Report: OECD Conference on Sensor Based Networks

By EDRi · June 17, 2009

This article is also available in:
Deutsch: [Bericht: OECD-Konferenz über Sensornetzwerke | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1436]

“Using Sensor-based Networks to Address Global Issues: Policy Opportunities
and Challenges” was the title of an experts conference the OECD organised on
08 and 09 June 2009, hosted by Portugal, in Lisbon. Andreas Krisch
participated in the conference on behalf of EDRi and CSISAC.

The goal of the Conference was to help policy makers:
a. understand Sensor-Based Networks and their potential contribution to
economic and social welfare,
b. identify how to further stimulate innovation in this area and foster
the development of these technologies where they are needed the most and are
the most promising.

During the one and a half day event, the potentials of sensor based networks
in the areas of health and elderly care, protection of the environment and
transportation were discussed. Presentations on different research and
commercial projects illustrated current and potential future uses of sensor
networks. The presented applications ranged from humidity sensors used for
the reduction of water consumption in agriculture via sensor networks used
to support elderly care at home to traffic control systems for highways
based on information gathered from vehicle on-board computers.

In the last session privacy protection and information security dominated
the discussion on policy options. Panellists made quite clear that, in their
opinion, a widespread use of sensor networks and related technologies will
only be possible in future, when a sufficient level of trust can be
achieved. For this, privacy protection and information security are key.

For a more detailed report on the conference see
http://csisac.org/2009/06/csisac_oecd_rfid.php

CSISAC
http://csisac.org/

Conference website
http://www.oecd.org/sti/ict/sensors

Presentations, session summaries, conclusions
http://www.oecd.org/document/41/0,3343,en_2649_34223_42616233_1_1_1_1,00.html

(contribution by Andreas Krisch – EDRi)