America.

More Information

Brazilian PRO-IDEAL event connects ICT research to BNDES

2011-03-31T17:27:00.007+02:00

The PRO-IDEAL “Creative Currencies Mesh and ICT in the Knowledge Economy” event, held at the campus of the University of São Paulo on 22-26 March 2011, has staged an open discussion of FP7- ICT cooperation results in Brazil which centered on a critical evaluation of conditions of access as well as impact of projects and networks.

The sessions were broadcasted live to over 1.000 people in different time zones, using the IPTV infrastructure at the University of São Paulo´s auditorium. The PRO-IDEAL event was sponsored by the Brazilian National Social and Economic Development Bank (BNDES), the Ministry of Culture and Mozilla.

PRO-IDEAL partner and coordinator of the event, Gilson Schwartz, opened the March, 25 roundtable on ICT dialogues and international cooperation with a call to constructive criticism. According to Schwartz, “we have witnessed once and again the organization of bureaucratic events, but the PRO-IDEAL agenda focuses on policy dialogues and this has been a forum with strategic sponsorship by BNDES, so it has been an opportunity to foster a direct dialogue with the most important development finance institution in Brazil to support research cooperation with Europe”.

Angel Landabaso (S&T counsellor at the EU Delegation in Brasilia), Paulo Egler (leader of the B.Bice project), Nestor Bercovich (leader of @lis2 at ECLAC in Santiago, Chile), Yolanda Ursa (PRO-IDEAL Coordinator), Arthur Battaglia (member of FORESTA) and José Roberto Amazonas (partner of CASAGRAS2) responded to the provocation with an open appraisal of challenges and shortcomings of the ongoing cooperation processes between the European Union and Latin America.

For Landabaso, there are still cultural barriers to be overcome. Paulo Egler concurred and brought to the fore the importance of audiovisual means of diffusion. Yolanda Ursa summed up the session by stressing the methodologies used by the PRO-IDEAL project so as to overcome the challenges and create opportunities for cooperation in ICT via capacity building and certification of Project Angels.

The week-long event at USP also comprised the presentation of project ideas by candidates to Project Angels (27 ideas), a roundtable on ICT research trends and a final session on the future of the cities with Emerson Fittipaldi, the Brazilian Formula 1 champion and business leader.

F1 Champion Emerson Fittipaldi and Prof. J. R. Amazonas (USP) at the closing session of the PRO-IDEAL event in Brazil.

ICT Proposers' Day 2011, Budapest 19-20 May

2011-03-31T17:20:00.003+02:00

Organised by the Information Society and Media Directorate-General of the European Commission and hosted by the Hungarian EU Presidency, this two day event features networking and partnership building for ICT Calls 8 and 9 of the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Commission (FP7), offering more than one billion euro of EU funding. It is also an excellent opportunity for international cooperation in ICT research priorities (Challenges and Objectives) of the next calls for proposals.

More than 2000 stakeholders interested in topics of ICT research and around 100 Commission Officials are expected to attend. Thematic sessions on the Work Programme 2011-12 on ICT research, presentations of proposal ideas by proposers, meeting points animated by Commission officials and information stands will help you to connect with the right partner to obtain EU funding.

Registration for the event is now open free of charge!

To find out more go to http://ec.europa.eu/ictproposersday/

Successful Pro-Ideal Plus ICT Forum and Interactive Workshop in La Habana, Cuba

2011-03-25T11:40:00.004+01:00

Organised by the PRO-IDEAL PLUS consortium and SOFTEL, an ICT Forum day discussing the importance of ICT brought together a broad range of key players in the ICT and Research and Development sector from both, Cuba and Europe. After introductory words of Ramón Ripoll, Vice Minister of Trade and Foreign Investment in Cuba and Javier Niño Pérez, Chargé d'Affaires a.i., EU Delegation to Cuba a presentation from Klaus Pendl, European Commission DG-INFSO, gave an overview on the European Commission perspective about the Cuba-EU cooperation in ICT Research and Development. The forum welcomed also speakers from ICT NCP, the Polytechnic Institute “J.A. Echevarría”, the Cuban chamber of commerce, CUBAENERGÍA, NEM and the European PRO-IDEAL PLUS partners.

