IMDEA Networks has become a new member of the Spanish e-Science Network. E-Science aims to organize, coordinate and drive the development of scientific activity in Spain. It involves the collaborative use by various research groups of geographically distributed resources and infrastructure connected via the internet.
The IMDEA (Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies) and e-Science Networks are both recently created initiatives, each commencing operations in 2007. As a center of expertise for the development of the Future Internet, IMDEA Networks uses its participation in e-Science as an effective way of filtering into the fabric of Spanish science. It provides its knowledge of communications networks’ science and engineering and shares new generation technical resources in a process of knowledge transfer and generation. This collaboration also involves joint participation with other e-Science members on European projects. The Network thereby seeks to consolidate scientific relationships with European countries, especially Portugal, without neglecting other non-European countries of strategic interest to Spain.
E-Science is seen as a complementary tool for others already operating in the Spanish scientific environment (for example RedIRIS, or its Madrid-based version, REDIMadrid, created by the director of IMDEA Networks, Prof. Dr. Arturo Azcorra) to develop new ways of working collaboratively in the knowledge society. Users and experts in the application of various scientific disciplines (biocomputing, medical imaging, computational chemistry, fusion, meteorology, etc), ICT researchers and resource provider centers all play a role. The need for e-Science is based on scientists’ growing demand to access e-Infrastructure, such as Grid-based data processing and storage and Supercomputers.
Developing e-Science will enable new application models and the use of middlewares, enabling efficient exploitation of the science community's resources. The network is also endeavoring to create a National Grid initiative, to drive the adoption of Supercomputing and the Grid within the Spanish research community. The aim here is to improve scientific productivity and manage knowledge, promoting synergies and avoiding duplication.
The Spanish e-Science network is funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation. It is coordinated out of the Polytechnic University of Valencia and its Scientific Coordinator is Prof. Dr. Vicente García Hernández, a Professor at the University.