We live in a flux of information
Satellites map the surface and the weather of the Earth, the Human Genom Project obtained the human genetic map, telescopes are tracking automatically the ever deeper regions of the Universe, we are measuring the parameters of IT networks, while private and state institutions are gathering our personal data concerning our borrowing, shopping and travelling habits. The vast amount of data gathered on the Internet could only be expressed in magnitudes of Exa-Bytes. This doubles in every two years. The data gathered often causes bigger difficulties than its collection: nobody is able to obtain an overall picture and to filter significant information: to predict possibly disastrous phenomena in nature or in the networks, to filter out suspected terrorists, to find genes responsible for aging and for hereditary diseases, to identify potentially marketable products, or to estimate the risks of individual decisions.
The answer to these is eScience!
What is eScience?
The expression 'eScience' is applied to new, ambitious technologies, over the course of which large-scale, complex scientific activities may be exercised by applying modern information technology. Its most important feature is the evaluation work operating with immense amount of data often from multiple sources. This requires automatic data gathering, sorting to optimal databases, capacity-demanding processing and visualisation aiming at the essence.
EScience stems from the genuine interdisciplinary interaction of applied sciences, basic research and modern information technology (IT), creating the new, 21st century quality in applied research as well as in information technology. IT develops the tools for the solution of the problems of basic and applied research, but the resulting complex IT systems may only be examined and further developed with the methods of eScience.
At its current state, eScience is directed at the excavation of the material of organized data collection; however, it also prepares the necessary technology for the processing of spontaneously gathered data.
Why is eScience important?
The past decade has changed the methodology of almost all the scientific branches. Similarly to how mathematics spread over almost all scientific branches about a century ago and became the basic tool of theoretical models, it is nearly impossible nowadays to study any science without the usage of modern information technology. Concurrently, another process started in a different direction: modern information systems have become so complex that the existing IT methods are not sufficient for their examination and development, but the methods developed for the examination of traditional, complex natural phenomena are also necessary.
This is not the first revolution in the history of either science or electronics. The appearance of inexpensive personal computers changed the relationship of informatics to science, to business and everyday life. Cheap Internet revolutionized the operation of work groups. The results published here became accessible for everybody. Today we can experience the revolution of data technology: the amount and bandwidth of instruments, sensors and recording equipment are growing exponentially, just as well as the number of Internet users, who, thanks to today's easily manageable web technology, provide immense data of various quality. This has led to a point that, by today, both the demands and the existing capacities have outgrown the framework provided by IT. The existing databases often store data dispersedly, in "bulk". Data collection procedures need to gather ever more data automatically. Existing data could only be processed with ever greater computing power, while the users of the databases often do not know what data they require exactly, neither are they aware of all uses they could make of the information gathered.
By using the extended IT equipment pool based on new foundations, the latest results of research and development appear immediately in front of the users who possess the technology, and by this means, via the Knowledge Centre, in front of the enterprises of the region as well. Another significant advantage of the Knowledge Centre is that it can deliver these results and technologies effectively and directly to small and medium size enterprises, enabling them to access information excavated for their purposes ahead of their competitors, as well as to effectively excavate data accessible by them.
To recognize and exploit good trends is a basic requirement in this field as well. Swift steps towards the right directions result in success: see the triumph of Google or Amazon e-commerce (these enterprises are moving towards the usage of directed advertising based on the data gathered so far). At the same time the burst of the e-bubble around the turn of the century indicated that many technologies were not ready yet. A Regional University Knowledge Centre with the necessary number of experts from the forefront of international research possessing state-of-the-art, applicable knowledge is able to analyze the expected processes and to estimate the expected technological development. Applying the gathered competence, the Knowledge Centre operates as a catalyst by making technology considered progressive internationally available for enterprises, which may be the key for competitiveness for the enterprises of the region.
What needs to be done?
For the development of the technology accomplishing the goals described above, it is necessary to summarize the existing scientific observations of the various scientific branches in a truly multidisciplinary knowledge centre, in which the main cohesive force is the IT challenge represented by the processing of complex data masses. This centre continues to develop the work in accordance with the new approach, in close relationship with other scientific areas and with informatics, providing continuous feedback for IT development.