The day after, potential ICT project partners had the opportunity to take part in a participative workshop "Safari"-style to learn about ICT programme issues. The co-creative event was designed and facilitated by the Italian team of FUTOUR. The Knowledge Safari workshops adopted innovative participatory methodologies that fostered networking, clustering, team building and knowledge sharing by stimulating connective intelligence and contactivity.

The complete presentation material, pictures and information of the events are now available on: http://www.pro-ideal.eu/ict_forum_cuba

Second call for the ENLACE Travel Grant is now open/ Abierta la segunda convocatoria de becas de viaje ENLACE

2011-03-23T14:26:00.010+01:00

The second call of the ENLACE travel grant scheme is now open from 21 March to 1 May 2011.

The focus of the second call of the grant scheme is to support researchers from Central American countries to participate in an international conference or brokerage event in Europe and visit European research centers / institutions. The second call is open for international conferences and brokerage events taking place in Europe in all thematic areas of the FP7.

More Information
Related news: "A Project Angel received the ENLACE grant to ICT2010"

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La segunda convocatoria del programa de becas de viaje ENLACE está abierta desde el 21 marzo al 1 de mayo, 2011.

El objetivo de la segunda convocatoria del programa de subvenciones es apoyar a los investigadores de los países centroamericanos a participar en una conferencia internacional o encuentro empresarial en Europa y visitar las instituciones y los centros europeos de investigación e instituciones. La segunda convocatoria está abierta para todas las áreas temáticas del 7PM.

Más Información
Noticias relacionadas: "A Project Angel received the ENLACE grant to ICT2010"

PRO-IDEAL promotes ICT event in Brazil

2011-03-20T19:16:00.010+01:00

PRO-IDEAL in Brazil sponsors in partnership with the National Social and Economic Development Bank (BNDES), the Ministry of Culture and Mozilla the "Creative Currencies Mesh", a 5-day cycle of workshops, roundtables, conferences and Project Angels pitching sessions at 10 different locations on campus at the University of São Paulo. The organization of this major event is led by the City of Knowledge Research Group and the Technology Policy and Management Research Group, PRO-IDEAL leaders in Brazil. Activities run from March 22 to 26, 2011.
European and Latin American speakers will hold sessions on the trends of ICT Research, Development and Innovation, Policy Dialogues and Project Angels Workshops. According to José Roberto Amazonas, Professor at the Department of Electric Engineering at USP, Brazil leader of the CASAGRAS consortium and a City of Knowledge fellow, this is "a major opportunity to promote policy dialogues, capacity and skills building while at the same time reaching a very large audience in the country".

More info, program details and forms are available at http://www.cidade.usp.br

The event also marks the launch of "Mesh - Why the Future of Business is Sharing", by Lisa Gansky, in Portuguese, as well as the initial offering of "creative currencies" by the City of Knowledge. "Creative currencies is a complementary currency system which operates on a mobile learning platform, it is work in progress, presented at the ICT summit in Brussels in 2010 and a major hub for the attraction and promotion of meshy ICT projects in Brazil", according to Gilson Schwartz, economist, sociologist, journalist, creator and research leader of the City of Knowledge. Schwartz is the PRO-IDEAL Coordinator in Brazil.

The event has the full support of Grupo Estado, the major newspaper and communication group in Brazil.

Conferences and roundtables will be streamed live
via the University of São Paulo IPTV.

More info at cidade@usp.br

Applications for the Project Angels coaching course open

2011-03-16T09:59:00.004+01:00

Pro-Ideal and Pro-Ideal Plus projects open the applications to participate in the 3^rdedition of the Project Angels coaching course. The new on-line coaching course focused on understanding of the ICT Programme and EU funding mechanisms will start the 1rst April 2011.

More information
If you want to participate please contact us

Major Event of ICT in Iberoamerica to be Held in Montevideo

2011-03-16T09:57:00.000+01:00

mvdBIZIT 2011 aims at fostering strategies to promote regional development and encrease business opportunities for ICT companies in Latin America and Spain.

The conference, that will take place in Montevideo on March 23 - 25th, will congregate the most important representatives of the ICT industry in the region.

Learn more about mvdBIZIT 2011.

