Dear readers,

In many respects, 2011 is a special year – on global and European level, for the ICT sector, but also for Eurescom.

On a global level, we have witnessed the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, in which courageous citizens have successfully claimed power for the people, forcing long-term autocrats to give way for a political change. Information and communication technologies have played an ambiguous role in these revolutions, as particularly the Internet was used both by the protesters to organise themselves and get access to information, but also by the autocratic regimes to spy on citizens and – by switiching off Internet access – blocking citizens from information.

On European level, the ongoing efforts to revive the European economy and deal with the effects of the economic crisis in some countries as well as the efforts to restore the stability of the euro could become crucial for the future of the European Union. As part of the EU’s Innovation Union plans, the Future Internet could become a central element for strengthening Europe’s competitiveness and reclaiming a place at the forefront of technological progress.

In spring 2011, the projects of the Future Internet public-private partnership programme will start within the EC’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), and hopes are high that this programme will help European industry to strengthen its role in the important area of the Internet of the future. Europe faces strong competition from America and Asia on technologicial leadership in the future Internet domain and ICT in general. Thus, being at the technological forefront will have a direct impact on competitiveness.

In this context, there is a small company based in Heidelberg, Germany, which has been instrumental in orchestrating the Future Internet discussions from the end of industry: Eurescom. The year 2011 has special importance for Eurescom, as the company celebrates its 20th anniversary. On 14 March 1991, Eurescom was founded by 26 major European telecoms network operators.

Since then, a lot has changed – the telecoms market, information and communication technologies and the way people use them as well as Eurescom’s business model. What has not changed in all these years, is the need of major European players in the ICT domain to collaborate on areas of common interest and Eurescom’s dedication to enabling and supporting innovation through collaboration in ICT.

Today, this need to collaborate in research and development is more important than ever. Europe and the world are facing complex challenges, and ICT is part of the solution in addressing them. Whether it is energy efficiency for a more sustainable way of working and living or improving ailing healthcare system through e-health applications or solving transport problems through new mobility solutions – the contribution of ICT is and will be important for addressing major economic and social challenges in developed and developing countries.

One of these major challenges is the protection of critical infrastructures. In this issue’s cover theme, we highlight some of the latest solutions, European research has to offer in making our critical infrastructures more secure. The relevance of the cover theme has been dramatically highlighted by the recent earthquake and the ensuing nuclear disaster in Japan.

This issue also includes articles on a number of other topics, and I hope you enjoy reading them. My editorial colleagues and myself would appreciate your comments on this issue and suggestions for future issues.

Milon Gupta
Editor-in-chief