The Theseus Search Engine Project came about after a collaboration between the German and French fell apart as a single project called Quaero, but now the Quaero Project (the French project) and Theseus (the Germany Project) are both ongoing.

THESEUS aims to be bridge between pure research and practical applications of semantic technologies. Semantic technologies focus on words, images, and sounds through unconventional methods to locate the desired material. It intends to lead the basic of Web 3.0.

Right now there are 30 research institutions, leading companies, and universities participating in the Theseus Search Engines project. Some of them include the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence, the Ludwig Maximilian University, SAP, Lycos Europe, Siemens, and others.

Tne main focus of research is the development of semantic technologies that can find and classify the content and meaning of words, pictures or sounds. This includes the ability to scan images, graphics, and video to find and classify information.

Here are the main technologies being developed and their current names:

ALEXANDRIA – A knowledge database for the consumer

In honor of the first major library, Alexandria is to enable users to process, publish, and searh for content.

CONTENTUS – Cultural heritage for everyone

This branch focuses on the cultural assets and works of art of European countries and make them assessible to the public.

MEDICO – Medical search and Information

This is a semantic based on medical applications using medical vocabulary and computer aided diagnosis.

ORDO – Digital information Organized

The creation of new services and software tools to make a gigantic volume of data and applications available to the user.

PROCESSUS – Optimisation of business processes

Involves the interaction of business and exchange of business information. Allows for the testing of applications and solutions for business especially in the field of IT.

TEXO – Business Webs in the Internet of Services

Provides an infrastructure for new web based applications and services.

The Theseus Search Engine project will grow in size and scope during the next few years. Any comparison with Google is being downplayed, but the intensive scale and ambition of this project seems like it could be a competitor for the future of search engine technology.