Outsource2LAC, Foro Latinoamericano y del Caribe de Outsourcing y Offshoring, 14-15 abril, Montevideo

2011-03-14T17:06:00.005+01:00

OUTSOURCE2LAC es el primer Foro Latinoamericano y del Caribe de Offshoring y Outsourcing organizado conjuntamente por el Sector de Integración y Comercio del Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo, la Agencia de Promoción de Exportaciones e Inversiones de Uruguay, Uruguay XXI, y la firma consultora Tholons.

El evento tiene como objetivo presentar las tendencias globales en la industria de servicios globales e identificar las oportunidades de America Latina para capturar una porción importante de este mercado. De forma particular, uno de los objetivos más importantes del evento es facilitar la realización de reuniones de negocios entre empresarios de LAC y Estados Unidos, Asia y Europa con el fin de encontrar socios estratégicos para sus operaciones de outsourcing. Para dicho propósito se ofrecerán sin costo alguno apoyo técnico y servicios de “matchmaking” en línea para los empresarios que se registren para el evento.

Más información

Festival Latinoamericano de Instalación de Software Libre (FLISoL), 9 abril 2011

2011-03-07T11:38:00.004+01:00

El Festival Latinoamericano de Instalación de Software Libre (FLISoL) se celebrará el Sábado 9 de abril 2011 en diferentes ciudades de Argentina, Bolivia, Brasil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, EspaÑa, Guatemala, México, Nicaragua, Panamá, Paraguay, Perú, Rep. Dominicana, Urugua y Venezuela.

Las diversas comunidades locales de software libre (en cada país/ciudad/localidad), organizarán simultáneamente eventos en los que se instalará, de manera gratuita y totalmente legal, software libre en las computadoras que llevan los asistentes. Además, en forma paralela, se ofrecerán charlas, ponencias y talleres, sobre temáticas locales, nacionales y latinoamericanas en torno al Software Libre, en toda su gama de expresiones: artística, académica, empresarial y social.

Más información

The Lack of Latino Attendees at Conferences

2011-02-23T12:04:00.000+01:00

This article reveals that latino participation in conferences in the USA is below 1%. The author argues that cost is not the main explanation but "a displaced feeling of belonging and a lack of involvement in the general population’s conversation". What are the reasons for this lack of involvement according to you?

Brazil increases cooperation in S&T projects under FP7

2011-02-22T13:18:00.005+01:00

The Brazilian Bureau for Enhancing the International Cooperation with the European Union (BB.Bice) and the European Union Delegation of Brazil have provided an online version of the video showing the Brazilian participation in the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) of the European Union. The material is intended to make available scientific and technological information in the development of research cooperation and collaboration between Brazilian and European institutions in the context of FP7.

The film is part of a special DVD that also contains a publication with detailed information on the projects with Brazilian participation approved in the FP7. The publication also provides an overview of bilateral agreements in science and technology signed between Brazil and the European Union. In the video, Gilson Schwartz from USP, the Brazilian partner of PRO-IDEAL PLUS (PI +) explains the importance of EU-Brazil research cooperation for mutual benefits between both regions. PI + is one of the projects funded under the FP7-ICT Programme to promote cooperation between Europe and Latin America, including Brazil, in the ICT area.

Second Business ICT WORKSHOP - Colombia

2011-02-18T15:26:00.004+01:00

El Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje, SENA y Centro de Excelencia en TIC, ARTICA

With the support of Activa Antioquia ® Plan Estratégico de Ciencia Tecnología e Innovación de Antioquia a 2032

Are pleased to invite you to:

Second Business ICT WORKSHOP

A meeting to identify together the possibilities of transfer, applied research and innovation to support the increased competitiveness in the ICT sector.

Place: Sede de posgrados de la Universidad de Antioquia (Antigua sede del Tránsito)

Calle 10 sur # 50 E 31. Medellín. Colombia.

Date: February 22, 2011

7:00 am a 8:00 am Room 102 / 8:00 am a 11:30 am room 103

Free entry, subject to confirmation.

https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dFcwVUl6M09fYXpWZ01FZUhyZFZpMWc6MQ

More Information:
Marcela González: marcela981@gmail.com
Alejandra María Bedoya Ossa alejabed@gmail.com
José Edinson Aedo Cobo j.eacobo@gmail.com tel. +574 2195567
John Freddy Escobar Soto jfescob1@gmail.com

Pro Ideal: PRO-IDEAL event in Brazil

2011-02-17T14:41:00.000+01:00

Pro Ideal: PRO-IDEAL event in Brazil: "PRO-IDEAL event in Brazil – 21-26 March 2011 Organised by the PRO-IDEAL consortium and the City of Knowledge, with support from the National..."

