Title: AGREEMENT
Author: HS
Last saved by: HI

Report on the Visit of the Expert  Dr. Dragan Stokic
at the Computer and Automation Research Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, MTA SZTAKI,  as a Centre of Excellence  titled by the EU according to the EU contract ICAI-CT-2000-70025

Period: 20.08.2001 - 02.10.2001

Report done by: Dr. Dragan Stokic 

October, 2001

1. Introduction
1.1. Background
Dr. Stokic was invited to visit the Computer and Automation Research Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, MTA SZTAKI,  as a Centre of Excellence, by Dr. George L. KOVACS, Head of the CIM Research Laboratory at SZTAKI. Within the last few years SZTAKI and ATB (Institute for Applied System Technology Bremen, Germany) have established a co-operation and information exchange. Currently they jointly run, together with other partners, the IST project REDEST, on requirements engineering for embedded software. 
The  visit was prepared by Prof. George Kovac and Mr. Geza Haidegger.
Mr. Stokic spent at SZTAKI 6 weeks from 20.08.2001up to 02.10.2001.
1.2. Goal of the report 
The goal of this report is:
-	to present work done in the scope of Mr. Stokic’s visit 
-	to indicate main results of the visit
-	to present future plans for co-operation between SZTAKI an ATB
-	to evaluate the visit and summarise the main lessons learned. 
2. Objectives of the visits
The objectives of the visit were:
-	to learn and to understand the local/national solutions, requirements, specific needs,
-	to benefit the scientific progress of the SZTAKI,
-	to implement prospective, new disciplines at the SZTAKI
-	to influence the birth of joint research and development results,
-	to generate new research and development ideas and projects,
-	to prepare new research proposals, especially for submission to the EU under the 5^th and the following Framework Programmes,
-	to help in the dissemination of the results,
-	to take part in the preparation of  referenced, cited  publications,
-	to deliver scientific, technical presentations.
In doing this Mr Stokic was obliged to act according to the rules of the EU, in specific to accept the terms of the EU’s Centre-of-Excellence Contract with SZTAKI.
3.Task Execution
The plan to achieve these objectives was defined in agreement between Dr. Stokic and representatives of SZTAKI Prof. Kovac and Mr. Haidegger (see Appendix).
The work was carried out to a large extend according to this plan: 
•	Dr Stokic got acquainted with the technical environment at SZTAKI and with the help of (junior) employees of CIM Research Laboratory has used it for his work 
•	Using written material (reports, publication,  etc.) provided by the host and based on discussions with Dr. Peter Inzelt, Director of  SZTAKI, Prof. Prof. Kovac and Mr. Haidegger and other researches in the Laboratory, Dr Stokic learned about the organisational structure, current research topics and the projects running at SZTAKI, specifically on topics and projects addressed by the CIM Research Laboratory. 
•	He learned about the local/national solutions, requirements, and specific needs based on discussions with the SZTAKI’s experts as well as based on direct contacts and discussions with experts from several Hungarian companies: LANEX, RADAINT, INDUSTRIEPLAN etc. 
•	On August, 23, 2001 Dr Stokic made an initial presentation on the expertise and research topics, specifically on knowledge management, Internet based solutions for tele-working and on SW engineering topics.
•	Several discussions on common research topics with the SZTAKI experts were carried out and based on these discussions a  set of common research topics and specific projects were defined.
•	The  common proposals to be prepared for submission to the EU under the 5^th and the following 6-th Framework Programme were elaborated, where Dr. Stokic played an active role in contacting the Hungarian industrial partners and defining their interest and roles in the future projects.  
•	Dr Stokic particularly  got acquainted with the SZTAKI’s current EU project XPERTS by participating at the general meeting and visit to the Hungarian industrial partner MECOF.
•	Discussion on possible common publications within the common RTD activities were carried out.
•	The ideas for future co-operation were discussed with several experts from SZTAKI.  
•	The strategy to help in the dissemination of the results of different projects was elaborated as well.
•	On October, 2, 2001 a short presentation of the results of common work during the visit and discussion on the plans for future co-operation was made. 
4. Main results
The main results of the visits can be summarised as follows:
-	Mr. Stokic learned the main Hungarian national approaches in the organisation of the  research area, including the main funding schemes and rules. He got acquainted on the main technical topics addressed by SZTAKI and specifically by CIM Research Laboratory.
-	Collaboration between SZTAKI (CIM Research Laboratory) and ATB on several RTD topics was agreed upon: knowledge management, BEP (Best Enterprise Practice) approaches, and software engineering. 
-	Based on discussions the CIM Research Laboratory decided to enter  in the area of BEP approaches to support SMES (Small and Medium Enterprises) specifically in the area of new collaboration models among SMEs in the recycling domain and in the area of  the knowledge based systems for after sales support.    
-	Two common proposals for the October IST call were prepared: one supporting introduction of new organisation forms and corresponding IST solutions at SMEs in the recycling domain and one on the supporting SMEs in introducing Internet knowledge based system for solving customers and product problems.
-	Co-operation on the knowledge management RTD topics will be established specifically over collaboration between the XPERTS project in which SZTAKI is taking part and the PICK project in which ATB is acting as the RTD partner.  
-	Co-operation on the advanced approaches to support after sale services is agreed upon as well.
-	Further co-operation on SW engineering topics will be carried out in the scope of the common REDEST project, and common publications and dissemination activities are defined.  
-	Possibilities to establish Virtual Laboratory between ATB and SZTAKI are defined. The idea is to provide complementarity in expertise between two sides. They will be established on the first place in the scope of knowledge management issues, where possibilities to introduce SZTAKI experts in the current ATB projects is likely to be realised in a near future.   
5. Future Plans
The long-term activities on future collaboration include:
-	Further projects, especially common proposals in the frame of the next (last) Calls in the 5^th Framework programme, as well as preparation for the common proposal in the 6^th Framework programme. The collaboration within the Best Practice  networks and the networks of expertise on knowledge management  will be established.
-	Further exchange of visits of experts between ATB and SZTAKI,  specifically the visits of the SZTAKI experts to ATB-Bremen within the current and future joint projects are planned. 
-	Continuous exchange on the research results will be established by a regular exchange of publications as well as by preparation  of common publications.  
6. Conclusions and Lessons Learned
It can be summarised:
-	The visit was very useful for both Dr. Stokic and his Institute (ATB-Bremen) and SZTAKI to ensure their further co-operation.
-	The experts in SZTAKI have openly presented all their results and enabled the visitor to fully get acquainted with the current practice in the Institute and to learn about main RTD results.
-	The conditions provided by the SZTAKI (organisation of the visit, accommodation etc.,) were excellent.
-	The technical infrastructure  provided  at SZTAKI is optimal for such visits.     
Based on the experience gained during this visits and the results achieved it can be concluded as following:
-	Such kind of visits appear to be very useful for the establish of tight collaboration  between RTD organisations in Europe.
-	It would be useful to enable, within the CEO, the visits in both directions i.e. to provide support for the experts from the Enlargement countries to visit  organisations in the EU in order to further support co-operation between European organisations.    
-	A higher flexibility in planning the visit could be beneficial; since 6 weeks is relatively a long period for any expert to be away from his working place, it could be useful to allow that the visit can be split in two or more shorter visits.     

