Oxford/Southampton - Online predictions

A centre devoted to the study of the World Wide Web is to be established as a joint venture by two universities. The Institute for Web Science will be set up by the universities of Southampton and Oxford with a £30 million grant from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. The institute will ensure that the UK "understands, anticipates and fully exploits the economic potential that emerges from the evolution of the web", Southampton said. Nigel Shadbolt, professor of artificial intelligence at Southampton, added: "The web is one of the most disruptive and transformative innovations we have ever witnessed. We must understand the forces that have shaped it, anticipate its evolution and determine its future social and economic impact."