23/02/2006

More than 430 researchers, academics and business executives from all over the world met at the 16th Global Grid Forum Global Meeting, which was held in Athens, on 13-16 February 2006. It is one of the most important conferences in the field of grid technologies organized by the Global Grid Forum, the international organisation for standardisation on grid technologies. Co-organiser of the event, which was hosted for the first time in Greece, was the Greek Research and Technology Network.

The objective of the initiative was the promotion of grid technologies in Greece and Europe. During the Conference the participants had the chance to be informed on technical and research topics such as transfunctionality of different computational grids, as well as proper practice, innovative technologies and standards. One of the main speakers was the inventor of grid technology Prof. Ian Foster, who presented future developments in the field and the needs that have to be covered.

Ulf Dahlsten, Chairman of the European COmmission in the sector of "Emerging Technologies and Infrastructures - Applications", who greeted the convention, emphasized the importance of basic research and of the technologies that promote it, as well as the actions of the EU in that direction.

Also present at the conference were the Minister of Development, Dimitris Sioufas and the General Secretary for Research and Technology, Prof. Ioannis Tsoukalas. Mr Sioufas referred to the important actions of the Greek Research and Technology Network on the development of the national grid infrastructure, while underlining the importance of investments in modern computational and broadband infrastructures and the total alignment of Greek policies to the objectives of the European Strategy i2010 – European Information Society. Prof. Ioannis Tsoukalas emphasized the importance of grid technologies and the unified European Research Area, for the development of technology in this area and worldwide.

It is noted that Global Grid Forum (GGF) is a society of users, analysts and commercial bodies that are leading the global effort for the standardisation of grid technologies. It consists of thousands of members in industry and research, representing over 400 organisations in over 50 countries.

Source: GRNET