In 2003, the EC Information Society Technologies Advisory Group defines the vision ’Ambient Intelligence ’of the Information Society in order to combine the most successful areas of the ICT (wireless communication technologies, consumer electronics, Automotive and Aerospace technologies). Since AmI is recognized as one of the key concepts related to Information Society in Europe for the future, an Ambient Intelligence (AmI) landscape for seamless delivery of services and applications in Europe should be fostered.
After some preparatory meetings starting in March 2004 the Fraunhofer Institute for Experimental Software Engineering (IESE) in Kaiserslautern, the Technical University of Kaiserslautern, the Bay Zoltan Foundation for Applied Research in Hungary, and the Budapest Technical University decided to join their local competences and contribute to the worldwide research activities in this emerging field. Both sites had already allocated substantial research resources in AmI-related subjects in the past and believe in the mutual benefit of pooling their efforts. Based on a successful evaluation of a project proposal submitted by IESE to the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and a declaration signed on September 15, 2004 by the BMBF and the Ministry of Education of Hungary, the project was promoted for funding by October 1st, 2004.
Since that day, six research projects and one demonstrator project on German side have been started. Four research projects and four demonstrator projects on Hungarian side have been established.