About the consortium

The FP7 ICT CONCERTO consortium offers a good balance between industrials and academic research centres, in order to provide the project with good theoretical insight and knowledge of the most advanced state-of-the-art solutions as well as a good vision of current market trends and customer wishes. Please find below the partner logos and the partner details (in alphabetical order):

Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME)

Short description

"Institutum Geometrico-Hydrotechnicum, the legal predecessor of Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME) was founded in 1782, and it was the first institute in Europe to train engineers at university level. BME, as a prestigious Hungarian higher education institute is committed to differentiated, multilevel, high-standard education, founded on intensive basic training, research, development and innovation, and scientific qualification in technical and natural sciences and in certain fields of economic and social sciences." /BME/

Key persons

Ivett Kulik, Gábor Fehér, László Bokor, András Takács, Norbert Varga, Péter András Kara, Árpád Huszák, László István Tóth

External links

Portal of Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME)

ICT Centre of Excellence for Research, Innovation, Education & industrial Labs (CEFRIEL)

Short description

CEFRIEL, ICT Centre of Excellence for Research, Innovation, Education & industrial Labs partnership, is a unique centre where academic expertise and cutting edge business know-how meet and integrate. CEFRIEL pursues these objectives through leading research activities, innovative services to enterprises, master programs, and high-level ICT education to professionals.

Since 1988, CEFRIEL has continuously improved its original mission to act as a link between the needs of Industry and University. Interaction between the two worlds results in cooperative research laboratories whose activities have led to a wide range of innovative software and hardware product and services.

CEFRIEL is organized into four ICT technology competence centres covering all information and communications areas of expertise, from microelectronics to software engineering.

Moreover, CEFRIEL organization addresses multidisciplinary research and development of innovative services and solutions in crucial application sectors, i.e. eGovernment, ICT for Medicine, Public Protection, Media and Communication, Ambient Intelligence, Environment, Mobility, addressing both technological and project management issues.

Key persons

Gianmarco Panza

External links

Web Site of ICT Center of Excellence For Research, Innovation, Education & Industrial Labs Partnership (CEFRIEL)

National Inter-University Consortium for Telecommunications (CNIT)

Short description

CNIT (National Inter-University Consortium for Telecommunications) is a non-profit Consortium among 37 Italian Universities, whose main purpose is to coordinate and foster basic and applied research activities also looking for cooperation with national and international bodies and industries and provide advanced education and training in the area of telecommunications.

The consortium aims to promote the basic research and all the applications to ICT fields by coordinating the activities among all the associated universities with particular attention to the design and testing of innovative projects. The CNIT promote the collaboration between the member universities and other university educational institutes as well as technical and scientific collaborations with national and international research institutes and industries.

Another important field action is the organization of educational activities in order to qualify, specialize or reconvert the professionalism in the telecommunication field. This activity includes also the promotion of scientific disseminations. Every action is always played under an university point-of-view, and, consequently, a particular attention is paid to the educational development of Ph.D.s and expertise researchers even by funding scholarships.

Key persons

Marco Chiani, Davide Dardari, Matteo Mazzotti, Enrico Paolini, Simone Moretti, Velio Tralli, Andrea Conti

External links

Portal of CNIT (Italy)

Kingston University (KU)

Short description

Kingston University is one of the largest universities in southern England.

The research activity within the School of Computing and Information Systems (CIS) is clustered into two centres of excellence: the Mobile Information and Network Technologies (MINT) Research Centre and the Digital Imaging Research Centre (DIRC).

In particular, the Wireless Multimedia Networking (WMN) research group carries out research on wireless communications and networking and it investigates adaptive delivery of media information with an adequate quality of service/experience. The research activity is performed in the framework of national (Royal Society, British Council, UK government), international and European projects and in tight link with the main international fora in the field, where group members are involved (e.g., Net!Works/eMobility, WWRF). Recent EU projects include PEACE, OPTIMIX, PROACTIVE (FP7), Qualinet (COST).

In this project the KU team will bring its expertise in wireless multimedia, cross-layer design, 2D/3D video quality assessment, medical applications; in participation and management of projects in related areas; in the organization of scientific events.

Key persons

Maria Martini, Chaminda Thushara Hewage, Moustafa Nasralla, Harsha Appuhami

External links

Portal of Kingston University (UK)

NEC Technologies (NEC)

Short description

NEC Technologies's missions is to to enhance NEC's competitiveness in the mobile market by continously strengthening our activities in Future technology , Development, Standardisation , Customer support and Marketing.