These trends do not appear in basic training, neither in Ph. D. programs; moreover, they are not entirely present in the criteria of scientific works either. Our primary task is to form a coherent, effective unit from the knowledge competence existing dispersedly in the various fields in order to reach the well defined goal, which would widely display this leading sector of applied sciences. This would attract young researchers who could obtain competitive knowledge in the framework of a special Ph. D. training. By means of the services of the Knowledge Centre and of the trained professionals, the knowledge that would pour into the domestic entrepreneurial sector would bring up the dormant possibilities that would make it the winner of the data revolution.
The creation of the Knowledge Centre would provide an excellent opportunity and means by which it could later become - even on the level of the European Union - the leading centre of eScience research and development projects.
The purpose of the Regional University Knowledge Centre
The main task of the eScience Regional University Knowledge Centre is the establishment, improvement and development of technology with the aid of professionals and students working at the university and with the effective support of the industrial partners, which could set an example for the effective and scalable processing of great amounts of data.
The Centre incorporates the new information technology into the scientific basic and applied research, and it applies the methodology of the scientific applied research on complex and large systems in the formulation of the software of the new technology.
The lack of such development and technology is already apparent in domestic R&D activities, and, if we do not proceed in time, it will cause ever greater problems in the near future: the large devices obtained so far are providing such a big amount of data that the processing is difficult; however, the necessary technology is still not completely available.
The Knowledge Centre provides the industrial partners with ongoing training on the data processing methods developed. It also helps in the construction of processed databases and builds example databases. The service to be developed from this includes data excavation activities surpassing the standard content provision.
A stressed task of the Knowledge Centre is the effective training of students for the new technology also demanded by the industry, the ongoing education and further training of a highly qualified line of experts for its own use as well as for the purposes of other users.This is why it is necessary to create the appropriate infrastructure that provides for the representation of the needs of the industry in the work of the Knowledge Centre, and that can effectively deliver results to those concerned.
Within the scope of information technology, the Knowledge Centre concentrates on technology based on special knowledge (e.g. bioinformatics, handling of complex structures. etc.). We have set two important exploitation objectives: the special branches represent a leading direction and an experimental field for data technologies that could be directly utilized somewhere else as well. On the other hand, the individual scientific fields, by making use of the technologies, may bring direct benefit in the work of enterprises (e.g. pharmaceutical factories) directly building on scientific results.
Regional effect
The planned RET offers a unique competence in many areas in the topic of tendering regionally, but even nationally, as well. The development of the innovative tools of network informatics, bioinformatics and geoinformatics on an international level, and the unprecedented adoption of visual methods are especially significant. The planned visualization platform would be a unique development in the entire Central Europe region, and it would carry great significance from the point of view of the region as well. Due to the characteristics of eScience, the accessibility of these developments surpasses the scope of usual local developments.
Participants of the Knowledge Center
The eScience Knowledge Centre operates in the form of a consortium with the leadership of Eötvös Loránd University, in close co-operation with the industrial partners. The founding members of the Knowledge Centre are: Eötvös Loránd University, Delta Elektronik Kft., Econet.hu Rt., ESRI Magyarország Kft., and MultiRáció Kft.The Knowledge Centre plans the co-operation to be a long-term one, and welcomes new industrial partners in the scope of its competence.
Final report:
- ELTE-eScience final report 2009 PDF (282 KB)
Annual reports:
- ELTE-eScience and CellKom Annual report 2008 PDF (1 189 KB)
- ELTE-eScience and CellKom Annual report 2007 PDF (1 139 KB)
- ELTE-eScience Annual report 2006 PDF (1 070 KB)
Contact person
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| Eötvös Loránd University eScience Regionál Knowledge Center | |
| H-1117 Budapest Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A | |
| http://escience.elte.hu/ | |
| President: |
Dr. András Benczúr |
| E-mail: | abenczur@ullman.inf.elte.hu |
| Manager: | Dr. Gábor Papp |
| E-mail: | pg@ludens.elte.hu |
| Tel: | (36 1) 372 2527 |
| Head clerk: | Mikolt Jelencsics |
| E-mail: | mikolt@elte.hu |
| Tel: | (36 1) 372 2895 |
