Interview with Bartosz Belter on research infrastructures and the role of SLICES in Europe

2023-06-03

Interview with Bartosz Belter on research infrastructures and the role of SLICES in Europe

SLICES is a new research infrastructure on the ESFRI (European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures) roadmap, bringing together 21 partners from 14 countries. The aim of the current work in the consortium is to secure support from member states and the European Commission in the process of building a modern research infrastructure for research on a European scale. Bartosz Belter, Head of the PSNC’s New Generation Networks Department, gave an interview opresenting the specifics of the project.

The SLICES initiative is a response to the demand for research infrastructure in the field of information and telecommunications technologies. Both the rapid development of Big Data technologies, artificial intelligence, as well as the first implementations of 5G networks in the Member States, and the consequent new applications using advanced control and data transmission mechanisms result in great demand for digital infrastructure with adapted and selected tools for testing and developing products for the digital society.

The node planned in Poland as part of the project will be based on the results of the PIONIER-LAB, PL-5G and PL-LAB2020 network infrastructure projects. It should be noted that the PIONIER-LAB project, which is currently under implementation, is on the Polish Roadmap for Research Infrastructures, so SLICES is the next step to bring the research services built in this project to the European level. Ultimately, the planned node will consist of network, sensor and computing components (including computing elements at the edge of the network), which will enable advanced research in telecommunications and computer science. The Polish contribution to the SLICES project will result in the establishment of a Polish research laboratory in the new scientific discipline of ‘Technical Informatics and Telecommunications’. SLICES, through the participation of the scientific community gathered around the PIONIER network, will have a positive impact on the consolidation of national research potential in the field of ICT. The availability of research infrastructures at both European and national level will result in increased access to state-of-the-art technology for national research entities and industry. The potential of universities will be used to a greater extent by industry in the implementation of innovative ICT solutions. Close cooperation between scientific units will be ensured through access points to the PIONIER network, i.e. through representatives of the leading universities and research institutes.

In an interview published on the project website, Bartosz Belter shared his thoughts on the added value that SLICES brings to the scientific community and Europe, and talked about the progress being made in the Polish node.

The full interview available on the project website