European Network of National Big Data Centers of Excellence

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European Network of National Centers of Excellence dedicated to Research in Big Data and Data Science

Twenty-five European Big Data Centers of Excellence meet and presented their centers in Graz on Oct 18, 2016. The effort to form a European Network of the National Big Data Centers was initiated by the German and Austrian government and an inaugural workshop was held by Prof. Dr. Stefanie Lindstaedt, Know-Center GmbH Austria and Prof. Dr. Volker Markl, Smart Data Forum Germany as a part of the i-KNOW 2016 conference.

In their workshop, the centers worked together on major pillars of Big Data: Education, Systems, Analytics, Visualization, and Business Models. The brainstorming and the exchange of ideas ended in a concluding session where the participants collected ideas of different centers and proposed a framework for the further network collaborations. They proposed an increase in exchange and collaboration of research, identifying synergies for educational collaborations, fostering matchmaking between research programs and initiatives, and also sharing best practices on business approaches. In the end of the joint workshop, the representatives of the centers agreed to jointly work on a roadmap for the “next grand challenges of big data research” for the next round of the network which will be held at BDVA Valencia Summit 2016.

Other European Research Centers are highly encouraged to join the network.

This initiative is funded by BMWI (Smart Data Forum, Germany) and BMVIT (Austria) and coordinated by Prof. Stefanie Lindstaedt (TU Graz, Know-Center, www.know-center.at) and Prof. Volker Markl (TU Berlin, Berlin Big Data Center, www.smartdataforum.de).

Goals of this Network of CoEs are:

  • Create more transparency and visibility of cutting edge Big Data research in Europe
  • Increase exchange and collaboration between national CoEs both in research and education
  • Foster matchmaking between industrial and research programs and initiatives
  • Share best practices and lessons learned, identify synergies, and learn from each other

Europe is home to >50 CoEs that perform cutting edge research and drive the development and evolution of all aspects of Big Data. Each of these CoEs approaches Big Data from a different scientific background and with a different focus. Each of these centers alone can only cover a small part of the whole Big Data picture, but together their competences can define the data-driven Future of Europe. In addition, many of them also act as innovation engines to the local economy. However, European companies are not sufficiently aware of this asset. Main focus of the Center of Excellence (CoE) Network will be research topics and how they can be transferred into relevant industries. In the future, exchange of academic expertise across the CoE Network will support further research, enable the role-out of promising projects across Europe, and strengthen the European economy.

To ally those cutting edge think tanks we are mapping the individual competences of the centers. The first results will be presented at this event and the network will be kicked-off.

The first networking meeting of all National Centers of Excellence (CoEs) dedicated to Research in Big Data and Data Science in Europe collocated took place at the i-KNOW 2016 Conference in Graz.

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