Evolutionary ontologies for open agent environments (EPSRC grant EP/D064287/1)

This project aims to support ontology evolution and adaptation in dynamic, distributed social environments, where actors and their ontologies are not considered in isolation, but within the social fabric determined by their interactions. In this context, we need to provide knowledge representation mechanisms that support this process of evolution, adaptation, and consensus agreement, and consider them embedded in social fabric of agent interactions. The project aims at investigating an evolutionary model of the ontology lifecycle determined by the communication needs of open, dynamic agent environments. The main goals are:
(1) To devise an evolutionary model of the ontology lifecycle that accounts for the social dynamics involved in the emergence and adaptation of knowledge in open agent environments.
(2) To adapt and reuse ontology and semantic web approaches and tools in order to support the ontology lifecycle in social environments for agents, including the value and the impact of a change in the ontology, in the social network linking an agent with similar knowledge, and the technical and social costs of agreeing on a change.
(3) Developments of negotiation mechanisms that support the evolution and adaptation of ontologies in agent environments.

QUEST  (Funded by the University of Liverpool)

QUery Enabled by Semantic web Technology.

KnowledgeWeb  (EU Funded) 

Knowledge Web is a FP6 Network of Excellence that aims to support the transition of Ontology technology from Academia to Industry. The current consortium is integrated by 18 participants including leading partners in Semantic Web, Multimedia, Human Language Technology, Workflow and Agents. The NoE will concentrate its efforts around the outreach of this technology to industry. Naturally, this includes education and research efforts to ensure the durability of impact and support of industry.

PIPS  - Personalised Information Platform for Health and Life Services (EU Funded)

The project aims at creating a new Health&Life Knowledge and Services Support Environment, to help health care professionals to get access to relevant and updated medical knowledge and, most importantly, help European citizens to make informative choices on their lifestyles. The ambition is to encompass the entire set of business processes, professional practices and products relating to well-being, and integrate them using the latest innovations in Information and Communication Technologies. To this aim, the project consortium joins health care suppliers, citizens organisations, public organisations, food/drug industry and services, researchers and health related policy makers.

OntoGrid  (EU Funded) 

One of the greatest challenges we now face in Grid Computing regards the ability to explicitly share and deploy knowledge to be used for the development of innovative Grid infrastructure, and for Grid applications – the Semantic Grid. To address this challenge the OntoGrid project will produce the technological infrastructure for the rapid prototyping and development of knowledge-intensive distributed open services for the Semantic Grid. Designing Grid applications that make use of a Semantic Grid requires a new and sound methodology which OntoGrid will develop. The results are aimed at developing grid systems that optimize cross-process, cross-company and cross-industry collaboration, which OntoGrid will show by adopting a use case-guided development and evaluation strategy based on two test case applications of differing, yet stereotypical, Grid characterisation. A principle of OntoGrid is to adopt and influence standards in Semantic Grid and Grid Computing, in particular the Open Grid Service Architecture.

Esperonto (EU Funded) 

One of the biggest problems we nowadays face in the information society is information overload. The Semantic Web aims to overcome this problem by adding meaning to the Web, which can be exploited by software agents to whom people can delegate tasks. The aim of Esperonto is to bridge the gap between the actual World Wide Web and the Semantic Web by providing a service to "upgrade" existing content to Semantic Web content. Ontologies play a key role in this effort, aiming at unifying, bridging and integrating multiple heterogeneous, international and multilingual digital content.