1st Semantic Web Services Winter Retreat

March 1-7, 2009
Seefeld Olympic Region, near Innsbruck, Austria

The Semantic Web Service (SWS) Retreat aims to be an intensive 5 day course, training existing and new researchers and practitioners in the field of Semantic Web Services, so as to encourage their participation in this growing field and to give them access to its top experts. In particular, the retreat will bring together 20–30 students and 10 tutors, allowing the participants to immerse themselves within the community and to interact on a one-to-one level with established researchers to gain deeper insights and clarity.

The program for the retreat (shown in the table below) combines theoretical lectures, tutorials and hands-on sessions, and mini-project teamwork, to maximize the knowledge gained by the participants. On top of these formal parts, the program also contains social networking activities for deeper interaction, and also a skiing afternoon.

Participants who successfully complete the retreat course will be provided with a certificate of completion. The group that provides the best student mini-project will be awarded a certificate of excellence.

The SWS Retreat is organized by STI International and by STI Innsbruck (at the University of Innsbruck). The retreat is partially funded by the Austrian FIT-IT funding agency, with support from the EU projects Service Web 3.0, SOA4All and from the Semantics TG initiative.

Tutors

Graham Hench (STI International, AT)
Mick Kerrigan (STI Innsbruck, AT)
Jacek Kopecky (STI Innsbruck, AT)
Barry Norton (Open University, UK)
Elena Simperl (STI Innsbruck, AT)
Nathalie Steinmetz (Seekda, AT)
Ioan Toma (STI Innsbruck, AT)
(changes are possible)

Invited Talks, Advanced Topics

The SWS Retreat program of lectures and presentations ends with sessions on advanced topics around Semantic Web Services, and with invited talks from world-class researchers and top experts (in alphabetical order):

(some speakers are not confirmed yet)
Vladimír Dubský (HP, CZ)
Christian Huemer (Vienna University of Technology, AT):
The Semantics of ‘B’ in ‘BPM’
Monika Solanki (Imperial College London, UK):
Towards verifying compliance in Semantic Web service compositions
Michael Stollberg (SAP, DE)
York Sure (SAP, DE)

Organizing Committee

Jacek Kopecky, STI Innsbruck
Dr. Elena Simperl, STI Innsbruck
Alexander Wahler, STI International

Accommodation and Social Events

The retreat will be held in a hotel in the Seefeld Olympic Region, with full board and accommodation provided for each participant. The hotel, and the area around Seefeld in general, have a full range of facilities to make the stay more pleasant.

As shown in the preliminary program, there will be a “Tutors’ Evening” on Monday, giving the tutors a chance to present themselves. On Wednesday afternoon, we plan to “hit the slopes”, and Friday evening will include a closing party.

Participants

We welcome applications from anywhere in the world, with some degree of preference given to Austrian applicants. We especially target postgraduate students and industry professionals in relevant fields. Some basic acquaintance with the principles of Service-Oriented Architectures and Semantic Technologies would be useful.

Accepted candidates are expected to participate fully in the activities of the SWS Retreat for its complete duration. We will not consider applications from persons who cannot commit themselves to full participation for the whole duration of the retreat.

Cost of Participation

The cost for each participant is €400 (or €300 for participants from Austrian institutions). Together with our acquired funding, this covers lecture materials, accommodation, full board and the social events. The Wednesday skiing afternoon costs will be paid by the participants themselves and should not exceed €50 for ski-pass plus equipment rental.

Travel and Local Information

Seefeld is a mountain resort that hosted the Nordic events of the 1964 and 1976 Winter Olympics. It is located 17km northwest from Innsbruck, Austria, at the heart of the Alps. The nearest airport is in Innsbruck, with many wintertime connections. The major airport in Munich offers further connections. Seefeld is accessible easily by train, both from Innsbruck and from Munich. In case of sufficient demand, we will organize a bus from Innsbruck to the SWS Retreat venue.

It is also possible to come by car: Seefeld is on one of the main roads between Munich and Innsbruck, easily reachable from Tyrol and from Bavaria. Parking at the venue can be arranged.

Application

Applications are closed, the applicants all notified. If you haven’t received a notification, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Payment registration available here.

Important Dates

Cancellation

Cancellations of registration must be received no later than 20th February, 2009. Payments will be refunded less EUR 30.00 - service charge. After 20th February 2009, cancellations can be made, but refunds are up to the discretion of the conference management team.
Please send all cancellation requests to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Contact

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (STI Innsbruck),
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (STI Innsbruck),
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (STI International)