PRO-IDEAL event in Brazil

2011-02-17T14:23:00.002+01:00

PRO-IDEAL event in Brazil – 21-26 March 2011
Organised by the PRO-IDEAL consortium and the City of Knowledge, with support from the National Economic and Social Development Bank (BNDES), ICT Forum and Project Angels sprint will take place at the University of São Paulo. Beyond discussing the importance of ICT, the event will be an opportunity for project ideas to be aired.

EULARINET February 2011 Newsletter

2011-02-17T10:21:00.000+01:00

EULARINET, the INCO coordination action, publishes its its February 2011 newsletter with an interesting article on the bi-regional (EU-LA) policy dialogue on science and technology (S&T).

EU Survey on administrative costs for managing grants under FP7

2011-02-11T19:11:00.000+01:00

The Commission organises a survey to assess the administrative costs for managing grants under FP7. Evidence on the administrative effort in FP7 projects is gathered and will be used to assess potential scenarios for simplifying the next EU research and innovation programme. Researchers and project administrators are invited to contribute!

UNESCO Science Report

2011-02-10T21:09:00.000+01:00

UNESCO published its Science Report 2010. Here are some key findings:

Research and development: USA, Europe and Japan increasingly challenged by emerging countries
The USA and Europe still lead the global science research effort, but their future is uncertain
Asia leaping forward in science and technology, but Japan feels the global recession
Science and technology could be the way to greater equality in Latin America
Even oil-rich Arab states need innovation
Research and development: Africa is making progress despite major challenges

Download the full report in EN - the executive summary (32 pages) in EN or ES

International aspects in EU Green Paper on Funding of Research and Innovation

2011-02-10T15:35:00.000+01:00

The relevant quotes on international aspects in the EU's Green Paper on Research an Innovation Funding are summarised here.

EU Green Paper and consultation on research and innovation funding

2011-02-09T15:50:00.001+01:00

The European Commission released on 9 February a Green Paper on future options and priorities with regard to research and innovation funding. In addition, the Commission announced that it is engaging into a major consultation exercise, in particular about the topics listed in its press release. The Green Paper and consultation include all EU policy instruments in the field of research and innovation funding, i.e. the new framework programme (FP8), Competitiveness and Innovation Fund (CIP), cohesion funds and European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a package worth in total more than 140 billion EUR.
More information on practical ways to contribute to the consultation.

PRO-IDEAL PLUS events in La Habana, Cuba – 15-16 March 2011

2011-02-09T12:06:00.005+01:00

Organised by the PRO-IDEAL PLUS consortium and SOFTEL, an ICT Forum day discussing the importance of ICT will bring together key actors and policy makers from Cuba and the EU on 15 March. The day after, potential ICT project partners have the opporutnity to come to a participative workshop "Safari"-style to learn about ICT programme issues. Draft programme

Plan Vive Digital Colombia

2011-02-06T19:37:00.004+01:00

The main objective of the Plan is "To encourage the mass use of the Internet to make a leap toward democratic prosperity. " To accomplish this, the Plan has set some specific goals:

Triple the number of municipalities connected to the information superhighway through optical fiber networks, from the approximately 200 currently connected to 700.
Connect to the Internet at 50% of MSME and 50% of households.
Multiply by 4 the number of Internet connections, from the current 2.2 million to 8.8 million by 2014.

To achieve these goals, the Digital Living Plan will develop the digital ecosystem in the country in the following dimensions: infrastructure, services, applications and users.

more information

Costa Rica: The future of telecommunications vice-minister faces technologies cameras

2011-02-04T18:32:00.003+01:00

February 2, 2011

CAMTIC sent an open letter to Members on the project to move the telecom sector of the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Telecommunications (MINAET) to the Ministry of Science and Technology (MICIT).

