1. SEMIC.EU Semantic Interoperability Centre Europe Open Days Workshop eGovernment for Regions
Aldo Laudi
7th October 2008

2. Agenda
Semantic Interoperability
What is SEMIC.EU?
Achievements
Next Steps

3. Semantic Interoperability – practical example
A person goes to a foreign country and tries to purchase medicine by trademark.
The situation where that trademark is not known in that particular country is not uncommon. As a result, the name of the medicine will not be in the pharmacy's database.
Therefore, if the person does not know the ingredients of that particular medicine, then it will be close to impossible for the pharmacist to supply an equivalent drug.
In our case, pharmacies around the world would agree on a common database with unique identifiers, their trademarks and different ingredients.

4. Semantic Interoperability and the Rubik’s Cube
Colours The mixed colours represent the data
Cube The cube signifies the environment
Organisation
Through organisation, data is organised and transformed to information
Result
Meaningful information which can be shared and re-used
Now that we have seen a good background of the project, I would like to share with you what we see as semantic interoperability by demonstrating its similarities to the rubix cube. The rubix cube is a well known game, although lately it has lost some of its popularity. Since I was a little boy, it always used to fascinate me how the colored mini cubes can be arranged to lead to sides in all one color. The interesting part of it is that the more you twist the cubes, the more you seem to jumble up the colors and the farther away you are from a solution.
In the context of semantic interoperability, the colours here represent the jumbled data. Data which is trying to be shared, but cannot make itself a meaning. The whole cube signifies the environment, we try to work in. Although there are a lot of combinations, these are finite, and thus with collaboration and proper organisation the data, or colors in this case, are put into the right format creating sides of the same color, and thus data with a meaning, which then becomes information, and this can be used and re-used by many.

5. Semantic Interoperability
What is SEMIC.EU?
Achievements
Next Steps

6. What is SEMIC.EU? Stands for Semantic Interoperability Centre - Europe
A transition from XML clearinghouse
A collaborative tool permitting the sharing and re-use of syntactic and semantic assets between European public administrations
Serves as a communication platform for the creation of expert communities for the sharing of information and experiences
An activity of the IDABC programme – eGovernment Services Unit of the European Commission
As you probably already know, SEMIC stands for the Semantic Interoperability Center Europe and it is one of the IDABC’s horizontal programmes. This project is a continuation of the XML clearinghouse, started under the IDABC programme in But as of last year the Interoperability expert group together with the project team decided to rebrand the name to SEMIC giving it a broader scope.
The approach we are taking to address semantic interoperability is to create a pool of assets – syntactic and semantic, as for example ontolgies or taxonomies, which can be re-used by others during the development of new initiatives. The re-use of these assets will ensure that data exchanged is understood and thus increasing the success of pan European initiatives and of course this can be used on a national scale as well
For this purpose we have developed a platform to act as a collaborative tool between all stakeholders. This also serves the purpose of a repository where providers can upload their assets so as to share them with other stakeholders. The portal also serves as a communication platform so that both users and providers can come together and support and coach each other in the re-usability of these assets and discuss improvements on existing assets etc..

7. LAUNCH VIDEO 7

8. SEMIC.EU - Services and functionality
Clearing processes - to assure the quality of pan-European data exchange
Coaching - to use methods and tools published on SEMIC.EU
Community functionalities - to communicate with potential European partners
Sharing - concepts / data models / experiences / assets to improve interoperability
Collaborating with national initiatives to be prepared for future federation
Cooperation with European organisations for standardisation
SEMIC.EU is based on three main important factor. That of providing the services needed to public administrations specifically supporting the development and the reuse of assets. It is also important to promote collaboration. The purpose here is to try and create an expert community which will be a a living community trying to solve semantic interoperability. Finally, the whole operation depends on the platform through which the sharing is possible.
The services offered by semic include mainly the clearing process which defines the processes by which assets are allowed on the platform and how the assets move from one quality level to another together with the processes for new releases and new patches of the same asset. Another service offered, which as expressed by the Member states themselves is the coaching and support function. It is not only the support for re-using assets that have been developed by providers, but also support in the development of new assets. Apart from coaching users how to make best use of the platform. The communicative aspect of semic permits also users and providers to make contact with other European partners.
SEMIC.EU is not only a place for collaboration, but also a place for co-operation. Collaboration between users and providers to share the assets, experiences and information. And Co-operation between different sectors within the community like the industry and standardisation bodies to come together and work together with the final aim to have a driving semantic interoperability community.
The platform is central to the services of SEMIC.Eu. Its main purpose is to support users and providers to share and thus enable the re-use of assets / information and experinces.

