ACOMIN

Advanced Computing for Innovation

 Partecipanti

Mappa

 Word cloud

Esplora la "nuvola delle parole (Word Cloud) per avere un'idea di massima del progetto.

 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'The Institute of Information and Communication Technologies (IICT) is an excellent research unit, created after international evaluation of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and subsequent personal attestation with the strategic mission to be the top ICT research actor in Bulgaria. It consolidates the best BAS groups in several core ICT areas. AComIn aims to create a scientific environment which attracts incoming researchers to work in conditions comparable to the EU Centers of Excellence. IICT has already solid infrastructure (Grid, access to a supercomputer IBM Blue Gene/P) but lacks modern periphery for advanced 3D input and output of microstructures, modelling of particles dynamics and interaction in granulated media as well as (pre-/post-)processing of speech, images and signals. In fact IICT needs modern devices to acquire data about objects and processes that might be of interest for the Bulgarian high-tech industry. A coherent (and unique for South East Europe) set of devices called Smart Lab will be purchased, ensuring the data autonomy of IICT and its access to real-world data. AComIn is focused on advanced computing, smart interfaces, and optimisation and intelligent control. Seven positions for long-term employment of incoming experienced researchers will be provided. Top scientists will be invited to join the IICT team via short-term employments, to perform joint research and technological transfer oriented to industrial users. Networking with 6 outstanding EU partners enhances the RTD potential of IICT researchers; dozens of world-renowned experts will contribute to the knowledge exchange efforts by short visits to IICT. AComIn supports innovation capacity building by IPR activities and ′Stock Exchange′ Days for sharing ideas, results and prototypes with high-tech businesses and policy makers. The project will have considerable impact by reinforcing links between academia and industry. IICT will establish User Communities of industrial experts who want to apply high-tech solutions in their companies. A broad range of dissemination activities will spread out the IICT excellence and innovation potential to the academia, Bulgarian business and the society at large. The international conference AComIn in 2015 will make the project results visible worldwide. Dissemination efforts at other high-level scientific events, organised by IICT, are foreseen in order to address the broad academic EU audience. Participation in exhibitions and fairs will demonstrate the IICT excellence in industrial research and will enable to develop closer links to innovation-absorbing Bulgarian business organisations. A post-evaluation by independent reviewers is planned, to assign a quality label to IICT and to explicate its capacity as an ICT research driver. AComIn turns IICT to an innovation engine, supporting the sustainable regional and national growth and increasing the efficiency and competitiveness of the Bulgarian economy.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

The Institute of Information and Communication Technologies (IICT) at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) has a solid computing infrastructure. An EU-funded project is helping to further modernise its facilities to become a leading research and technological development (RTD) centre in north-eastern Europe.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

Research environments are competitive if equipped with advanced information and communication technologies (ICT) for computationally intensive data processing. Such an ICT infrastructure also needs to be tailored to the needs of its users to lay the groundwork for cutting-edge research with innovative applications.

The objectives of the 'Advanced computing for innovation' (http://www.iict.bas.bg/acomin/ (ACOMIN)) project include providing the IICT with the most modern ICT facilities. The project has enabled it to purchase 'smart lab' equipment for modelling particles dynamics and advanced signal processing.

Ensuring working conditions comparable to those in European Centres of Excellence, the IICT attracted seven experienced researchers. Today, it hosts strong groups working in parallel and distributed algorithms, linguistic and semantic technologies, pattern recognition, intelligent and hierarchical systems, and signal processing.

The upgraded ICT infrastructure together with reinforced human resources is enhancing the Institute's RTD capability and improving the quality of its research. During the first reporting period of the project, its researchers participated in 33 international conferences and published their research results in more than 100 scientific papers.

With regularly organised workshops, know-how is also transferred to groups of experts that will disseminate ACOMIN project results to innovation-absorbing Bulgarian companies and public sector institutions. The Institute is able to expand its networking with leading European ICT organisations through two-way exchanges of staff.

Thanks to the ACOMIN project, the IICT is forming long-lasting partnerships with other European research groups active in ICT research. Better integrated with the European Research Area (ERA), the Institute will contribute effectively to high-technology development and stimulate economic activity in north-eastern Europe.