• Read the letter and opine on this topic in this blog

• Read the note: "The future of telecommunications vice-minister faces technologies cameras" (ElFinancieroCR.com)

Source: Blog CAMTIC

4th Global Forum on Innovation & Technology Entrepreneurship

2011-02-04T18:29:00.005+01:00

infoDev and its program partners within the Creating Sustainable Businesses in the Knowledge Economy program will organize the 4th Global Forum in Helsinki, Finland, which will be held from May 30th till June 2th 2011. infoDev looks to its global network of business incubators and global audience of innovation and entrepreneurship practitioners and stakeholders to be actively involved in helping to shape the Global Forum agenda.

Between 400 and 600 leaders, entrepreneurs, scholars and ICT experts from around the world are expected to participate this event. One of the main initiatives within this program is the development of new high growth ICT enterprises.

infoDev is a global partnership program in the World Bank Group of international development agencies that helps donors and developing countries use innovation and ICT to achieve economic growth, sustainable development and poverty reduction.

Brazil looks at adding "happiness" to Constitution

2011-02-02T09:11:00.001+01:00

An article in the Hindustan Times reports on a bill to amend Brazil's Constitution to make the search for happiness an inalienable right...

SME Initiative on Digital Content and Languages - call is now open!

2011-02-01T17:51:00.003+01:00

The European Commission is launching the SME Initiative on Digital Content and Languages (Challenge 4 of the FP7-ICT Work Programme) to promote SMEs active in the area of digital content and language technologies.

The new SME-DCL Call makes available 35 MEUR of funding for proposals that must include at least two SMEs (and other types of organisations as appropriate for the proposal). The overall goal is to generate added value from trading, pooling and exploiting data (including language resources) in order to produce novel technologies, products and services.

The submission of the proposal must be done in 2 steps (short proposal and full proposal). The deadline for the short proposal is 28 April 2011 and the deadline for the full proposals 28 September (only proposals retained at stage 1 will be able to go to stage 2).

European Higher Education Study Tour for Higher Education Leaders in Latin America, 15 - 20 May 2011

2011-01-28T12:24:00.004+01:00

EU STEP study Tour proposes a one-week programme for senior leaders of Latin American universities to get acquainted with European higher education, European policies in higher education and research and their implementations in higher education institutions.

The Study Tour starts in Glasgow (United Kingdom) and continues to Brussels (Belgium) and Valencia (Spain), organized with the support of the European Commission under the ERASMUS MUNDUS programme.

The focus is on:

- Key issues in education, research and innovation, Trends in European higher education, and how their effects are managed at the institutional level.

The fully inclusive application feeof 1950 Euros (instead of 3950 Euros) includes 7 nights accommodation in the study tour locations, all meals and all intra- European flights (from Brussels to Valencia and Valencia to Glasgow). It also includes all airport transfers in Europe and sightseeing in Brussels, Valencia and Glasgow. Transcontinental flights not included.

For registration and more information please click here

MICIT promotes a certification in management of innovation

2011-01-24T22:02:00.000+01:00

Sandra Angulo Hernández | Communications Coordinator CAMTIC | sangulo@camtic.org

The Certificate in Management of Innovation and Market (DGIM) is open to innovative companies or those eager to apply innovation to their business.

This certification is sponsored by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MICIT) andis made possible by an agreement with the program for the promotion and training of the SME (Small Enterprise Promotion and Training, SEPT), University of Leipzig and a consulting firm Conoscopic GmbH, Germany.

The Minister of Science and Technology, Clotilde Fonseca, invited companies toapply technology to their candidates for this diploma and participate in thetransmission of information and presentation of the National “Program for Management of Innovation and Technology Transfer: A Call for Innovation "

Information and communication technology companies will be trained to enter international markets

2011-01-24T17:07:00.003+01:00

Sandra Angulo Hernández | Communications Coordinator CAMTIC | sangulo@camtic.org

”Creando Exportadores del sector de Tecnologías Digitales 2011” (Creating Digital Technologies Exporters 2011 edition) will begin its training on 24 March.

This modular program of the The Foreign Trade Corporation of Costa Rica and CAMTIC is aimed mainly at businesses in the sector of digital technologies that are ready to export for the first time.

The call is open for business information and communication technologies, including those dedicated to the field of digital animation and audiovisual production.

Instructors will provide participants the necessary tools to develop and execute its business plan and enter international markets.

