Joint Research Centre (JRC)

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) is a research based policy support organisation and a Directorate General of the European Commission, providing scientific advice and technical know-how to support EU policies.

The Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (IPTS), based in Seville (Spain), is one of seven institutes which are part of the European Commission’s DG-JRC. It was created to promote and enable a better understanding of the links between technology, economy and society. The mission of the IPTS is to provide techno-economic analysis to support the European decision-makers. It monitors and analyses science and technology related developments, their cross sectoral impacts, interrelationships and implications for future policy development. Such work requires both an in-depth knowledge of the Commission instruments and procedures and a constant updating of the internal capabilities through active participation in external networks and projects.

The Information and Communications Technology Unit (ICT Unit) at IPTS carries out prospective analysis in the Information Society area, in an attempt to explore the limits and opportunities of technological advances. The mission of the Unit is to offer support in the process of policy formulation by interpreting the socio-economic implications of emerging Information and Communications Technologies and alerting the Commission services and Community institutions.

A focused Cyber-security activity as part of European efforts to create a safer Information society is operating within the Information Society Technologies Unit at IPTS. This activity has in the past, among other issues, dealt with the following issues:

1. related to the security of Internet payments, the potential of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and on raising consumer trust through adoption of ‘soft’ measures;
2. related prospectively to cyber-crime, skills and training needs, data-protection and on balancing security and privacy for the citizen in the Digital era;

It currently focuses its research on: (1.) the Future of Identity; (2.) Ambient Intelligence technologies and the ‘Virtual Residence’ concept; and (c) socio-economic impacts assessment of cyber-security.

For further information visit our home page:  http://www.jrc.es.