What is SEMIC.EU?
The Semantic Interoperability Centre Europe (SEMIC.EU) is an infrastructure horizontal measure of the IDABC programme. Its objective is to enable the reuse and harmonisation of interoperability assets that are the basis of cross-border eGovernment services. More precisely, SEMIC.EU intends to facilitate the reuse of syntactic (e.g. XML schemas) and semantic assets (e.g. taxonomies) needed for semantic interoperability. Semantic or content interoperability is about ensuring that the meaning of the information such interoperability assets via a public web repository to interested stakeholders in European public administrations. Therefore it is equally important to be a partner for European standardisation bodies that represent living communities of eGovernment and cross border data interchange.
SEMIC.EU also works as a communication platform for interested parties facilitating the creation of expert communities on semantic interoperability issues. Sharing experiences and solutions in such an expert community creates synergies and is a promising measure to achieve the harmonisation of data exchange models.
Objectives exchanged is not lost in the process, that it is readable and understood by the people, applications, and institutions involved. Since its launch in June 2008, SEMIC.EU provides.
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Objectives
The objective of this project is to establish the SEMIC.EU platform as a single point of collaboration for information and guidance on semantic interoperability in Europe. Interoperability is a key factor for the efficient implementation of pan-European eGovernment services. Seamless data exchange between countries with different administrative, technical and linguistic backgrounds requires solutions for the technical, semantic, and organisational dimensions of interoperability. SEMIC.EU is about to become the coordinator for Member States initiatives and pan-European eGovernment projects.
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How does it work?
The SEMIC.EU project supplies a wide variety of information and services for eGovernment projects seeking solutions for semantic interoperability issues:
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A communication platform including a repository for interoperability assets:The platform links together all relevant information about the SEMIC.EU project. As its core functionality the repository offers the possibility of easily up- and downloading interoperability assets (e. g. XML schemas, code lists, classification schemes, taxonomies, etc.).
- Providing high quality interoperability assets:
Through its Clearing Process, the SEMIC.EU project assures that interoperability assets published in the SEMIC.EU repository conform to high quality standards.
- Providing coaching services for creators and users of interoperability assets:Due to the high complexity of the field, users may require coaching services in order to successfully create and/or reuse interoperability assets. Such services can be requested via the platform and are provided as part of the SEMIC.EU project.
- Establishing expert communities: In order to learn from past projects and to create synergies, the SEMIC.EU project supports the creation of active expert communities. These communities largely consist of sectoral experts. They deal with the specific issues of semantic interoperability in their respective sectors.
SEMIC.EU will be available at http://www.semic.eu/. The platform will be developed and managed in close coordination with all interested stakeholders. Community features on the platform will support this exchange.
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Main Activities / Achievements
Two activities are to be focused on. They were important before the launch of SEMIC.EU and are required to be carried forward continuously: Gathering assets and fostering the commitment of users, eGovernment projects and standardisation bodies. SEMIC.EU is realising those tasks by attending conferences, meeting stakeholders on a face-to-face level and enhance visibility of other eGovernment services. The main result is the following: SEMIC.EU will grow slowly but surely. As of September 2008, SEMIC.EU achieved more than 30 projects to engage in collaboration, stakeholders uploaded more than 35 assets and more than 200 registered users are active on the platform.
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Who benefits?
SEMIC.EU is open and transparent to all stakeholders. It is a citizen centred service. Pan-European eGovernment projects benefit from SEMIC.EU by an increased visibility and hands-on solutions. SEMIC.EU opens up a wider range of collaboration and additional partners across Europe with benefit for public administrations, citizens and enterprises.
Public Administrations across Europe will benefit from a coherent strategy to achieve semantic interoperability. SEMIC.EU as a competence network of pan-European eGovernment projects will facilitate open and transparent ways in European data interchange.
Citizens and enterprises also gain from this strategy, as the benefits reaped by their administrations will result in seamless, integrated service provision.
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The Future of SEMIC.EU
Now that the platform and repository are operational, SEMIC.EU expands its community building and coaching services. The challenge is to become the main European service and platform solving questions and issues of semantic interoperability. An annual conference in Brussels gathers the community and everybody interested in semantic interoperability issues. Project members visit projects and organisations across Europe offering coaching and implentation strategies for interoperability assets. Federation with repositories at national or regional level is a future objective as well as the enhancement of the underlying OMAR technology.
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The role of IDABC
The activities were started under the IDA Programme. Now, IDABC is directly responsible for the funding and execution of this action. The project collaborates closely with the Member States, industry experts and other stakeholders.
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Technical information
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Project start date
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2007
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Project completion date
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Ongoing
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IDA budget
IDABC budget
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€ 100.000
2007-2009 € 2.350.000
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Responsible service
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DG Informatics - IDABC Unit
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Project coordinator
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Aldo LAUDI
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Contact
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contact@semic.eu
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Countries involved
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All EU Member States
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Pontential contributors are called on to contact SEMIC.EU at contact@semic.eu.
SEMIC.EU is an open and transparent project to all stakeholders. Hence the time and pace is up to contributors' conveniences. The platform www.semic.eu provides all nessecary information that is needed to participate actively. See what is next on SEMIC.EU, and please do not hesitate to get involved.
The platform has become operational. Communities are being established. The project now widens its scope and outreach. On its way to becoming the single point of contact and collaboration in Europe, an interactive refinement of its methodologies and the building of communities are the next steps being tackled.
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