Photo: Ivar Pel
Since its foundation in 1989, ERCIM has been a dynamic organisation in computer science and mathematics. As a networked organisation of excellent institutes, many activities have taken place and important results have been achieved. These continue today and will do so in the years ahead. I am grateful and proud to have been elected as President for a two-year term, and I look forward to working with the newly chosen Board and all ERCIM members.
What are the key focuses for ERCIM in the coming period? While we already have many activities, we will place additional emphasis on being an active network that jointly carries out research, engages with European policy and institute management, and addresses important issues like ethics and the autonomy of the EU.
Many temporary, ad hoc networks exist in our fields of science nowadays, often driven by short-term EU project funding or by the hypes of scientific topics and breakthroughs. ERCIM consists of longstanding, excellent institutes with experience across research, hypes, innovation, and longer-term goals. In this way, we distinguish ourselves as a solid European organisation in two of the most influential areas of science in current society: computer science and mathematics. Building on this, increasing the joint collaboration on research and innovation will make ERCIM stand out even more than before. Not only through our Working Groups, but also through renewed initiatives for joint research projects.
As a mid-sized network, ERCIM has the advantage that members know each other and can move forward together in a range of activities. The new Board will build on this focus on intensive collaboration in the coming years. ERCIM is supported by an excellent office, which helps to manage projects and acquire funding. Through the office, we also maintain a strong link with the W3C organisation. And of course, new members are welcome to join ERCIM.
Given our long-standing position, ERCIM has a solid role in Europe, and we aim to strengthen connections with the European Commission. One of our more recent initiatives are the Visionary Events, where important developments in science and technology are highlighted and the future challenges, impacts, threats, and opportunities are addressed. In this way, we aim to connect to the European Commission, the managements of institutes, as well as to other decision makers and, of course, researchers. We have already organised events on Generative AI and Large Language Models as well as Quantum Computing, and expect to organise on Software Science in the near future.
In addition, ERCIM contributes through scientific reports and Working Groups that have their own impact in their areas, like on AI, ethics, and security and trust. These themes are not only important for the individual member institutes of ERCIM, but also for the digital autonomy of the EU.
In a time of rapid technological progress as well as geopolitical disruptions, strengthening Europe’s autonomy becomes crucial. This concerns not only technology, but also economic, security, and ethical dimensions. ERCIM already contributes in these areas, and aims to strengthen this role further as a focused network of excellent institutes.
Last but not least, we would like to strengthen our connection with individual researchers. We already have our highly appreciated ERCIM News magazine, with themed issues giving quick overviews of the state of the art of important themes, by established researchers in the field. We also have an active Human Capital group, enabling ERCIM Fellowships, the Cor Baayen Early Career Researcher Award, and various diversity and inclusion activities. To reach researchers more directly, we have introduced a new ERCIM Internal Newsletter, available by email subscription. We also plan to resume broader (Fall) meetings, including a wide range of activities and Working Groups meetings.
In parallel, we are strengthening our connections with other European organisations, including ACM Europe and Informatics Europe: ERCIM is expected to participate in an upcoming, new community event of ACM Europe, and ERCIM and Informatics Europe have initiated a joint Working Group on Software Science. We also aim to expand collaboration with the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST).
In the coming years, these activities will shape the ERCIM agenda, and the Board is committed to advancing them. I would like to thank all ERCIM members for their confidence in the new Board: Fabio Martinelli (CNR, Vice-President), Christos Koulamas (ISI, Treasurer), Alexander Nouak (Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, Secretary), Dimitris Plexousakis (ICS-FORTH, responsible for science), Monica Divitini (NTNU, responsible for human capital), Andreas Rauber (SBA, responsible for outreach), and myself. Also, I would like to thank Björn Levin (RISE) for serving ERCIM as the former President, and Gabriel David for acting as the Secretary of the ERCIM board. We owe them gratitude for their dedication to ERCIM.
Finally, I am pleased to note that I am the fourth ERCIM President via which CWI contributes to ERCIM’s leadership, after Cor Baayen, Gerard van Oortmerssen, and Jos Baeten. I look forward to our joint activities in the coming years and hope to meet many of you on various occasions.
Han La Poutré
