Business Collaboration Software
VISION
The objective of VISION is to create a web-enabled solution that promotes rapid Industrial Reconversion and Development in Europe.
Industrial Reconversion is a process of crucial importance for many areas around Europe and particularly in the East.
Large parts of the continent have seen their traditional industries disappear leaving behind islands of unemployment and social deprivation though, in many cases, peopled by workers of very high qualifications and ability.
At the same time, industries in other parts of Europe suffer from lack of qualified manpower.
Technopoles
A similar problem (how to dynamise flagging regions) has been addressed by the creation of so-called Technopoles, sometimes also called Research Parks or Incubators.
These are new areas of high technology built around centres of research expertise. They begin with start-ups and typically grow at a very fast rate, dynamising a whole area around them.
Up to now the Incubators have been geographically localised, built around a central nucleus of expertise.
Virtual Incubators
The achievement of VISION was to launch the idea of the Virtual Incubator, a Europe-wide network linking potential Industrial Reconversion sites, start-ups, Venture Capitalists, Technopoles and Local Authorities.
Such networks revolutionise the way Industrial Reconversion is carried out and dynamise and expedite development of these sites throughout Europe.
System Architecture
Technically, the system developed during the VISION project is modular, incorporating a number of different functionalities but doing so with a coherent user interface. Although integrating seamlessly, the individual modules are each usable independently.
- Multi-lingual Interaction Layer: designed to manage the creation and maintenance of webpages, both static and dynamic, in multiple languages, by non-technical personnel. Code is separated in a functionality layer and an interface layer, with the latter being modified by language specialists on the internet server.
- Legal repository module: manages the storing, searching and retrieving of legal information, using XML with a hierarchical organisation, providing the required balance of responsiveness and detail required by a range of users.
- Company catalogue: enables non-technical users to create on-line catalogues containing details about their company and its products and services. The system guides users through the process of entering the required data, formats it, and makes it available to other users via a search mechanism.