The first session was about “Future Networks: from Research to Innovation via standardization”. It included talks from a policy and from a research perspective.

Alojz Hudobivnik (ITU, Iskratel) presented what ITU’s interest and activities in future networks (FN) are. Study group SG13 covers future networks including mobile and NGN. FN are seen to follow a clean-slate approach. Technology-wise, network virtualization, energy savings of networks, and identification processes/identifiers are currently focused. FN are “defined” to provide services, capabilities, and facilities which are difficult to provide using existing technologies. And, according to ITU’s point of view, it is important to note about multiple FN, not only one. One of the current design goals includes “Economic incentives”: FN should provide sustainable competition to various participants in an ICT ecosystem by providing proper economic incentives.

SESERV established contact with Alojz (and the ITU) after his talk. He invited SESERV to contribute to the ITU draft recommendation Y.3001. SESERV, by proxy of the University of Zurich and the Swiss ITU delegation, will be working on a contribution and will be part of the upcoming meeting of the respective Study Group (SG13) in Geneva, Switzerland, in May 2011.

Didier Bourse (SESERV, Alcatel Lucent) gave an update on a talk presented at FIA Valencia (Move Future Internet Research into Practice - Closing the Standardisation Gap). He presented the “standardization gap” as only one out of several gaps that FP7 projects may be confronted with. Other examples embrace: business gap, regulatory gap, experimentation gap. Didier compared requirements of FP7 projects with a traditional standardization process. Most importantly, FP7 projects work on pre-standardization, are more light-weight, value academic participation higher. Didier presented the FI ecosystem graph (available on SESERV’s website as well) showing the path from research through clusters and events to initiatives, fora, industry, and market.

The second session was about “Stakeholders Announcements”. It was opened by Sandro d'Elia (EC) with an update on FIA activities, especially in relation to the roadmap to FP8 (to start in 2014). Before FP8, a row of institutional steps will take place.

Burkhard Stiller was giving an introduction to SESERV, including the coordination action’s scope and objectives in socio-economics and the Future Internet. He outlined the foreseen interaction with the FIA, different D1 projects, and scientific workshops. With regard to D1 project interaction, Burkhard described SESERV’s tussle taxonomy with its main patterns (contention, repurposing, control, responsibility). He promoted the website and Twitter presence as well as the questionnaire. Andrew Houghton (head of unit) remembered research projects to collaborate with SESERV as there are many research projects in the unit with workforce attributed to socio-economic aspects.