Multiagent and Grid Systems – An International Journal 4 (2008) 295–296 295 IOS Press Editorial Special Section on Engineering Semantic Agent Systems Applying Semantic Web technologies in research and development of software agents, mobile agents and multi-agent systems Atilla Elci a,* , Mamadou Tadiou Kone b and Tharam S. Dillon c a Computer Engineering Department, and Internet Technologies Research Center Eastern Mediterranean University Gazimagusa (TRNC), North Cyprus, Turkey b Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Laval University, Qu ´ ebec, Canada c Digital Ecosystems and Business Intelligence Institute, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Australia 1. Introduction The IEEE International Workshop Series on Engineering Semantic Agent Systems (ESAS) has been held since 2006 in conjunction with the Annual IEEE International Computer Software and Applications Conferences (COMPSAC, www.compsac.org). Whereas semantic web technologies render dynamic, heterogeneous, distributed, shared content equally accessible to human readers and software agents, at ESAS the vision is to achieve a synergy of the semantic web technologies with multi-agent systems (MAS) technologies whereby agents will be at center stage. ESAS has two complementary objectives: 1. To inquire into the theory and practice of engineering semantic multi-agent systems, especially methods, means, and best cases. 2. To explore unifying software engineering methodologies employed in implementing semantic MAS applications across domains. ESAS topics span a wide spectrum of both theory and practice in autonomous semantic agents, context-aware intelligent agents, agents as semantic web services, software agents, mobile agents, agent architectures, multi-agent systems, agent communities, cooperation and goal seeking through sharing policy and ontology, safety & security in systems, other QoS issues, and so on. * Corresponding author: Atilla Elci, Computer Engineering Department, Eastern Mediterranean University, Gazimagusa (TRNC),North Cyprus, ViaMersin 10, Turkey. Tel.: +90 392 630 2843; Fax: +90 392 365 0711; E-mail: atilla.elci@emu.edu.tr. ISSN 1574-1702/08/$17.00  2008 – IOS Press and the authors. All rights reserved