The European Commission's Information Society and Media DG has published:

• I - a call for tenders for recommendations on exploiting research infrastructure potential in key areas of the information society (e-government, e-health, e-learning);
• II - a call for tenders for the move towards a European e-infrastructure for e-science digital repositories.

InterComponentWare AG (ICW) presents its concept for the networked future of the European healthcare system at the stand of the Austrian EU Council Presidency at the European eHealth Conference, which will take place in Malaga from May 10 to 12. Besides the health ministers of the 25 Member States, the acceding and the EFTA countries, high-ranking delegations representing the healthcare, information and communication technology industry are invited.

SOFTPRO and selected partners are introducing a new product for protecting doctors and hospitals from unnecessary costs while streamlining hospital operations: Electronic Patient Information Documentation using a tablet PC and secured with biometric handwritten signatures.

The signature is the most popular and trusted biometric feature for authentication as it is never given accidentally. It actively proves the signer's intent, which is significantly different from the use of passive biometrics - body characteristics such as finger, hand, face or iris.

May 10-11 2006, Brussels

In March 2000, the European Union agreed on a political vision aimed at making the EU the most dynamic and competitive knowledge-based economy in the world by 2010. The 'Lisbon Strategy' has reached half time with mixed results, leading to a renewed strategy focusing on 'delivering stronger and lasting growth and creating more and better jobs'. The revitalised strategy relates strongly to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), specifically in the i2010 vision – radically modernising and deploying the EU policy instruments to encourage the development of the digital economy – and in the upcoming Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) for research and technological development (2007-2013).

The convergence of life sciences, healthcare, and information technology is revolutionizing the discovery of new treatments and the practice of medicine. This new paradigm—information based medicine-improves existing pharmaceutical and medical practices with the knowledge generated from the integration of diverse clinical and biomedical data. Accelerate new research discoveries into clinical practice. Access a patient's complete, digitized history and medical records in near-real time. Prescribe targeted medications and treatments based on each patient's complete medical profile, while avoiding medications that might cause adverse effects.

The UK is setting up 'innovation platforms' in areas identified in a recent report as key to developing the UK's position in the international arena.

Europe INNOVA, the flagship initiative driving European innovation, is placing its activities in the spotlight with a new web portal. This will provide policy makers, innovation intermediaries and enterprises with an insight into sectoral innovation analysis and networking in Europe.