After four years of existence, CoreGRID has indeed carved out a place for itself in the international Grid research arena. With 330 researchers from 46 European research institutions, it has become one of the largest research centres in Grid computing, encompassing a vast range of research topics such as knowledge and data management,

programming models, middleware, resource management and scheduling, work flow, service infrastructures and peer-to-peer systems, just to cite a few. It has now reached its ideal objective: to become the European Grid beacon.

CoreGRID's significant and promising research results in Grid computing were largely promoted at the occasion of the CoreGRID Symposium. This successful event, jointly organized with the Euro-Par 2008 conference on August 25-26 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, gathered hundred key researchers and industrials from European and Member States initiatives in Grid research, as well as from international projects in the field.

According to Dr. Thierry Priol (INRIA) in charge of CoreGRID's scientific co-ordination and of the Symposium's organisation, "The objective of this event is to definitely demonstrate CoreGRID leadership in Grid research".

Having been active for four years, CoreGRID has now reached a highly visible position: it is recognized worldwide. It is really satisfying for the CoreGRID researchers to see that their work has been influential in the development of new technologies and products and has contributed to the European economy's growth. It is also an enthusiastic determination for all CoreGRID partners to continue to work together and address new research challenges under this new status of ERCIM Working Group.

CoreGRID is more than ever committed to involving further industrial stakeholders in making determinant contributions to Europe's Next Generation Grid vision.