2011

14/10/2011 I’m deaf, not headstrong!

DirectEye offers communication means to hearing and deaf people at the same time, which is unique. Their video interpreter systems allow clients to communicate whenever and wherever they are without impediments and without an interpreter Sign Language present at all times. The project was party shaped thanks to IBBT’s iBoot coaching program, supporting promising teams in developing their business plan. This solid and promising social project can now also count on a financial injection through IBBT’s iStart program. 

Download the full press release here. (ENG)

22/09/2011 RFID Tags to the rescue!

Every single year in Belgium, about 80.000.000 euro is deprived by theft on construction sites. Additionally are the indirect costs, which are estimated on about 50% of the above-mentioned amount. The Flemish start-up Viloc aims to offer a solution for this problem in construction work by offering a security system based on RFID tags. IBBT is a Flemish research institute and always looking to promote innovation in ICT, the company invests in this promising starter. IBBT also offers Viloc specific support for business development.
 
Dowload the full press release here. (Dutch)

01/09/2011  Half of the Flemish people have a Facebook account

End  2010, the enthusiastic team of IBBT - iLab.o went on a spree from festival grounds to bars, to measure the possession and use of media and ICT in Flanders. The result of this scientific survey is reflected in the Digimeter 3 Report. Based on this report and the comparison with the first two surveys the increased ownership of new media in Flanders is unmistakable. More than half of the Flemish people have a digital camera, internet, digital TV, laptop, flat screen and MP3 player in their living room. Concerning the use of new media, we see that especially instrumental and informative applications of new media are most popular, such as online news consumption, electronic banking and e-mail. Furthermore, the popularity of social networking is striking (more than half of the Flemish people have a Facebook account). The mobile trend in media use and ownership is continuing, but in terms of mobile applications, Flemish people are cautious (only 4 in 10 Flemings use their cell phone for other things than phone calls and text messages).

Download the full press release here (Dutch version)

25/08/2011 Camera rolling and action! The IBBT camera technology puts you in the director’s seat

Villa Vanthilt, a television programme running on Flemish broadcast ‘Eén’, is presented by the flamboyant Marcel Vanthilt. The programme offers al its viewers an extensive look behind the scenes, thanks to its location; in the middle of the main square of a major city. Viewers can follow the programme live on the spot and experience the action close-by. Recently, the view behind the scenes takes it one level up: you can now look  around in the studio from your living room, thanks to a 360° video camera from IBBT. This camera was developed in co-operation with the Expert Centre for Digital Media (EDM) for the IBBT ICON project xTV (Explorative Television).

Download the full version of the press releases here. (Dutch)

01/07/2011 New Flemish social game brings third dimension to Facebook

The Belgian gam design company GriN introduces, in cooperation with IBBT-MICT-UGent, the first truly 3D social game Hot Rod Racer to Facebook.

Download the full version of the press releases here.

 

10/06/2011 'SOFI' finances spin-offs of Flemish research

Friday the 10th of June the Flemish Government decided to provide 10 million euros to support the four Strategic Research Centers to finance spin-offs. This measure gets the working name 'SOFI' which stands for 'Spin-Off Financing Instrument'. PMV undertakes the practical management of SOFI.

Download the full version of the press release here. (Dutch)

 

16/05/2011 Flanders at the forefront of living lab research in Europe

European Network of Living Labs took on 4 new Flemish and Brussels’ initiatives

The European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL) opened a fifth call for members during the Future Internet week in Ghent (December 2010). Today the results were made public during the Living Labs conference in Budapest. 4 new Flemish and Brussels’ initiatives were withheld: LeYLab (Kortrijk), Ghent Living Lab (Ghent), The Egg innovation Lab (Brussels) and the Flemish Living Lab Platform (Telenet). Flemish Minister for Innovation Ingrid Lieten: “Together with IBBT-iLab.o, this brings the number of internationally recognized living labs up to 5. This is the living proof that the structural support of living lab research through IBBT-iLab.o and large scale initiatives such as the Future Internet week, which was coordinated by IBBT, are gradually paying off, bringing Flanders to the forefront of the European living lab research.”

Download the full version of the press release here.

 

02/05/2011 Flemish Government invests in innovation

Today, the Flemish Government took, on the proposal of the Flemish Minister of Innovation Lieten Ingrid, three decisions to invest more in science and innovation. First, the budget of innovation in 2011 will increase with 65 million euros. Second, the Government provided 97 million euros to promote research in IWT. And thirdly, the Government took a decision on a minimal budget growth traject for Innovation through 2014.

Download the full version of the press release here. (Dutch)

 

25/02/2011 OASE participates in a research project contributing to the
development of the “Network of the Future” in Europe  

OASE (Optical Access Seamless Evolution), which started January 1st 2010 with an EC contribution of 4,980,257.00 euros for 36 months, will investigate the development of next generation optical access networks. The project consortium is a good balance between network operators, industrial and research involvement, with 3 network operators – in particular 2 of them from ambitious Eastern European countries – 5 research partners and 4 industry partners, including two large industry manufacturers and one SME, from 6 European countries.

Download the full version of the press release here.

 

01/02/2011 2011 New Board of Directors IBBT reflects ambitions in innovation and research

Bart Becks chosen as new chairman of IBBT for the next of 6 years

The new Board of Directors of IBBT reflects the ambitions of the organization. IBBT has a proven track record as partner for research and innovation and will strive to tackle the challenges of internationalization and entrepreneurship. The composition of the board of Directors garantees the basis (support?) for IBBT to create a continuous impact on society and the economy.

Download the full version of the press release here (Dutch version).

 

25/01/2011 A successful Kick-Off for the DCA Project: Digitising Contemporary Art for Europeana 

Today, the European Commission and the DCA consortium, comprising 25 partners from 10 EU member states and the 2 associated countries, Croatia and Iceland, have officially launched the project Digitising Contemporary Art (DCA) initiating a significant increase in the presence of contemporary art in Europeana, the single access point to Europe’s cultural heritage. Over 30 months 21 museums and art institutions will digitise approximately 27,000 contemporary artworks and 2,000 contextual documents, making them available through the Europeana portal. With the co-funding of the European Commission under the CIP-ICT PSP programme and the commitment of the 25 partners, the DCA project aims to create high-quality digital reproductions and assure the long-term preservation of and online access to such reproductions and their data. To support similar future digitisation projects, it will also publish guidelines and documentation on best practices regarding the digitisation of contemporary art.

Download the full press release here.