To do this, employers will attend 10 modules, which include topics such as fundamentals of administration and finance, e-business, quality, intellectual property, innovation, export services, finance and funding, overseas presence, human resources and legal aspects.

This training will be provided in the form of theoretical-practical workshop and participants have to attend their workshops in 10 dates: 24 and March 31, 7, 14 and 28 April, 5, 12, 19 and May 26 and June 9, 2011.

At the end of the ten dates, participants will receive their certificate.

Knowledge Safari to hunt future collaborative ICT projects

2010-12-15T17:23:00.001+01:00

The PRO-IDEAL PLUS project has organised for the first time interactive workshops in Mexico and Colombia to inform, involve and engage future participants to the FP7 ICT programme. The two Knowledge Safari workshops involved 35 stakeholders each (researchers, industry, institutions). They were held on 9 November 2010 in Pachuca (Mexico) and on 11 November 2010 in Medellin (Colombia).

The co-creative events were designed and facilitated by the Italian team of FUTOUR. The Knowledge Safari workshops adopted innovative participatory methodologies that fostered networking, clustering, team building and knowledge sharing by stimulating connective intelligence and contactivity.

Each event lasted about four hours and generated over 300 ideas to effective and successful collaborative projects. The level of engagement and attention among the participants was extremely high and this led to a strong motivation and curiosity relating to the possibility to participate in future FP7 ICT projects.

The Safari addressed a number of issues related to R&D cooperation with the EU and the process to create successful ICT proposals. At each new station the participants analyse its specific issue or question, they discuss and create a series of ideas. This circular brainstorming allows an in depth analysis of the various perspectives and the creation of an incremental, wiki-like picture of the knowledge and experience of the participants. Ideas discussed can be seen in the Safari reports from Mexico and Colombia.

Next Safari stop, Cuba!
The next PRO-IDEAL PLUS event is scheduled to take place in La Habana at the Hotel Nacional de Cuba. On 15th March 2011 there will be an ICT Forum to support Cuba-EU dialogue for ICT R&D cooperation while on 16th March 2011 there will be the third Safari to co-create successful future ICT collaborative research projects with Europe.

Creation of the Steering Council of the Mexican Technology Platform on Future Internet

2010-12-15T17:22:00.003+01:00

Last November 9th the Steering Council of the Mexican Technology Platform (MTP) was defined and implemented during the ICT Day & Interactive Workshop organized by PRO-IDEAL PLUS and FIRST projects in Pachuca, Mexico. The Steering Council members of the MTP were nominated, and the organization’s vision, mission, and governance defined. Around 60 representatives of the industry, government, and research institutions of different states of the country attended this event; among them there were applicants for different positions in the Steering Council: presidency, the leaders of Thematic Work Groups (TWG), the Observers (organizations supporting R&D), Group operators of ICT companies, Scientific Committee and secretariat. The elected president was Guillermo Safa.

The event agenda consisted of the following sections:

1st Part. Introduction.
2nd Part. Formation of MTP’s Steering Council.
3rd Part. Revision and analysis of the initial version of MTP’s vision, mission, governance, and strategic agenda.
4th Part. Next actions for MTP consolidation.

The next challenge of the MTP are: the official launching of the MTP at the beginning of next year, development of TWG meetings for generating research and action lines, approach of Mexican TWG with their European counterparts, recruitment of more companies from members of the different ICT clusters, generation of first proposals for obtaining FP7 funds.

Information Day on ICT-Call 7 took place in Valparaíso, Chile on 5 November, 2010

2010-12-15T17:21:00.001+01:00

An Information Day on ICT-Call 7 was organised by ADI Chile and the PRO-IDEAL Consortium with the support of the EC DG-INFSO and the Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María in Valparaiso that hosted the event.

The Info Day addressed possible ways forward in Chile-EU
ICT R&D cooperation, including those objectives of the ICT Work Programme 2011 that are more relevant for International Cooperation between Europe and Latin America. The agenda also comprised key issues for successful ICT proposals and how the PRO-IDEAL Platform www.pro-ideal.eu can help the local research community to get involved in ICT projects.

During the event, the Project Angel Annika Schuettler from Chile received the Diploma of the Project Angels coaching course. The Info Day was also an opportunity for proposers to present project ideas for ICT.

