SECOM Programme

Programme contact(s)


Summary of the Programme

Duration: 2000 - 2008
Total Budget: EUR 7,500,000
Total Expenses: EUR 6,738,003
Total Projects Funded: 11

The SECOM programme's objective was the competitiveness of the Luxembourg economy in the field of e-commerce. It aimed at developing a knowledgeable demand and an effective offer correspondent to the needs of the new economy.

This requires the mastery of the context of electronic commerce and cooperation, with a global quality approach that must integrate the solution of two problems, requiring joint efforts in R&D:

  • Security issues, aiming at the confidentiality, the availability and the integrity of electronic exchange systems
  • Cooperation issues, aiming at the specification and the conception of the legal, organisational and software regulations linked to the implementation of virtual platforms that regroup several economic actors cooperating by electronic devices

In order to better master the new contexts of electronic cooperation, the SECOM programme developped an integrated research on the safety of electronic exchange and the efficiency of new organisational and software models for electronic cooperation. The application of these research results will be particularly confronted with the realities of the service and SME sectors, bearing a strong potential for the production of goods and services in Luxembourg, however without excluding other sectors that also have a proven impact on the information society.

The final evaluation of SECOM was undertaken by the Technopolis Group, with the help of a renowned expert in Security and Efficiency of New Practices in e-Commerce and experienced evaluators. Technopolis came to the following conclusions:

  • The main qualitative objectives – creation of new competences, publications and development of new software for e-commerce – have been reached by the SECOM programme.
  • Cooperation with foreign partners has been reinforced by the programme’s projects, which led to nine international collaborations. Furthermore, the projects contributed to the development of the CITI laboratory, the ISC and the interdisciplinary centre SnT.
  • Even though the objectives “create user networks” and “take advantage of the new economy” have not been fully achieved, Luxembourg has been recognised as a dynamic European player and as an attractive place to do research.

The continuation of the activities started around the SECOM programme is now guaranteed within the CORE programme.

Closed Projects