1. AgentLink The ESPRIT Network of Excellence for Agent-based Computing Mike Wooldridge University of London, UK http://www.AgentLink.org/

2. What is a “Network of Excellence”?  ESPRIT-funded communication and cooperation infrastructure.  For industry and academia.  Focussed on strategically important area of information technology.  Ultimate goal: promote Euro industry in these areas.

3. What are “Agents”?  Autonomous software components  Capable of acting independently to achieve design objectives  Capable of cooperating with other agents to achieve design objectives  Major area of IT R&D: telecoms, electronic commerce, industrial control, information management,...

4. What is AgentLink?  Open Network of Excellence for agent-based computing.  Funding starts Spring 1998.  Intended to give European industry a head start in a crucial new area of IT.  Build on current activities.

5. What will it do?  Four areas of work: industrial action n gaining advantage for Euro industry research coordination n excellence & relevance of Euro research teaching & training n fostering agent skills across region communication & infrastructrure n facilitating AgentLink work

6. Industrial Action  Aims to: promote awareness & takeup of agents foster new collaborations in promising areas of agent technology facilitate technology transfer support & promote standards (e.g., FIPA)  Activities: SIGs, industrial mtgs, applications database, support for collaboration, …

7. Research Coordination  Aims to: promote academic awareness & takeup of agent research foster industrially relevant agent research promote new collaborations for technology transfer  Activities: SIGs, research database, reseach repository, newsletter,...

8. Teaching & Training  Aims: foster agent-related R&D skills disseminate agent-related courses, reports, syllabuses, …  Activities: summer schools suporting teaching activities at events dissemination of agent courses

9. Communication & Infrastructure  Aims: provide a cheap, efficient, effective communication & management infrastructure for AgentLink  Activities: dedicated WWW site (www.AgentLink.org) regular published newsletter mailing lists,...

10. Management Structure  Bottom up management!  Aim to give all nodes the opportunity to participate  Each work area has coordinator team for each area to carry out work  Mgmt committee coordinators + area teams SIG chairs

11. How many members do you have?  Thirty-seven kick-off members From thirteen Euro nations  Now 110 “full” members from all European member states  Approx 40:60 industry:academic

12. Industrial Participation?  Major Telcos: BT, France Telecom, Deutsch Telecom, Nokia, KPN, …  Start-up companies: Zuno (!), Lining Systems, …  Manufacturing giants Siemens, Daimler-Benz,...

13. Special Interest Groups  A key area of AL activity  Travel support for regular meetings agent mediated electronic commerce software engineering information agents agent-based simulation agents for telecoms applications coordination & control for real time apps

14. The Summer School  The main teaching & training activity  Last week of July 1999  Utrecht, the Netherlands  AL suport for approx 50 students  About 16 courses in total  Major international speakers

15. Can I Join?  AgentLink is open to: all Euro industry all Euro academic sites that demonstrate relevance of R&D work: n includes EC agent projects n includes nationally-funded agent projects n includes active agent researchers  Associate status for non-EC nodes no funding :-(

16. To Find Out More… Mike Wooldridge (AL Coordinator) Dept of Electronic Engineering Queen Mary & Westfield College University of London London E1 4NS United Kingdom http://www.AgentLink.org/ mailto:coordinator@AgentLink.org