At the 7th WG Meeting of the Central European Research Infrastructure Consortium which was held on 22 March in Copenhagen under the chairmanship by professor Carlo Rizzuto, it was agreed that C ERIC supports RIDE and that the next meeting of the C-ERIC will held on 25th May in Opatija during the 35th MIPRO Conference and RIDE Exhibition.

MIPRO: On every MIPRO the “Ruđer Bošković” Institute presents some innovation like the 3D printer or 3D television which can be looked at without goggles. What is in preparation for the jubilee 35th MIPRO?

Skala: We felt the need of the moment to organize an exposition at MIPRO of the results of EU projects in the field of research infrastructure. So we initiated, from the “Ruđer Bošković” Institute, the RIDE program which won the support both of the EU Commission for RI and the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports.

MIPRO: What does RIDE stand for and what will it bring to this year’s MIPRO?

Skala: RIDE is an acronym for the Research Infrastructure Dissemination Event and it represents a gathering point and presentation of achievements of EU projects in the area of research infrastructure. Through the FP7 and the new Horizon 2020 programs the European Community, along with a range of accompanying institutions such as eIRG, ESFRI, ERIC and others systematically builds and unifies the research infrastructure in the European research area (ERA). For a number of years we, from Croatia, have participated in various programs as consortium partners. At this moment we have five such programs under way: DARIAH – IRB, SPIRIT- IRB, ENSAR - IRB, CLARIN- FFZG, EGI INSPIRE-SRCE. This makes it imperative to undertake concrete steps to define the road map on how to structure and functionalize the common research infrastructure from Grid to research ships. As regards the Grid infrastructure, in Croatia we started on time a very successful CRO GRID project which resulted in the CRO NGI national research infrastructure, and we managed to integrate ourselves in the right way into the EGI (European Grid Infrastructure). This was a major effort through participation in EU projects by the “Ruđer Bošković” Institute, SRCE and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture. But, this is only the beginning in the structuring of a new research platform and a technological foundation in Croatia. This should be worked upon very intensely, and we hope that RIDE will give a contribution in this respect. It is foreseen for RIDE to become a traditional meeting point of participants in the EU RI projects and a location of presentation of achievements, exchange of experiences and new ideas, which is basically also the mission of MIPRO!

MIPRO: How are the preparations going?

Skala: The preparations are going well. With the encompassing support of the President of the Program Committee Professor Petar Biljanović and Head of the MIPRO Office Jadranko Novak, we are advancing fast. I am just now on my way to Copenhagen and Brussels where RIDE will hold public presentations, and we hope to get a good response.

The sponsorship of the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports and the support of the Office for RI in the European Commission mean a lot to us. Among other, they have offered to directly carry out the dissemination of RIDE.

MIPRO: Is there still time for applications?

Skala: Yes, time is not an issue. The applications are open until the beginning of May, but, as we want to have a good location for our stands, one should do the reservation, i.e. application as soon as possible.

Abstract submission deadline for Jubilee 35th International Convention MIPRO 2012 is extended until January 18, 2012.

Important dates:

• Abstract submission deadline: Wednesday, January 18, 2012
• Full paper submission deadline: Monday, February 06, 2012
• Final paper review deadline: Monday, March 05, 2012

Papers published in the conference proceedings and presented at the convention will be included in the IEEE Xplore database.