European Network in Language and Speech

Description

Project Title:
European Network in Language and Speech
Acronym:
ELSNET
Number:
6295
Work Area:
Speech & Natural Language
Coordinator:
University of Edinburgh
Centre for Cognitive Science
2 Buccleuch Place
UK - EDINBURGH EH8 9LW
Coordinator Country:
UK
Academic nodes
ARIAI A
University of Antwerp B
University of Leuven B
IDSIA, Lugano CH
ISSCO, Geneva CH
Charles University, Prague CZ
Institut für Maschinelle Sprachverarbeitung, Stuttgart D
Ruhr-Universität Bochum D
Universität des Saarlandes/DFKI, Saarbrucken D
Universität Erlangen D
Universität Hamburg D
Centre for Language Technology, Copenhagen DK
Speech Technology Centre, University of Ålborg DK
Centre for Cognitive Science, University of Roskilde DK
Universidad Politecnica de Madrid E
Universidad Politecnica de Valencia E
CRIN/INRIA Lorraine, Nancy F
Institut de la Communication Parlée, Grenoble F
IRIT/Université Paul-Sabatier, Toulouse F
Laboratoire Parole et Langage/CNRS, Aix-en-Provence F
LIMSI/CNRS, Orsay F
Institute for Language & Speech Processing, ILSP, Athens GR
Wire Communications Lab, Patras GR
Fondazione Ugo Bordoni I
Istituto di Linguistica Computazionale-CNR I
IRST, Trento I
University College Dublin IRL
University of Trondheim N
Institute for Language Technology and AI (ITK), Tilburg NL
Institute for Perception T-Research, Eindhoven NL
Leyden University NL
Stichting Spraaktechnologie/University of Utrecht NL
Universiteit Amsterdam NL
Catholic University of Nijmegen NL
INESC/Universidad Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon P
Research Institute for Informatics, Bucharest RO
Royal Institute of Technology/KTH, Stockholm S
University of Linkoping S
Defence Research Agency, Malvern UK
UMIST, University of Manchester UK
University College London/School of Oriental and African Studies UK
University of Cambridge UK
University of Essex UK
University of Sheffield UK
University of Sussex UK
Industrial nodes
Lernhout & Hauspie Speech Products B
NV de Wilde-Buyck B
Aspect GmbH D
CAP Debis D
Daimler-Benz AG D
Grundig AG D
Langenscheidt D
Novotech GmbH D
Philips Research Laboratories D
Siemens AG D
Siemens Nixdorf AG D
Triumph-Adler D
Jydsk-Telefon DK
Sunpol Consultants ApS DK
CTA SA E
ENA Telecommunicaciones E
Telefonica E
ACSYS F
Aerospatiale F
CAP Gemini Innovation F
GSI-ERLI F
Memodata F
SystranSA F
VECSYS Speech Processing F
CSELT I
Database Informatica I
Sogei I
Tecnopolis CSATA Novus Ortus I
Radet for teknisk terminologi N
PTT Research Laboratories NL
Uninova CRIA P
Infovox AB S
Aldus Europe Ltd UK
ALPNET Interlingua UK
BT Laboratories UK
Cambridge Algorithmica Ltd UK
CT Consultants UK
Ensigma Ltd UK
Logica Cambridge Ltd UK
Sharp Laboratories UK
Contact Point:
Prof. E. Klein
Telephone:
+44/ 31 650 4594
Fax:
+44 /31 650 4587
E-Mail:
elsnet@ed.ac.uk
Keywords:
Start Date:
To be announced
Duration:
36 months
Status:
Starting
Abstract:
ELSNET brings together members of the natural language and speech R&D communities to collaborate in research planning, training and mobility, resource building and distribution, and technology transfer.

AIMS

ELSNET's goal is to help coordinate European research and postgraduate training activities promoting the development of speech and natural language (NL) technology. The long-term technological goal is the construction of integrated multilingual speech and NL systems with unrestricted coverage of both spoken and written language. In the shorter term, the Network's efforts contribute towards increasing the industrial take-up of existing language technologies and creating the necessary human and software resources for a competitive European language industry.

STRUCTURE

The Network is made up of nine managing nodes and a larger number of associate nodes. Managing nodes act as a contact point between the associate nodes for which they have responsibility (this being organised primarily on a geographical basis) and the Network's executive board. The executive board comprises representatives from each managing node and task group, an industrial representative, and a representative from the European Commission. The board is chaired by the ELSNET coordinator. General administration is carried out by a senior academic (the ELSNET coordinator) and an administrative assistant, presently located at the University of Edinburgh.

ACTIVITIES

ELSNET's main activities are organised around four task groups concerned with research coordination, training and mobility, language and speech resources, and industrial links.
The Research Coordination Task Group organised an international workshop on the topic of Integrating Speech and Natural Language, July 15--17 1992, in Dublin, Ireland.
The Training and Mobility Task Group organised the first ELSNET Summer School on Prosody at University College London, July 1993, with support from ERASMUS and ESCA. Plans are currently underway to organise a second Summer School on Corpus-Based Methods at Utrecht in July 1994.
The Linguistic and Speech Resources Task Group is setting up an infrastructure for the storage and distribution of speech and natural language resources, involving the AFS network file system and CD-ROM pressing and distribution. The infrastructure is expected to become fully operational during 1994. A consortium based on the Linguistic and Speech Resources Task Group was awarded funding from the LRE Programme for the RELATOR project. This 18-month feasibility study will propose a European organisational framework for the creation, storage, distribution and maintenance of language engineering resources.
ELSNET has been awarded funding from the Human Capital and Mobility programme for a scientific and technical cooperation network entitled Scientific Cooperation in the European Network in Language and Speech. This activity, divided into the themes Phrase-Level Phonology and Spoken Dialogue and Discourse, will last two years from 1 January 1994.
Since September 1992, ELSNET has been publishing a 12-page bimonthly newsletter, ELSNews, devoted to information about ELSNET and other activities of interest to the ELSNET community, such as recent developments in ESPRIT, LRE, and related EU initiatives.

Sven Müßig, last update 07-nov-1995. Your feedback is welcome.