Knowledge Base for ICT Applications

From health care and the nutritional sector to cultural heritage, the automation of operational processes is growing explosively in all sectors of society and with this the quantity of digital data and communication. An increasing number of ‘machines´ (computers, processors, ‘smart dust’, etc.) interactively support human information processing or even assume responsibility for it. The deployment of ICT makes entirely new concepts of service possible. Optimal use of this potential requires a strong ICT knowledge base, in order to work on, for example, inherent safety and reliable hardware and software, communication by means of (wireless) networks and effective solutions for the analysis, storage and presentation of images, language, speech, and sound.

The strongly growing societal demand prompts the search for the underlying principles, which constitute the essential basis for improved applications. Therefore, in the National Research Agenda ICT 2005–2010 (NOAG-ict), the ICT research community opted for integral approach to research (nine ICT research themes) and applications (the twelve ICT application areas of temporary taskforce ICTRegie). In consultation with ICTRegie, NWO has translated this approach into priorities for applications in, for example, health care, the creative industry and the services sector, which are fed by research themes such as digital experience and the invisible computer. Examples are i-care for chronically ill patients, the ambient museum, computer games and simulation, and ‘software as service´.

The NWO ICT thematic programme links up with the priorities of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, VNO/NCW, MKB-Nederland (Branch organisation for small and medium-sized Dutch businesses) and the COS foresight studies. The Innovation Platform has also designated ICT as an innovation axis.