This ontology contains information detailing research projects that have been funded by the European Union
Southampton University : ./rdf/cordis-projects-unknown-year.rdf

ETBA Banque de Grèce pour le Développement Industriel

Ibbw Institut für Berufliche Bildung und Weiterbildung e.V.

CISL - Confederazione Italiana Sindicati Lavotori

Laboratorio de Sanidad Y Produccion Animal

Itech-Institut Textile et Chimique de Lyon

Associacao Portuguesa das Industrias Graficas e Transformadoras do Papel

Gusztav Barezi Training College où Barczi Gusztav

The Finnish Pulp and Paper Research Inst. - KCL

Laboratoire Municipal de la Ville de Rouen

Ecole Supérieure des Technologies Industrielles Avancées - ESTIA

AUTOMOBILE PEUGEOT FONDERIES DE VILLERS-LA-MONTAGNE

O.T.O.E. Fédération des organismes des Employés des banques de Grèce

Service Formation C.C.I de Valenciennes - TETRA/Tech. 3000

CONFEDERATION OF NORWEGIAN BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY

E.N.I.C. - Ecole Nouvelle d'Ingénieurs en Communication

INSTITUTE OF SPACE AND ASTRONOMICAL SCIENCE

Liikealan ammattliitto ry. Union of Commercial Employees in Finland

Faculté de Médecine de Necker-Enfants Malades

INSTITUT FRANCAIS DE RECHERCHE POUR L'EXPLOITATION DE LA MER

TRANSPORT RESEARCH FOUNDATION T/A TRANSPORT RESEARCH LABORATORY

Nutreco Aquaculture research centre A/S,

Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences

The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

Universidate Catolica Portuguesa, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia

Association pour le Developpement et la Recherche Appliquee aux Industries Agroalimentaires

Ente Regionale per le Politiche Ambientali

INTERCOM. DE DEVELOPPEMENT ECONOM. DU LUXEMBOURG

INSTITUTO DE CIENCIA APLICADA E TECNOLOGIA DA FACULDADE DE CIENCIAS DA UNIVERSIDADE DE LISBOA

ifAB-Institut für Arbeitnehmerbildung Heinrich Hansen

Thomson-Csf Laboratoire Central de Recherches

Parc naturel régional des vosges du nord

La Junta de Comunidades de Castilla La Mancha

UNIVERSITAIRE INSTELLING ANTWERPEN - UNIVERSITEIT ANTWERPEN

INFORCOOP ISTITUTO NAZIONALE DI FORMAZIONE COOPERATIVA

INSTITUTE FOR LANGUAGE AND SPEECH PROCESSING

SCIENTER S. CONS.R.L. CENTRO DI RICERCHE E SERVIZI AVANZATI PER LA FORMAZIONE

Institut of Advanced Education of Health Workers

Centre de Recherche Informatique de Montreal

Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen (RWTH)

Kuratorium der Höheren Bundes-Lehr- und Versuchanstalt für Chemische Industrie

THESSALONIKI TECHNOLOGY PARK MANAGEMENT & DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION S.A.

Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto

UNIVERSITA DI MALTA (DEPARTEMENT OF LINFORMATION SYSTEMS)

SATELLITE/SWEDISH TELEPEDAGOGIC KNOWLEDGE CENTRE

VITO - Vlaamse Inst. voor Technologisch Onderzoek

FONDAZIONE GIACOMO RUMOR CENTRO PRODUTTIVITA VENETO

UNIVERSITY OF HUMBERSIDE - SCHOOL OF APPLIED SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

University College Cork, Department of Zoology and Ecology, Aquaculture Developm ent Centre

ENIPG-Berufsbildungszentrum der Medienberufe Milano

Technische Universität Carolo-Wilhelmina - Braunschweig

NORWEGIAN CENTRE FOR MEDICAL INFORMATICS

Bicur Jewish Hsp - Bicur Holim Riga Jewish Hospital

Con-Aqua, Controle & Produçao Produtos Aquaticos, Lda

Université Médecine- Clinic Hospital SZOTE

National Institute for Medical and Hospital Engineering (ORKI)

NOESIS - COMPETENCY MANAGEMENT INTERNATIONAL - CMI AB - SWEDISH TELEPEDAGOGIC KNOWLEDGE CENTRE

HOCHSCHULE FÜR TECHNIK UND WIRTSCHAFT DES SAARLANDES

ACADEMY OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION- UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD

EUROPEAN SOCIETY FOR ENGINEERING & MEDICINE

CENTRE DE RECERCA I INVESTIGACIO DE CATALUNYA S.A.