9. Example of an asset re-use
A taxonomy – practice of classification
SEMIC.EU re-used the same taxonomy for domains as the Europa site
Taxonomy already officially translated in all EU languages

10. Benefits for user Benefits for provider
Saving time and money by reusing interoperability assets
Security of investment by the use of proven and quality assured interoperability assets
Identification of communities in their specific domains and exchange of experiences
Coaching and support on how to use interoperability assets
Benefits for provider
Promoting existing interoperability assets and solutions
Enlarging existing project networks
Building domain specific communities
Using SEMIC.EU collaboration and communication functionalities
Using SEMIC.EU coaching and support budgets
Benefits are multiple. Both for the users, those who plan to download and re-use assets but also for those who provide them.
Users will have the opportunity to download and re-use the assets thus saving time and money and making sure that the assets they will be using are of a good quality. They also have the opportunity to ask for support both from the semic project team and also from the asset providers themselves, thus forming a community. They will also benefit form the experiences in implementation of similar initiatives.
As for the providers, they have the opportunity first and foremost to promote their existing interoperability solutions and enlarging their project networks and thus increase its visibility. When an asset is uploaded the providers have the opportunity to start a forum thread contributing the start of a series of discussions on that particular asset leading to the building of community in that specific domain. Providers have also the chance to use the semic.eu’s support and coaching functionalities to improve their assets.

11. Different users different perspectives

12. Openness and Transparency Communication and Sharing
Values of SEMIC.EU
Openness and Transparency
Communication and Sharing
Coaching and Support
Semic is built on three principles. The first one is openness. Openness in terms of how assets are administered and cleared. The processes are transparent and open. This is important in order to increase the credibility of the project. It is also important to have a sound communication mechanism both between the stakeholders and the project team and also between the stakeholders themselves. This is the fulcrum of the exchanges of assets, information, experiences etc, and so it is should be given its due importance, as this leads to the third point which is coaching and support. This is a learning process, so we need to support each other making this project a success and Europe, a little more interoperable.

13. History of SEMIC.EU XML Clearinghouse feasibility Study - Dec 2005
XML Strategy document - Nov Preparatory phase
Contract with ]init[ - Aug 2007
Second Phase deliverables
Endorsement of GIP - Nov Endorsement phase
Orientation paper - Jan 2008
Third Phase Deliverables
Good Practice Study - Mar Implementation phase
Vision of Clearing process - Apr 2008
Establishment of Expert community - Jan 2008
The XML project started way back in December 2005 by the first delivery of the feasibility study. This first deliverable led to the development of the XML strategy document and to the issuance of the tender for the development of the XML clearinghouse. The contract was awarded in August 2007 and immediately we started to work on two important documents. The Orientation paper which describes the project and the what is intended to be done and the Global Implementation Plan. The GIP was then presented to PEGSCO last November, which was endorsed during the same session. This led to the finalisation of the Orientation paper and led the way for the implementation of the recommendations of the feasibility study and XML strategy document.
So far we have set up a community of experts where all EU MS and acceding countries can be represented, we have already held a number of workshops. This group has been instrumental in identifying the requirements of member states and providing feedback on a number of issues. We have also published a good practice study which evaluates similar initiatives and finally recommends ways to implement and operate SEMIC.EU. We have also finalised all supporting functions for the platform, such as the vision of the clearing process, licensing and quality frameworks. Last but the most important we have also delivered the platform.
In the third quarter, we will also publish other two studies including the Return on Investment study and a multilingualism study.
Platform June Operational phase

14. Semantic Interoperability
What is SEMIC.EU?
Achievements
Next Steps

15. Achievements to date SEMIC.EU conference book „interconnecting people“
Downloaded 373 times
Vision of clearing process
Downloaded 147 times
Licensing framework
Downloaded 67 times
Quality framework
Downloaded 50 times
Good practice study
Downloaded 182 times

16. European Arrest Warrant OIOXML_for_Bank_account
Achievements to date
Top Assets Download (178)
More than 200 Registered members
40 Assets available
700 daily visits
SEMIC.EU taxonomy 27
European Arrest Warrant 17
OIOXML_for_Bank_account 14
AgroXML 11
MoReq 2 9
XMeld 1.3.2a - XML Schema 6
Efficient Centralized Web
Client 6

17. Semantic Interoperability
What is SEMIC.EU?
Achievements
Next Steps

18. SEMIC.EU Next steps Continuation with current services
Reusing assets is good – developing them together is better
Provision of a collaborative tool for developing assets together
Publication of Multilingual study and Return on Investment study
Creation of Communities and workspace on platform
Publication of Facilitating the re-use of SEMIC.EU’s processes, documentation and technology
Coordinating more online discussions on documents, assets and projects

19. www.semic.eu Visit, Register and start collaborating through
Thank you for your attention!