• Research projects
• Technology products
• Standardization bodies
• Open-source communitties

Research projects produce original concepts and technology, which are then subject to standardization if they are found to be relevant enough to be used in real world applications. Therefore, is obvious that research projects and standardization processes are tightly related. In general, research projects should lead to products that may be initial reference implementations; hence, contribution to standards should be an outcome in ICT projects. This outcome (standard contribution) is a way to transfer intellectual contribution and the technological innovations if the project to a wider audience.

Depending on the aim and scope of the project, there exist different ways to participate in standardization bodies, which are part of an IT research process.

• Research projects
• Technology products
• Standardization bodies
• Open-source communitties

Research projects produce original concepts and technology, which are then subject to standardization if they are found to be relevant enough to be used in real world applications. Therefore, is obvious that research projects and standardization processes are tightly related. In general, research projects should lead to products that may be initial reference implementations; hence, contribution to standards should be an outcome in ICT projects. This outcome (standard contribution) is a way to transfer intellectual contribution and the technological innovations if the project to a wider audience.

Depending on the aim and scope of the project, there exist different ways to participate in standardization bodies, which are part of an IT research process.

• Exchange ideas and experiences between the research process staff and a standardization body working group relevant to the area of the research.
• The research process participants can provide requirements and use cases for the standardization body to take into account.
• The research process can benefit from previous standards and also be guided by best practices specified by the standardization bodies.
• The outcome of the research project may help to evolve and enhance the specifications being considered by the standardization bodies.
• The research process can lead to the creation of new working and research group dedicated to the particular field open by such research process.

The different feedbacks between a research project and standardization bodies (as well as the other participants and stakeholders) can be seen in below figure. A research project is a research and development effort that seeks to advance the knowledge and technology in a given domain. There should be two major outcomes from a research project:

• One is rendered in a software product incorporating the technological innovations of the project. This, in turn, conveys intellectual property to standardization bodies (by providing a reference implementation), Industry and Academia (through the transferring of the technology found in the product) and OSS Communities (it may start an incubator project or even a new community devoted to the new field open by the research).
• A second outcome of a research project more directly transfers the intellectual contribution to the Industry and Academia through research papers. This intellectual conveyance influences also the standardization bodies through exchange of ideas and experiences that allows the evolving and enhancing of specifications and provides requirements and use cases.

Ignacio Martín Llorente