The European Commission’s Directorate General XIII says that negotiations over the next stage of funding for its RACE Research into Advanced Communications for Europe and Telematics communications technology programmes are nearing completion. UKP608m has been set aside for the two programmes.This compares with a total of UKP2,059m originally requested by the 800 or so project consortia. DG XIII will not reveal which applications have been successful until the negotiations are complete. With the Telematics programme, which includes the DRIVE project to improve the use of communications technology in the transport sector, a Commission spokesman said last month he was optimistic that all contracts could be signed before Christmas. As for the much larger RACE programme, which eats up UKP347m of the funding, the process is likely to be more protracted. Some 84 consortia are currently trying to convince the directorate of their case in areas such as broadband applications in banking, intelligence in networks and mobile communications. According to the Commission, half the project members come from industry and the private sector, a third from the education sector and the rest from the public services and administrative bodies.
