MODIBEC NEWS: MODIBEC to further boost EU-China cooperation efforts

New ERTICO-coordinated project to focus on building digital broadcasting convergence with mobile communications.

ERTICO’s international cooperation efforts have a new focus in China thanks to the start of the MODIBEC project on 1 January. This EC-supported initiative is a 24-month multi-partner Coordination Action that intends to promote and support RTD cooperation between EU and China on digital broadcasting technologies — especially the convergence with mobile communications. It continues the efforts of ERTICO’s previous EU-China cooperation projects including DYNASTY and BITS.

MODIBEC's main activities
MODIBEC will bring European and Chinese key players in digital broadcasting / mobile convergence areas closer to concrete business opportunities and make recommendations for future actions. Its main activities will be to organise events in both regions that will serve as a means for fostering closer ties between Europe and China and exchanging knowledge in these fields.

It plans two workshops in Europe and three regional priority workshops in the cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong in China, at which European and local stakeholders will meet to discuss and define both research and implementation priorities that are in line with their national policies and identify areas and themes suitable for international cooperation. This will be capped off by a national event in China at which a large number of stakeholders will be invited to discuss themes within the priority areas identified and carry out live demonstrations e.g. DAB-TMC.

Its main outcome will be the creation of trans-national networks of key stakeholders that can help define the priorities, research needs and future cooperation areas for mobile broadcasting.

Multinational consortium
These activities will be carried out by a consortium consisting of both European and Chinese members, including ERTICO Partners PTV, Siemens, Blaupunkt as well as Motorola, WorldDMB Forum, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television / Academy of Broadcasting Science, Jolon Digital Media Broadcasting Co., Ltd, Shanghai Oriental Pearl (Group), China Satellite Navigation and Communications, China Radio & TV Equipment Industrial Association, Guangdong Mobile TV Media, Shanghai Autonavi Software and Thomson Broadcast & Multimedia. 

MODIBEC will have its first European Workshop & Steering Committee Meeting in March at ERTICO. A dedicated project website will also be launched.