This initiative will be launch during the FET11 conference as the Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) scheme of the European Commission wants to help young people to understand what their options are, and bring across some of the excitement of people who have a passion for science and technology.

To deliver on this objective the FET House has been proposed, consisting of a website and application that showcases topics typically covered by FET projects. The website will be launched in May 2011, and it will be especially useful for classroom discussions, individual exploration by aspiring students, and for those who like reading real stories about real people who had to make similar decisions to what they are facing now.

Europe has a long tradition of research and innovation linked to information and communication technology (ICT), from Guttenberg’s printing press to the success of the GSM mobile phone standard and world-wide-web.

But are new media and the internet exciting enough to attract young people to pursue science and engineering careers? Do they even know what steps to take to get into this field and what they can expect as a career?

The Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) scheme of the European Commission wants to help young people to understand what their options are, and bring across some of the excitement of people who have a passion for science and technology.

FET House is a website and application that showcases topics typically covered by FET projects, such as zero-power ICT, robotics, quantum technology, understanding the brain, and data privacy. These themes will be linked to demos, videos and catchy write-ups of a selection of related projects, as well as to people who studied a related topic and, working in the field, are able to pass on their wisdom.

Through their career stories and experience, these people will act as mentors to FET House’s young visitors, inspiring them to ask questions, post contributions to the forum, and ultimately to take up the challenge of a career in ICT themselves. Using the site’s tools and channels, it may even be possible to arrange for real-life visits, to give young people first-hand experience of a lab working on cutting-edge technology.

The website will be launched in May 2011. It will be especially useful for classroom discussions, individual exploration by aspiring students, and for those who like reading real stories about real people who had to make similar decisions to what they are facing now. And while they are at it, the young people might learn a bit about new and emerging technologies coming out of the EU, and how they contribute to our lives and livelihoods.

Put another way, FET House is an emerging platform for young people interested in getting into future and emerging technologies!

If you have any questions about the web application please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .