Information Systems team wins EU FIDIS contract

An LSE team has won a prominent role in FIDIS (Future of Identity in the Information Society), the first of the European Commission's new Networks of Excellence to get started. James Backhouse, PhD and Peter Sommer of the Information Systems Integrity Group (ISIG) were founder members of the venture, which will run for 60 months from April 2004.

Networks of Excellence represent a new approach to supporting research within Europe. They seek to replace the earlier micromanagement from the centre with self-managed, collaborative, inter-disciplinary groups. They are part of EU Framework 6. Other members of the FIDIS consortium include:

Goethe University;
Frankfurt;
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven;
Vrije Universiteit Brussel;
Karlstads University;
Technische Universität Berlin;
Technische Universität Dresden;
the Dutch Ministry of Justice;
IBM; and
the Microsoft European Innovations Centre.

James Backhouse says:

'The aim is to integrate existing research in areas such as means of identification, interoperability of identity systems, ID theft, privacy and security and forensic implications. The consortium includes people from "hard" computer science, the law, criminal justice, philosophy as well as the social sciences including information systems. FIDIS overcomes the extreme fragmentation of research into the future of identity by consolidating and fostering joint research. Research results will be made accessible to European citizens, researchers and in particular to SMEs [small- to medium-sized enterprised].'

Backhouse will develop his work on interoperability while Sommer will concentrate on the forensic and legal aspects.

Peter Sommer has also accepted an invitation to join the reference group (audit committee) for another EU Framework 6 initiative, PRIME (Privacy and Identity Management for Europe), which runs for four years from 1 May 2004.

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