OpenWebSearch.EU has officially kicked-off | Media Release

OpenWebSearch.EU has kicked-off with a consortium meeting in Berlin. 46 participants got together in a hybrid meeting format to exchange ideas and make plans for the successful execution of the project. The meeting was hosted by DLR-PT in a new building in Berlin-Südkreuz.

The opening session was kicked off by greetings from Dieter Kranzmüller (BADW-LRZ), Uwe Heitmann from DLR-PT, and Jorge Gasos and Stergios Tsiafoulis from DG CONNETC. The warm welcome of the guests gave an energetic basis for the following interactive gathering.

“The kick-off with its interactive sessions are of great value for project progress. The in-person meeting format was a big help for knowledge exchange, requirement gathering, and expectation sharing. It was great to see all participants working so very motivated and actively contributing to lively discussions and break-out sessions” says Dr. Megi Sharikadze, Lead of the LRZ Research Coordination and Support Team.

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“Europe builds its own internet search engine” | Tiroler Tageszeitung

Tiroler Tageszeitung | 28 August 2022

“The European answer to Google and Co. should be more open and at the same time better protect privacy. Austrian researchers are also involved.
Google, Microsoft Bing, Baidu, Yandex – the search for information on the internet is dominated by only a few private providers. With the support of the EU’s Horizon Europe funding programme, a European alternative to the market-dominating providers is to be developed. 14 research and computing centres in Europe are working on the large-scale project – from Austria, the Institute of Interactive Systems and Data Science at TU Graz is involved, the university announced.”

Read the full article at Tiroler Tageszeitung (German):
https://www.tt.com/artikel/30830068/europa-bastelt-sich-seine-eigene-internet-suchmaschine

“EU researchers want to revolutionise search on the internet” | Niederösterreichische Nachrichten

Niederösterreichische Nachrichten | 24 August 2022

“Google, Microsoft Bing, Baidu,Yandex – the search for information on the internet is dominated by only a few private providers. With the support of the EU’s Horizon Europe funding programme, a European alternative to the market-dominating providers is to be developed. 14 research and computing centres in Europe are working on the large-scale project – from Austria, the Institute of Interactive Systems and Data Science at TU Graz is involved, the university announced on Wednesday …”

Read full article “” (German): https://www.noen.at/in-ausland/suchmaschinen-eu-forscher-wollen-suche-im-internet-revolutionieren-deutschland-forschung-online-medien-software-steiermark-333598881

“Digital sovereignty: EU project for independent web searching” | alphagalileo

Article on AlphaGalileo (paywall):
https://www.alphagalileo.org/en-gb/Item-Display/ItemId/224269?returnurl=https://www.alphagalileo.org/en-gb/Item-Display/ItemId/224269

“Searching the Internet – European researchers want to break Google monopoly” | Kronenzeitung

Kronenzeitung | 24 August 2022

“Google, Microsoft Bing, Baidu, Yandex – the search for information on the internet is dominated by a few private providers. Google in particular has a near-monopoly with more than 87 per cent market share on smartphones. With the support of the EU’s Horizon Europe funding programme, a European alternative to these market-dominating providers is now to be developed. Fourteen research and computing centres in Europe are working on the large-scale project – the Institute of Interactive Systems and Data Science at Graz University of Technology is involved from Austria.”

Read the full article “Suche im Internet Europäische Forscher wollen Google-Monopol brechen” (German):
https://www.krone.at/2791083

More privacy, fewer ads: European universities join hands for alternative search engine | Scientias

Scientias | 20 August 2022

“An alternative to Google, without the annoying ads and while maintaining privacy, it is something we all want but do not think possible. Or is it perhaps possible? European research centers are going to make a joint attempt.”

Article with an interview of Arjen de Vries.

Read the full article at Scientias (Dutch):
https://scientias.nl/meer-privacy-minder-advertenties-europese-universiteiten-slaan-handen-ineen-voor-alternatieve-zoekmachine/

“European project OpenWebSearch.EU launched: European infrastructure for web search” | Kooperation International

“Over the next three years, more than 75 scientists will be researching the core of a European Open Web Index (OWI) as the basis for a new web search in Europe. The aim of the programme is to push back the dominance of non-European internet corporations, such as Google or Microsoft. The project is funded by the European Commission to the tune of 8.5 million euros as part of the Horizon Europe project.”

Read the full article “Europäisches Projekt OpenWebSearch.EU gestartet: Europäische Infrastruktur für die Websuche” here (German):
https://www.kooperation-international.de/aktuelles/nachrichten/detail/info/leipziger-informatik-forscht-am-openwebsearcheu

“Shaping the web search of the future” | IDW – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft

IDW – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft | 28 July 2022

“Shaping the web search of the future: Weimar computer science is part of the large-scale project “OpenWebSearch.EU”.

“Für das Projekt »OpenWebSearch.EU« wird die Webis-Gruppe um Prof. Dr. Benno Stein, Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, Prof. Dr. Martin Potthast, Universität Leipzig, und Prof. Matthias Hagen, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, mit elf weiteren renommierten europäischen Forschungszentren zusammenarbeiten, um eine offene europäische Infrastruktur für die Websuche zu entwickeln. Das Projekt soll einen Beitrag zur digitalen Souveränität Europas leisten und einen offenen, menschenzentrierten Suchmaschinenmarkt fördern. Finanziert wird das Vorhaben durch »Horizon Europe«, dem Rahmenprogramm für Forschung und Innovation der Europäischen Kommission, mit 8,5 Millionen Euro.”

 

Full article here: https://idw-online.de/de/news799128

“An open web search is the key to a free and diverse society.” Interview with Dr. Martin Potthast | Leipzig University

Interview with Dr. Martin Potthast from University Leipzig on the importance of the research project OpenWebSearch.eu

Read the interview (German) at:
https://www.uni-leipzig.de/newsdetail/artikel/leipziger-informatik-forscht-am-openwebsearcheu-2022-07-29

 

Promoting Europe’s Independence in Web Search: 14 European Research Centers join forces | Media Release

For the OpenWebSearch.EU project, 14 renowned European research and computer centers have joined forces to develop an open European infrastructure for web search. The project will be contributing to Europe’s digital sovereignty as well as promoting an open human-centered search engine market. The European Commission has now approved the project’s Horizon Europe funding of 8,5 million euros.

„Free, open and unbiased access to information – we have lost these core principles in web search and urgently need to restore them. This is why we will create an open European infrastructure for internet search, based on European values and jurisdiction.” says Michael Granitzer of University Passau and Open Search Foundation, project coordinator of OpenWebSearch.EU.

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