When I was interested in the semantic web I found that there was demand for it in the whole EMEA area: not just in the EU which funds it but also on a grassroots level in the Middle East and Africa where there are people using many different languages and better communications means more and better commerce.

I was talking with people in Iraq about a project and found it wasn't necessarily sanctioned but I was supposed to go through channels and I couldn't find anyone at State to respond to my questions.