Elancourt, France " The INTERESTED (INTERoperable Embedded Systems Tool chain for Enhanced rapid Design, prototyping and code generation) project is a new initiative targeting complex embedded systems and software development, and funded under the European Union's 7th Framework Programme.

The initiative is focused on the creation of the first-ever European-wide, integrated and open reference tool chain covering the full spectrum of embedded systems and software development.

INTERESTED's objective is to realize a reference tool chain that is highly dependable, safe and efficient while also reducing the cost of deployment and maintenance by 50%. Delivery of the complete, integrated reference tool chain is expected by the end of 2010.

The initiative brings together leading European embedded tool vendors whose tools form the basis for the integrated reference tool chain. Major European embedded tool users from a variety of industries will validate the reference tool chain against real-world design requirements and applications.

The INTERESTED project will also provide interoperability with Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS), open source and in-house embedded design solutions.

Using standards-based integration and interoperability solutions, the INTERESTED tool chain will assimilate embedded tools into three distinct design domains " system and software design, networking and execution platform, and timing and code analysis.

These design domains cover the full scope of embedded systems and software engineering from system and application software design modelling, verification, and code generation through networking and RTOS execution platforms to hardware-dependent software verification and code generation as well as timing analysis and code execution verification.

The INTERESTED reference tool chain is intended primarily for use by companies operating within stringent quality control requirements on the development of complex safety and mission-critical embedded systems. Such companies must generally comply with formal certification processes such as DO-178B for aerospace, IEC 61508 for industry, EN 50128 for railways, IEC 60880 for energy power plants and DEF STD 00-56 for military requirements as well as the forthcoming ISO 26262 automotive safety standard.

Members of the INTERESTED consortium include AbsInt Angewandte Informatik (Germany), Artisan Software Tools (UK), Commissariat ' l'Energie Atomique (France), Esterel Technologies (France), Evidence (Italy), Symtavision (Germany), Sysgo (Germany), TTTech Computertechnik (Austria) and Unis (Czech Republic).

The INTERESTED consortium also includes major European companies that are extensive users of embedded systems and software development tools. Airbus (France), Commissariat ' l'Energie Atomique (France), Magneti Marelli Powertrain (Italy), Siemens Mobility Division, Rail Automation (Germany), and Thales (France) are companies representing primary target application areas such as military and aerospace, automotive, rail transportation and energy systems.

These companies will contribute valuable domain knowledge on tool chain requirements such as content, features, structure and interoperability architecture. Additionally, they will validate the INTERESTED reference tool chain against their real-world design, interoperability and cost reduction requirements.

For further information on the INTERESTED project, please visit: http://www.interested-ip.eu/.