The agenda and presentations are available for download.

First ICT Forum held in Santiago, Chile

2010-12-15T17:19:00.001+01:00

The first PRO-IDEAL PLUS ICT Forum to support the ICT policy dialogue was held on 3 November 2010 in Santiago de Chile. Preceding the official S&T bilateral meeting between the EU and Chile scheduled for 4 November, the ICT Forum brought together a broad range of key players in the ICT and R&D sector from both, Chile and Europe. After introductory words of the representative of the EU Delegation, Claudia Geyer, Klaus Pendl from DG-INFSO gave an overview on Chilean participation in EU projects and the opportunities that the ICT programme offers. The intervention from Mr. Alfredo Barriga Cifuentes of the Chilean Ministry of economy highlighted the challenges Chile faces in the area of ICT. Speakers from CONCYT, the e-Infrastructures project EVALSO, REUNA and SME groups, as well as DG RTD were complemented by interventions of the European PRO-IDEAL PLUS partners. As preliminary conclusions, the following issues were pointed out:

Research+Development+Innovation are crucial for both, the EU and Chile
SMEs are at the core of Chile's (and EU's) economy and innovation
Need for global action in ICT
Challenge to collaborate between academia, industry and governments
Up-grade intercontinental connectivity of e-infrastructures for ubiquitous access
Chilean challenges: lack of R&D investment; Lack of success stories to prove benefit of ICT; no connection between science and economic value creation

These conclusions were followed by some short term action points, like the participation of a Chilean delegation for the next ICT 2012 event and the emphasis of ICT at the EU-LAC summit 2012 that will be hosted by Chile.

ANDICOM 2010 was ratified as the most important space of dialogue and interaction of the ICT industry in Latin America

2010-12-15T17:15:00.001+01:00

In its 25th edition, the International ICT Congress ANDICOM, organized by the Telecommunications Research Centre of Colombia CINTEL, was ratified as the space for dialogue and interaction of the industry in the region. This was demonstrated in each of the sessions that addressed issues of business opportunities, vision, policy, regulation, economics, global trends, cooperation between Colombia and Europe, prospects for the mobile industry, and networking activities that were held during the congress.

From October 27th to 29th in the UNESCO world heritage site, Cartagena de Indias, ANDICOM was the scenario to generate discussion and analysis among the main actors in public and private sectors of the Industry around the theme "Networks, Services and Content: Business of the next decade in Latin America."

Throughout each of its editions, ANDICOM has offered the ICT industry a space with special features to discuss and promote the development of the sector. This was highlighted by Mr. Diego Molano, Colombia’s Minister of ICT, who congratulated CINTEL for promoting the congress for 25 consecutive years. "These opportunities for dialogue and interaction are very important to observe how the business is evolving ...with the understanding that a year in this industry equals seven years of any other ..." stated the Minister of ICT.

More information here.

Colombia's Minister of ICT at ANDICOM 2010.

ICT day and interactive workshop in Pachuca (Mexico) 09/10November 2010

2010-12-09T10:58:00.006+01:00

The complete presentation material of the ICT Forum in Pachuca (Mexico) which took place on 09/10 November 2010 is now available on the Pro-Ideal website.

For all the information, presentations and pictures please click here.

ICT day and interactive workshop in Medellín -11/12November 2010

2010-12-03T14:23:00.008+01:00

The complete presentation material of the ICT Forum in Medellín (Colombia) which took place on 11/12 November 2010 is now available on the Pro-Ideal website.
For all the information, presentations and pictures please click here.

Conclusions of the ICT Forum in Santiago de Chile - 3 November 2010

2010-11-26T12:45:00.004+01:00

The first PRO-IDEAL PLUS ICT Forum to support the ICT policy dialogue between Chile and the EU was held in Santiago de Chile on 3 November 2010.

