Telematica Instituut's core function is the development and application of high-tech research, both fundamental and application-oriented, into telematics. Telematica Instituut is seeking to boost the innovative strength and competitiveness of Dutch business, as well as improving the quality of public life. The Dutch government, recognizing the significance of telematics, awarded Telematica Instituut the designation of "leading technological institute". The institute officially began operating on 5 December 1997.

Telematica Instituut is managed and financed by a number of leading Dutch companies such as IBM, KPN, Lucent Technologies and ING. Representatives of the associate companies sit on the board and programme council, where the main thrust of the research is decided. Various outstanding research institutions have also joined forces within the institute, such as the Universities of Delft, Tilburg and Twente, CWI and TNO.

In short, the institute acts as a bridge between business, government and research institutions. The concentration of strength and the partnership between business and research institutions lead to greater efficiency.

Telematica Instituut is run by a central organisation in Enschede, The Netherlands, which is responsible for the business operations, marketing and management, as well as part of the research.

Telematica Instituut has the following objectives:

• To build up high-tech, multidisciplinary, commercially relevant telematics expertise, focusing on the rapid translation of academic research into market-oriented applications;
• To act as a bridge between business, government and the academic world in order to create synergy and boost the competitiveness of Dutch business, and improve the quality of public life;
• To form an independent administrative unit that can operate rapidly and flexibly in the market, as well as entering into commitments at both the organisational and financial levels.

The institute currently has the equivalent of over 160 full-time leading researchers, the majority of whom have doctorates. The researchers come from various institutional fields. In the next four years some 250 highly qualified researchers will carry out work on behalf of our clients. The diversity of the disciplines reflects the practical problems of companies and public authorities that can seldom be solved using only one discipline. The research activities within the institute are covered in the following expertise areas:

• Intelligent Content Interaction (ICI)
• Infrastructures for Context Awareness (INCA)
• Attentive Interactive Multimodal Systems (AIMS)
• Cooperation in Shared Workspaces (CSW)
• Smart Organisations (SO)
• Creating Value in Business Networks (CVBN)
• Service Oriented Business Integration (SOBI)

Telematica Instituut expects to have a turnover of about 20 million Euros within two years. Part of this will come from basic funding through government grants and contributions from the business community and research institutions. In addition the institute expects to obtain at least fifty per cent of its annual income from contract research carried out for interested clients, both participants in the Telematics Consortium and external companies and public authorities.

The Telematica Instituut has a substantial track record on leading and supporting large multi-party research programmes and projects (e.g. GigaPort and Freeband Impulse, Freeband Communication) and conducting application-oriented research on broadband, mobile and wireless applications in several sectors a.o. healthcare.

Expertise and experience will be brought in from previous healthcare related project like for example Platinum, INGOT, GigaCSCW, Mesh, GigaBroca and Wireless Wound Care. The project Wireless Wound Care received a second prize for the European Innovation Award.

The Telematica Instituut will assume the leadership in WP5: Evaluation, and participate in WP1: Human Factor Analysis, WP2: Technical Development of Services and Applications, WP6: Dissemination, and WP 7: Exploitation.

Key Personnel:

• Dr. Eng. Ferial Moelaert El-Hadidy;
• Dr. Robert Slagter;
• Dr. Marike Hettinga;