Lecturer’s profiles Dr S. Pascall (Advisor, European Commission, DG Information Society, Directorate C – Miniaturisation, Embedded Systems, Societal Applications) Stephan Pascall is a manager with extensive engineering and policy background and over 30 years’ experience with the telecommunications and space industry and the European Commission in a number of fields including telecommunications and its applications in space communications, Advanced mobile services, Trust and confidence services, Learning and culture, Regional development, environment and transport. He has specific experience in telecommunications and space in policy, regulation and technology aspects. Further experience in the development and management of all aspects of Community technology and implementation programmes. Stephan Pascall has an extensive understanding of political and technological developments and status of the Central and Eastern European Countries. He plays an active role in sensitive high level international negotiations both with the EU member states and with the various public and industrial organisations. Extensive financial and management experience in leading skilled professional teams in achieving complex and challenging objectives with concrete results. Stephan Pascall is a recognised authority in Space Communications and an author of a number of books and publications in subject. Ms. Maria BUCIOVA (IST NCP, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava) Ms. Maria Buciova received a master’s degree in languages from Comenius University and masters in economics from Faculty of Commerce, University of Economy in Bratislava, Slovakia. After finishing her university studies in 1999 she started to work as a marketing manager in a private service company. In 2003 she started to work for the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava. She works at the Rector's office, Department of Science & Technology in the position of EU Programmes Manager. In May 2004 she became an IST NCP. She participated in IST Mentor project trainings and in a Phare project of establishing of university technology incubator. She is responsible for information dissemination and national and international projects consultation activities. Dr Willy Van Puymbroeck (Deputy Head of Unit, European Commission, DG Information Society, Budgetary Resources Unit) Willy Van Puymbroeck obtained a PhD in Physic from the University of Antwerp in 1981. He then worked as a research engineer in the telecommunications industry. In 1986 he obtained an MBA and started lecturing software engineering. In 1988 he joined the European Commission and initially worked in the field of Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM). He was involved in the negotiation and launch of the international Intelligent Manufacturing Systems (IMS) initiative. Since 2002 he is deputy Head of Unit of the budget resource unit in DG INFSO. In his career Willy Van Puymbroeck published scientific articles in various fields and was the editor of several conference proceedings. Dr Evangelos OUZOUNIS (Technical Assistant, European Commission, DG Information Society, Directorate C – Miniaturisation, Embedded Systems, Societal Applications) Dr. Evangelos Ouzounis received a bachelor’s and master’s degree in computer science and engineering from Patras School of Engineering, University of Patras, Greece and a Ph.D. from the Computer Science and Engineering department of the Technical University of Berlin, Germany. He started his career as a research scientist and system analysts in the “Telematics and New Services Laboratory”, Computer Technology Institute (CTI), Patras, Greece. Later, he held positions as R&D project manager and business consultant in “Advanced Informatics Ltd.”, Patras, Greece. In 1997 he moved to Berlin, Germany, where he took up a position as senior research scientist in Fraunhofer Gesellschaft (FhG), Institute of Open Communication Systems (Fokus). He was the co-founder and deputy director of Electronic Commerce Centre of Competence (ECCO) at FhG-Fokus. Dr. Ouzounis was lecturer and master thesis supervisor at the Technical University of Berlin and he worked as an independent business and strategy consultant for numerous international organisations. Currently, Dr. Ouzounis is an assistant to Dr. Zobel, the director of the Directorate C of DG Information Society, European Commission. He is co-ordinating the areas of eGovernment and eHealth on behalf of the directorate and is responsible for the socio-economic impact assessment of the activities of the Directorate. Additionally, Dr. Ouzounis is responsible for the planning and co-ordination of the project evaluation process. Prof. Borka Jerman- Blažič (Head of the Laboratory for open systems and Networks, Institut Jozef Stefan, Faculty of economics, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia) Borka Jerman-Blažič is holding B.SC from University of Skopje in technology, M.SC in computer science from University of Ljubljana and PhD in natural sciences from University of Zagreb. She has been employed by the following institutions: Jožef Stefan Institute 1971 – up to date, as a head of Laboratory for Open Systems and Networks, Iowa State University, as visiting scientist, Ames, US, 1982, TERENA/RARE in Amsterdam as Project Development Officer, 1991/1992 and by the Faculty of Economy, University of Ljubljana as Full Professor, teaching Telecommunication Services and Electronic Commerce. The current research interest is in e-learning systems and technologies, security in telecommunications, IP networking, advanced computer network technologies, new generation IP networks, self-organized networks, embedded systems, location independent services etc. Borka JermanBlažič is a member of many professional associations and is appointed expert of UNECE/CEFAT Team of specialist on Internet enterprise development. She is also Honour member of Slovenian Society for Informatics and Chair of Slovenian Standardisation Committee on ICT, Member of the European ICT Standard Board as well as chair of the Slovenian chapter of Internet Society. In 2004 she was elected as chair of the European Coordinating Council of European ISOC Chapters. She is holding Plaque of appreciation of Thailand branch of IFIP and ACM and is an Honouree 2000 of who is who on professional and business women. She is a permanent expert of CEC on IST (1995- ) and National Contact Point for 5. FP, IST, KA III. She has published 48 papers in refereed journals, 104 communications on scientific meetings, 15 Chapters in scientific books, 6 books and other 142 non-classified contributions Mr Jacob BANGSGAARD (International Coordination Manager, ERTICO) Jacob Bangsgaard has an MA in International Economics and has been working with European projects in Brussels for the last 12 years. He has worked two years for the European Commission in the transport area and has been developing European R&D projects for the Danish regional offices in Brussels. For four years he has been working for his own consultancy with large European clients wanting policy support from Brussels and in writing proposals for clients, mainly in the sectors for transport and telecommunication. For the last three years he has been working as International Cooperation Manager for ERTICO – ITS Europe with responsibility for Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) projects outside the EU and for all ERTICO activities related to the eSafety initiative launched by the European Commission in Cooperation with ERTICO. Dr Joachim Irion (Irion Management Consulting) After having received a PhD in Physics from University of Munich in 1980, Joachim Irion served as a scientific officer for Harvard University and a visiting scientist at Stanford University until 1986. In 1986 he joined AEG as head of the department for speech processing and in 1990 he took over the lead of the department for project management for multi-national co-operative R&D projects. Since 1998 he is the owner of Irion Management Consulting, an independent scientific- and management consultancy in Germany, that specialises in the management and support of co-operative R&D projects. He has been continuously involved in the conception and management of EU funded research projects since 1988.