Key persons

B. Lécroart, C. Mouton.

External links

Portal of NEC Technologies (UK)

SIEMENS AG (SIEMENS)

Short description

Siemens AG (headquartered in Berlin and Munich) is a global powerhouse in electronics and electrical engineering, operating in the industry, energy and healthcare sectors. Siemens holds leading market positions in all its business areas. The company has around 405,000 employees (in continuing operations) working to develop and manufacture products, design and install complex systems and projects, and tailor a wide range of solutions for individual requirements. For over 160 years, Siemens has stood for technological excellence, innovation, quality, reliability and internationality. In fiscal 2009, Siemens had revenue of €76.7 billion.
Collaborations are an indispensable means of developing strategically important technologies. By discussing, sharing and implementing ideas with scientists from outside the company, Siemens researchers keep abreast of the latest findings resulting from fundamental and applied research all over the world.

With nearly 3,000 employees worldwide and being responsible for more than 7 percent of Siemens´ total R&D expenditures, Corporate Technology plays a key role in R&D at Siemens. Corporate Technology works closely with the R&D teams in the Siemens´ Sectors and Divisions. Corporate Technology is networked to facilitate efficient collaboration between its various sites around the world and with the rest of the Company. Its principal research operations are in the U.S., Germany, Austria, the Slovak Republic, Russia, India, China and Singapore.

Key persons

P. Amon, A. Hutter, W. Weng

External links

Siemens Corporate Technology

Thales Communications and Security (TCS)

Short description

Thales Communications and Security (TCS) is a world leader in its domain of activity covering communications networks, satellite communications, mobile radio-communications, naval & infrastructure communication systems, airborne communication, navigation and identification systems both for civil and military aircraft, command information systems, radio-surveillance systems and radio spectrum monitoring. TCF is part of the Thales group. In Thales group, within the 60.000 employees worldwide (50.000 in Europe), one third is involved in R&D. TCF addresses every activity related to telecommunications: wireless communications, IP networks, satellite communication, network administration and security. TCF has a long experience in very large Information Systems and secure infrastructures for systems and networks, including Internet and Intranets. Moreover, TCF develops a full range of telecommunication platforms and components, a range of high performance security products and has a deep skill in secure telecommunications for public and governmental organisations, emergency services and armies. Finally, TCF works closely with Thales Security Systems in the context of their video surveillance activities.

Key persons

L. Iacobelli, R. Fracchia, C. Bergeron, V. Felix

External links

Portal of THALES Group

University of Perugia (UOP)

Short description

The Bioengineering and Clinical Engineering group of the University of Perugia is part of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Perugia. The specialist knowledge vested in its staff is based on years of experience in research and clinical applications. This expertise is supported by tight links with medical doctors in the Hospital and with Companies producing medical equipment. The group has a wide experience including methodologies, diagnostic and healthcare devices, and artificial organs. Group members have extensive experience in the participation in a number of European Projects, National Projects and Regional projects.

Key persons

Dr. Pier Giorgio Fabietti

External links

Portal of Università di Perugia

University of Southampton (UOS)

Short description

The School of Electronics and Computer Science at the University of Southampton is one of the UK's leading academic institutions,integrating computer science, electronics, and electrical engineering,as detailed at http://www.ecs.soton.ac.uk. The School's history dates from 1946, when Professor Eric Zepler founded the Department of Electronics, Telecommunications and Radio Engineering. The school has seven members of the Royal Academy of Engineering, including visiting Professor Tim Berners-Lee, pioneer of the www. Communications, Signal Processing and Control (CSPC) led by Prof. Hanzo has been one of the strength-areas at ECS since the early 1980s. The team has a well established expertise in all major aspects of wireless communications with a track record of 20 IEEE Press/Wiley monographs, numerous publications ( http://www-mobile.ecs.soton.ac.uk/newcomms/?q=research\_pub) collaborative links across the globe. The group has been involved in numerous EU projects, including the FIRST, MEDIAN, TRUST, NEXWAVE, PHOENIX, OPTIMIX, CONCERTO and the NEWCOM consortia, as well as a large UK-India (http://www.iu-atc.com/) and a UK-China (http://uc4g.eps.hw.ac.uk/) research consortium.

Key persons

S. X. (Michael) Ng, L. Hanzo

External links

Portal of University of Southampton

Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT)

Short description

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland is a multitechnological contract research organisation providing high-end technology solutions and innovation services. From its wide knowledge base, VTT can combine different technologies, create new innovations and a wide range of world-class technologies and applied research services, thus improving its clients’ competitiveness and competence. Through its international scientific and technology networks, VTT can produce information, upgrade technology knowledge, and create business intelligence and value added for its stakeholders. VTT’s key technology fields include: Applied materials, Bio- and chemical processes, Energy, ICT, Industrial systems, Microtechnologies and electronics, Services and the built environment, and Business and Innovation Research. By virtue of its status as a government organisation, its public mandate, its substantial research programmes with dedicated public funding, VTT Group is the largest public applied research activity in Finland with a staff of 2900. In the past 20 years, VTT has participated in more than 1000 European R&D Framework Programme projects, within various thematic programmes.

Key persons

J. Vehkaperä, T. Ojanperä, E. Piri, M. Uitto, J. Huusko, H. Hyväri

External links

VTT Media Technologies