ASCoR, founded in 1997 is the only national academic research centre in the Netherlands within communication studies. It researches the role of media and (tele)communications, nationally and internationally, from the perspective of democracy and processes of opinion and identity formation. ASCoR’s main theme for research is: Communication Toward Open Societies. The researchers involved in the EMTEL-network are working within the ASCoR-domain, Media, Citizenship and the Public Sphere. 

TNO Strategy, Technology and Policy is part of the Dutch R & D Organisation TNO which has over 4000 employees. TNO STB focuses on innovation in technology and policy, concentrating especially on telecommunications, new services and e-commerce, the content industry, social aspects of the information society; and ICT and public administration. TNO STB executes research programs for national government and contract research for public institutions, the European Union, organisations of private companies as well individual companies. 

Role in the network   Top

TNO/ASCoR (already co-operating in the first EMTEL-network) will focus on 
the changing nature of citizenship in the Information Society through a detailed and comparative study of access and participation to political public discourse. The research will result in policy recommendations on how ICTs can enable specific social groups in Europe to be better included in political and public life. TNO/ASCoR will lead the subgroup on Inclusion and Exclusion in the Information Society and will be one of the co-ordinators of the final deliverable on The Information Society in Europe: policy prospects (co-ordinated by WP2, WP4 and WP5).

Recent and relevant research Top

TNO recently co-ordinated the EU project, Design for All and ICT business practice. Dr Rutten is head of Information and Communication at TNO STB.  He advises the Dutch government on cross-media ownership and the problem of pluralism and access. He also published on mass communication and identity.

ASCoR’s recent research includes research and publications for the Euromedia Research Group and comparative European research on digital cities. They have contributed to COST A4 and GRANITE, through their interest in gender, ICTs and everyday life. ASCoR’s recent contract research includes work on the socio-cultural implications of the Internet for governance, a trend-study on ‘emancipation in the Information society’, commissioned by Dutch ministries, and a study commissioned by the Dutch institute for technology assessment on ICTs and work.

Structure and infrastructure   Top

TNO/ASCoR has been a member of the former EMTEL-network and has been involved in comparative research for NCR and in the board of contributing editors to the New Media and Society Journal, which is a forum for EMTEL-related work.  ASCoR offers an international PhD program in Communication Science. Facilities include office, library and multimedia facilities, as well as access to support for travel to present papers at international conferences and limited support for data collection and costs for the thesis, internally available on a competitive basis. TNO offers research training through its link with Erasmus University, Rotterdam, where Rutten is Visiting Professor.

Principal Researchers   Top

Dr. Valerie Frissen 
Prof. Dr. Paul Rutten 
Prof. Dr. Kees Brants 
Prof. Dr. Bart Camaerts