“It is a real pleasure to write a few words about ERCIM. Cor Baayen (CWI), Gerhard Seegmüller (GMD) and I created ERCIM twenty years ago, but initiated it after the Single European Act of 1987. In those days some kind of Euphoria was spreading in Europe, with the impression that a significant step towards European Integration had been attained. Our simple question was this: How can we contribute to this general trend?
ERCIM has been the first EEIG for research and in some way anticipated the Research European networks, created by the successive framework programs. We also wanted a consortium including Eastern and Central Europe, at a time when this was still a remote dream.
To see today the successful path of ERCIM is like seeing your child becoming a successful adult, with a solid position and a rich future. It is a real pleasure, a real pride.
My best wishes to ERCIM for 20 new successful years, and my gratitude to our successors who have done a terrific job.”
Alain Bensoussan,
President of INRIA from 1984 to 1996
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ERCIM 20th Anniversary and Spring Days 26 - 29 May 2009, Paris
ERCIM and INRIA co-hosted ERCIM's 20th Anniversary celebration on 28 May in Paris, in conjunction with the ERCIM Spring Days meetings.
The 20th anniversary of ERCIM was marked by a seminar including presentations by top-level researchers, key industry players and representatives from the ERCIM Community, both past and present.
Set in the heart of the historical Le Marais district, Les Jardins du Marais was the venue for the 20th anniversary celebration, the ERCIM Board of Directors and Editorial Board meetings, as well as several ERCIM Working Group meetings and two European project meetings, namely InterLink and EuroIndia. In all, 180 attendees participated in ten meetings.Slides presented at the anniversary event can be found on the anniversary meeting programme.
You can also view the "ERCIM Over The Years" slideshow!
Read the article "Twenty Years of ERCIM: History and Outlook" by Keith Jeffery, ERCIM President.