After introductory words of the representative of the EU embassy, Claudia Geyer, Klaus Pendl of the European Commission gave an overview on Chilean participation in EU projects and the opportunities that the ICT Programme offers. The intervention from Mr. Alfredo Barriga Cifuentes of the Chilean Ministry of the Economy, Development and Tourism highlighted Chile's Digital Agenda. Speakers from ICT organisations, the e-infrastructures project EVALSO as well as CONCYT and the European Commission's DG Research were complemented by contributions from the PRO-IDEAL PLUS partners. As preliminary conclusions, the following issues were identified:

Research+Development+Innovation are crucial for both the EU and Chile:

SMEs are at the core of Chile's (and the EU's) economy and innovation
Need for global action
Challenge to collaborate between academia, industry and governments
Up-grade intercontinental connectivity of e-infrastructures for ubiquitous access

Chilean challenges:

Lack of R&D investment;
Lack of success stories to prove benefit of ICT
No connection between science and economic value creation

These findings should find their way into the Roadmap for future actions between the EU and Chile.

The full material of the workshop is available here.

ICT Forum, Santiago de Chile & ICT Days, Valparaiso - 3/5 November 2010

2010-11-26T12:09:00.001+01:00

The complete presentation material of the ICT Forum in Santiago de Chile & the ICT Days in Valparaiso which took place on 3/5 November 2010 is now available on the Pro-Ideal website.

ICT Forum in Santiago, Chile - 3 November 2010

2010-10-29T12:47:00.001+02:00

Organised by the PRO-IDEAL PLUS consortium, the Asociación de Derecho e Informática de Chile (ADI Chile), and with the collaboration of CONICYT, the ICT Forum will bring together key actors and policy makers from Chile and the EU to support the Chile-Europe policy dialogue in the ICT R&D sector.

The event will be held at Fundación Universitaria Iberoamericana (FUNIBER) facilities. For more information about the programme, please click here.

Information Day on ICT-Call 7 in Valparaiso, Chile - 5 November 2010

2010-10-29T12:44:00.001+02:00

This information day on ICT call 7 will be held at Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María (USM) in Valparaíso as part of the activities of PRO-IDEAL, where representatives of the PRO-IDEAL team and the European Commission will be attending the event.

The Info Day will provide information about the research challenges and objectives of ICT towards participating in the Call 7, which is open until January 18th, 2011. Additionally, the PRO-IDEAL partners will show the tools that the PRO-IDEAL platform (www.pro-ideal.eu) offers to potential participants in FP7 ICT programme. Please click here for further information on the agenda.

ICT Day and Interactive workshops in Pachuca (Mexico) and Medellín (Colombia). 8-12 November, 2010

2010-10-29T12:39:00.002+02:00

These interactive workshops have as main objective to strengthen international cooperation in ICT research, innovation and technological development between Europe and LA.

8-9 November 2010, Venue: Universidad Autónoma de Hidalgo, Pachuca, Hidalgo, Mexico. Click here to see the agenda of the event.
11-12 November 2010, Venue: Sheraton Four Points Medellín. Cra. 43 C No. 6 Sur 100. The agenda of the event is available here.

The events will be held in the framework of PRO-IDEAL PLUS ICT Days to raise awareness and engage potential participants in the FP7 ICT programme in Mexico and Colombia. The workshops address selected groups of participants from the academia and the industry (30-35 per country) and will apply new participatory methods like Safari, to stimulate creativity, innovation and engagement, as to increase the quality and quantity of Latin America and EU ICT R&D cooperation projects.

ICT in Chile - Research Areas and Capabilities: preliminary study released

2010-10-12T20:31:00.000+02:00

The Chilean National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research (CONICYT) has released a preliminary study entitled ICT in Chile - Research Areas and Capabilities. The study was financially supported by the European Union (through the project CHIEP II).

The document presents preliminary results of an ongoing study, intended to report on the Chilean research capability and working areas in Information and Communication Technologies. The document helps readers to identify Chilean research centres, investigators and research areas, as a way to ease the cooperation in ICT research, development and technology transfer between the European Union and Chile.

The priority areas considered are those specified as research challenges in the work programme 2011 for the ICT theme of the EU FP7 Specific Programme 'Cooperation'

An updated and comprehensive version of the study will be available after December 2010 @ www.chiep.cl.

EU-LAC ICT Gateway/EULARINET presentations on-line

2010-10-12T11:32:00.002+02:00

The EU-LAC Gateway/EULARINET event, held in the wake of the ICT2010 event on 29 and 30 September 2010 in Brussels, was a huge networking success, with more than 140 participants from both regions. All presentations are available at the EULARINET website. If you are interested in more concrete collaboration, contact us.