All aspects of life have significantly been affected by the Internet in the last 30 years. A merely academic network in the beginning, has turned into a worldwide infrastructure of the information society. The original system, planned in the 70s has dropped behind both the current technological demands and the needs of users. In order the Internet to become the global infrastructure of the 21st century, and meet the requirements of our age, it is inevitable to find new solutions based on the current technology available today.

The EU pays particular attention to new generation internet researches in its 7th Framework Programme (FP7), having launched initiatives and research programmes, a number of which enjoy an active Hungarian participation.

Dr. Peter Csermely, professor of Semmelweis University (SOTE), member of the „Council of the Wise” talked about the similarities of networks present in biological and molecular systems to that of the Internet, proposing to draw the conclusions of comparing the behaviour of living systems to other networks.

Lectures on technical options, limitations and trends focused on the question whether the future internet would be a network based on totally new technology or it would develop in an evolutionary manner, by further developing the network technologies available today. The participants also discussed security and privacy issues, which are already acute problems of the Internet. Dr. Peter Bakonyi, Deputy Director of The Computer and Automation Research Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA SZTAKI) lectured on the current Internet related activities of Hungarian research teams, and he also talked about the Hungarian initiativ on future internet research.

Mr. Vilmos Nemeth, Head of NKTH Programme Planning Department emphasised that Future Internet was the beginning of a new technological process, expected to considerably affect not only the technological development but also the economies and societies of the world in 10-15 years’ time. The new emerging paradigm generates opportunities for Hungarian researchers and enterprises, but in order to take them for the benefit of the country, we must increase our research activities and strengthen international cooperations in this field. NKTH has joined a number of future internet related R&D projects of the EU. As a result, during the Hungarian EU Presidency a Future Internet Week will be held in Budapest on May 16-19, 2011 including - among others - Future Internet Assembly (FIA), FIRE Event, and Internet of Things Conference, which will provide an opportunity for industrial and academic experts to update about the R&D trends of future internet and the progress of EU R&D programmes.