The aim of this workshop is to promote the uptake of semantic web technology by industry. The workshop is intended for a technical audience, such as project managers, thus the format will introduce the various technological challenges, and the software tools that can help to solve them. The workshop format is divided into three key topic areas for the application of these technologies: knowledge representation and ontologies; metadata and annotation; and rules, reasoning and query answering. In each topic area there will be a overview presentation of the topic are given by an expert in the field, demonstration of a high-quality software tool addressing tasks within the topic, and, finally, an open discussion panel to answer specific questions on each topic area. This workshop is endorsed by the network of excellence Knowledge Web.

1. Workshop Description

The general aim of this workshop is to promote semantic web technology to industry, focusing on providing a technical audience with an introduction of the main technological challenges hindering the uptake of semantic web technology by industry, together with a practical presentation of the technological solutions that can help to overcome these problems.

A key objective of the workshop will be to demonstrate high quality software tools, addressing key problems, which can enable organisations to apply semantic web technologies in their business. The showcase as a whole will seek to provide an example 'walk-through' process of applying semantic web technology in an organisation, describing how (in general) organisations can go about beginning to apply these technologies to solve specific business problems.

2. Content and Schedule

The content of the workshop is to be organised into three main topic areas, covering key semantic web topics: knowledge representation and ontologies; meta-data and annotation; reasoning, rules, and query answering.
Each topic will then be presented as a separate mini-session, in which there will be a presentation of the main issues in the area and a demonstration of a best-of-breed methodologies/tools for addressing them, and finally a short question and answer period with a small panel of experts.
Further details of the topic areas intended by each of the above titles, and potential presenters and demonstrations for these topics, are given below.

• Knowledge representation and ontologies:
• Describing what can be achieved using knowledge representation, how knowledge can be represented in machine-understandable forms and what are the challenges in making machines effectively communicate on the basis of ontologies.
• Presenter Pavel Shvaiko University of Trento, Italy: - Schema-based semantic matching


• Metadata and annotation:
• Describing the role of metadata, how it is created, and how it is then used in the annotation of information resources.
• Presenter Martin Dzbor. Open University, UK: - Semantic Annotation: Theory and Applications
• Reasoning, rules and query answering:
• Describing how the represented knowledge can be manipulated and reasoned with, how rules can be applied to use this knowledge, and how knowledge-based queries facilitate information retrieval.
• Presenter Markus Krötzsch AIFB Karlsruhe, Germany: - Practical Reasoning with OWL and Rules

3. Timetable

The aim is to have the three topics presented in a total workshop time of 3 hours, giving about 45 minutes for each topic and time for a brief coffee break. Within the 45 minutes, the presentation would take 30-35 minutes, and the discussion the remaining 10-15 minutes.

4. Registration Information

This workshop is being held a part of the European Semantic Technologies Conference - in Vienna, between 31st May and 1st June. Anyone interested in attending this workshop must register for the full conference.

Registration for this workshop is available online through the ESTC website - Registration.

Additional information on accomodation and travel information can be found at - Venue.

4. Organising Committee

The organising committee consists of four members:

• Ian Blacoe (University of Liverpool) - blacoe@csc.liv.ac.uk
• Valentina Tamma (University of Liverpool)
• Lyndon Nixon (Free University of Berlin)
• Roberta Cuel (University of Trento).