IST-EC 2 is a joint Canada-Europe project whose objective is to connect the European and Canadian research communities in key areas of the Information Society Technologies (IST).

It will build on the success of the original IST-EC project which ended in May of 2004, by facilitating co-operative participation in comparable Canadian and European IST Research & Technology Development (RTD) programs.

Under the project, Canadian and European research and technology developers from both the public and private sectors (university, research centers or SME’s), can search for joint projects in which to participate on the basis of mutual benefits. They are responsible for securing funding within their own organizations or from other sources available in their respective countries

In Europe, IST-EC is supported by the IST (Information Society Technologies) Programme of the European Union's 6th RTD Framework Programme (FP6), 2002-2006.

In Canada, IST-EC is supported by key Federal Government Departments and Agencies and the Computer Research Institute Montreal.

The development of this project was facilitated by the Canada-EU Science & Technology Agreement, a vehicle that enables Canadian research organizations, universities and companies to become involved in European RTD programs.