Future Internet to make Europe's systems smart and efficient

The EC will launch a partnership between public authorities and major ICT players with a budget of €300 million for 2011-2013, available for projects to be selected in the near future. This amount complements the €200 million yearly ICT support for ongoing long-term research and development in underlying Internet technology.

By employing novel Internet technology, the efficiency of business processes and the activity of infrastructures and applications of important social value are considerably raised. The aim is to address service architectures and platforms, enhancing long term requirements of the internet, encouraging the European industry to face and accept the upcoming challenges of "smart infrastructures" and taking part in EU policies, related to innovation, interoperability, sustainable growth, energy and environmental targets.

The Commission will kick-start this public-private partnership with a call for proposals in 2010. Rapid implementation of the PPP calls for the use of FP7 instruments first and foremost, with the objective of producing early results by means of a medium-term outlook before 2015. €300 million are planned for this initiative over the 2011-2013 period – a figure to be matched by industry.