EaStMAN: Prize Winner in the 1997 Bangemann Challenge

EaStMAN awarded prize in The Bangemann Challenge

At a ceremony in Stockholm on 22nd January 1997, the Edinburgh and Stirling Metropolitan Area Network (EaStMAN) was awarded first prize in the prestigious Bangemann Challenge, within the category of University Networks. The jury commented that EaStMAN was

"a high-capacity network with ambitious development plans, EaStMAN has become a dynamic basis for generating new and creative services and applications, thereby proactively contributing to the advancement of the information society."

So what is the Bangemann Challenge? An initiative by the City of Stockholm challenged every city in Europe with a population of at least 400,000 to demonstrate the best IT projects within categories - with a focus on concrete and existing projects. The intention was to stimulate exchange of experiences between cities and so speed up the process of creating the "European Information Society" - the subject of a report prepared by a group led by European Commissioner, Dr Martin Bangemann. Achieving this end could be enhanced by demonstration of best projects, highlighting IT exploitation and, by way of information exchange, avoid potentially expensive mistakes.

In the end, the Bangemann Challenge involved 25 cities in 10 European countries putting forward 106 projects in one of 10 broad project categories, for example, in teleworking, distance learning, university networks, healthcare or city information highways etc. A key aspect of the participating projects is that they are down-to-earth, user-oriented and have practical application. Projects were evaluated by an international jury and the awards ceremony took place on 22nd January 1997, with prizes being presented by the King of Sweden.

The City of Edinburgh proposed nine projects in seven categories. Within the University Networks category, there were 5 entries: the Edinburgh and Stirling Metropolitan Area Network (EaStMAN), Barcelona's "Scientific Ring" - the first high-speed network for scientific use in Spain, Budapest's "HBONE" - intended to cover every single institution in the Budapest region, a project in Lyon for the medical field and Stockholm's "SUNET". The Principal of the University of Edinburgh, Sir Stewart Sutherland, said: "Congratulations to all concerned. I was absolutely delighted to learn of the success of EaStMAN in the Bangemann Challenge, and of this recognition of all the careful work which has gone into the development of EaStMAN".

The success of the aims of the Bangemann Challenge has stimulated the organisers to broaden the scope to "Global". During 1997-98, the Challenge opens up to projects for cities around the world, giving the possibility to compare European efforts with those elsewhere.

The award takes the form of a glass sculpture specially designed for the project by Jonas Torstensson. It employs recycled glass (4kg) and symbolises technological progress in harmony with the environment.

For further information, please contact George Howat ghowat@ed.ac.uk.

Many thanks to the Graphics and Multimedia Resource Centre for taking and digitising the photographs (and to John Wexler for spending considerable personal time on it).

Document last altered: 25th January 1997.