 

Appendix: 
Workplan for the Visiting Expert  Dr. Dragan Stokic during his stay at the Computer and Automation Research Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, MTA SZTAKI,  as a Centre of Excellence  titled by the EU according to the EU contract ICAI-CT-2000-70025

6 weeks visit: August 21, 2001 – September, 30, 2001

August 21-23
•	Getting acquainted with the technical environment at SZTAKI
•	Learning about the current research topics and specific projects running at SZTAKI
•	Start learning and understanding the local/national solutions, requirements, specific needs

August 23
•	Initial presentation of the expertise and research topics
•	Initial discussion on common research topics with the SZTAKI experts  
 
August 24-31
•	Preparation of the set of possible common research topics and specific projects
•	Discussion on possible research projects with the SZTAKI experts
•	Decision on the  common proposals to be prepared, especially for submission to the EU under the 5^th and the following Framework Programmes
•	Discussion on possible common publications 

August 31 – September 14
•	Preparation of initial version of the common proposal(s)
•	Discussion on the initial version of the common proposal(s) with the SZTAKI experts

September 14 – 30
•	Preparation of the common proposal(s) and ideas for future co-operation  
•	Defining the strategy to help in the dissemination of the results
•	Preparation of  common publications

September 27- October 2
•	Presentation of the results of common work during the visit 
•	Presentation and discussion of the plans for future co-operation.
•	Development/preparation of the report/deliverable for the EU
•	Harmonisation the report