The Commission and the Asian partners of the Trans-Eurasia Information Network (TEIN) have agreed to allocate an additional €12m and €6m respectively to the network until 2011 to improve its operational capacity and invite more countries to join it.
The aim of the Commission is "to make global scientific collaboration seamless" and "abolish distance as a barrier to working together," said Information Society Commissioner Viviane Reding, whereas External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner emphasised that TEIN "reduces the digital divide" between the less-developed countries in Asia and Europe.
TEIN is largely a Commission-funded network linking research and education communities across the Asia-Pacific region. Since 2000, it has been aiming to improve intra-regional connectivity and act as a catalyst for the development of national research networks in the region. It currently links the national networks in Australia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
The TEIN network was upgraded to TEIN2 in 2004 as it was directly connected to the pan-European research and education network GÉANT2, identified as the world's most advanced international research and education network.
The TEIN2 network allows, for example, scientists in the Philippines to forecast typhoons with the assistance of German researchers and patients in Vietnam to receive surgery via remote consultation of Australian doctors. In addition, a number of students benefit from the network through e-learning applications.
Now, with the increased funding, the TEIN2 will be upgraded to TEIN3, which should become operational by October 2008.
