Hebrew University Scientist Co-Directing European Research Project for Internet of Future

As the volume of “traffic” on the Internet grows at an enormous rate – estimates are that it is doubling every year – scientists in several countries have begun working to measure this incremental growth and to devise methods for more efficient means for future networking.

One major project is EVERGROW, a European Union-funded program involving 25 universities in Europe, Israel and Egypt and selected high-tech communications companies. Scientific co-coordinators of the project are Prof. Scott Kirkpatrick of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s School of Computer Science and Engineering and Prof. Erik Aurell of the Swedish Institute of Computer Science in Kista, Sweden.

The four-year project, launched at the beginning of this year, is backed with a 5.6 million euro budget and involves over 100 scientists with specialties in computer science, physics and mathematics.

Prof. Kirkpatrick, a long-time research scientist for IBM and visiting professor at various universities in the U.S. and Europe, has been at the Hebrew University School of Engineering and Computer Science since 2000. He says the multinational, EU-funded study will involve observing and measuring, experimenting and ultimately finding a better computational solution for operating global communications.

Current technology already enables much of our daily means of communication – by voice, written messaging, image transmission, and remote control commands – to be operated from one small instrument. As this technology spreads and undergoes refinement, will the existing communications networks be able to handle the enormous loads? It’s a question that can’t be answered without advances in the architecture and functioning of the overlaying networks, say the experts at EVERGROW.

In addition to the Hebrew University, Israeli partners involved in the project are Tel Aviv University and Sheer Networks of Tel Aviv. Corporations abroad involved include Ericsson, IBM and France Telecom.

Participating recently in consultations in Israel were Professors Kirkpatrick and Aurell and the head of the project’s administrative team, Kersti Hedman, of the Swedish Institute of Computer Science, where the project is headquartered.