ERA Coordination Initiative in the field of Networked Enterprise

The "ERA Co-ordination Initiative in the field of Networked Enterprise" is an ERA Coordination Study, launched by DG INFSO, D4: Networked Enterprise & RFID Unit. The Study focuses on the field of Networked Enterprise and targets to (i) facilitate the networking among the EC, national and regional policy makers and key stakeholders and (ii) improve the coordination of the related research policies, programmes & joint activities conducted at European, national and regional level.

The Study includes the elaboration of a wide pool of preparatory reports (i.e. Compendiums of Policies, European, National Reports, etc) targeting to contribute to the development of the common knowledge base necessary to support ERA coordination in the field. However, the Study also deploys ERA coordination activities (i.e. consultation, policy workshops) targeting to involve EC, national & regional public authorities and policy makers in discussions and joint actions to improve ERA coordination in the Networked Enterprise field. Through them, the Study aims to create sustainable networking and coordination interfaces and patterns and thus contribute to the realization of ERA in the respective field.

The Study covers all the European Union Member States (EU-27) and Turkey.

 

The field of Networked Enterprise

The field of Networked Enterprise  includes research on ICT and on novel processes, organisational models and strategies which can radically improve the way future business are networked and interoperate and future products and services are created and managed. Research in the field of Networked Enterprise aims to facilitate the emergence of future business forms designed to exploit the opportunities offered by the technological and socio-economic revolutions of  the 21st century in order to make future organizations more competitive, innovative, agile and value creating.

Based on a classification of the Networked Enterprise & RFID Unit (DG INFSO, D4), research on the Networked Enterprise field can be grouped in four key research areas:

1. Collaborative Business Networks (CBN)

2. Digital Ecosystems for Business Innovation (DBE)

3. Ambient Intelligence Technologies for the Product Lifecycle- RFID (AITPL-RFID)

4. Enterprise Interoperability (EI)

Related research deems ICT to be crucial for the delivery of distributed and collaborative ambient intelligence-based solutions for the product lifecycle and of innovative inter- and intra- organisational systems and services in the networked enterprise environment. Special emphasis is placed on research for RFID as the enabling technology towards the "Internet of Things", the digital  "business ecosystems" paradigm and research for the interoperability of enterprise software and applications as a pre-condition to support Networked Enterprise operations.