Association Europeenne pour le Transfert des Technologies, de l'Innovation et de l'Information Industrielle

Consultant des Entreprises Rapporteur des Séminaires sur le secteur banquaire

IHK FÜR MÜNCHEN UND OBERBAYERN/ ILTEC MUNICH

SEOPAN - Associacion de Emresas Constructoras de Ambito Nacional

GSF-Forschungszentrum für Umwelt und Gesundheit GmbH

CENTRO DE PLANEAMENTO E FABRICO DE MOLDES LTD

OSPEDALE CIVICO DI PALERMO - DIV; CHIR. PLAST. E TERAPIA DELLE USTIONI

The Vocational Adult Education Centre of Tampere

ORE:THC - Organisation Régionale Européenne de la Chaussure

EURO INFO CENTRE IT 378 CENTRO ESTERO CCIAA VENETO

Panhelenic Union of Lithographers in the Graphical Arts Press

INNOTECH Innovation Park of the Technical University of Budapest Ltd

Institut d'Administration des Entreprises

CONSEJERIA DE EDUCATIÓN, CULTURA Y DEPORTES DG ORDENACCIÓN E INNOVACIÓN EDUCATIVA. GOBIERNO CANARIAS

UNIVERSIDADE CATOLICA PORTUGUESA - ESCOLA SUPERIOR DE BIOTECNOLOGIA

Instiut National Polytechnique de Lorraine

ING. LUCIANO BELARDI DIRIGENTE V.U.O. DIP. XI

STEIRISCHE VOLKSWIRTSCHAFTLICHE GESELLSCHAFT

Istituto per lo Studio della Vulnerabilità delle Società Tecnologicamente Evolute

INSTITUTO DE ENGENHARIA BIOMEDICA/UNIVERSITY OF PORTO

Prüf-und Forschungsinstitut für die Schuhherstellung

ASSOCIATION POUR LA CREATION ET LA RECHERCHE SUR LES OUTILS D'EXPRESSION

TU-WIEN Forschungsinstitut für Chemie und Umwelt

STAATINSTITUT FÜR SCHULPÄDAGOGIK UND BILDUNGSFORSCHUNG

VTT -TECHNICAL RESEARCH CENTRE OF FINLAND

Netherlands Foundation for Research in Astronomy

FUTOUR - Umuelt - Tourismus - und Regionalberatung GmbH

MAX PLANCK INSTITUT FUER FESTKOERPERFORSCHUNG (DUPLI USE 999009679)

AERPUERTOS ESPANOLES Y NAVEGTACION AEREA

Kolos Richárd Vocational HighSchool (KRVH)

SUBTROPICAL PLANTS AND OLIVE TREE INSTITUTE OF CHANIA

AIMware Archeving in software process Manurity

Prenttaeknistofnun/ Graphic Arts Institute

BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION COUNCIL

FEDERAL INSTITUTE FOR MATERIAL RESEARCH AND TESTING

Aachen University of Technology (RWTH Aachen)

Centre National d'Études des Télécommunications (CNET)

ARGENTINE GOVT. DEPT. OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY

CENTRE FOR RESEARCH AND EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT (CRED)

VTT TECHNICAL RESEARCH CENTRE OF FINLAND

Centro Studi e Laboratori Telecomunicazioni SpA

INSTITUTE OF BIOMEDICAL TECHNOLOGY (INBIT)

ODENSE TEKNISKE SKOLE - ODENSE TECHNICAL COLLEGE

CITY OF LIMERICK VOCATIONAL EDUCATION COMMITEE

AMGA - AZIZNDA MEDITERRANEA GAS E ACQUA S.P.A.

ULB-Université Libre de Bruxelles Centre de Sociologie

ENIPG-Berufsbildungszentrum der Medienberufe Roma

Regione Piemonte Assessorato alla Cultura

INSTITUT QUIMIC DE SARRIA UNIVERSITAT RAMON LLULL

CEFOGRAF-Centre de formation professionnelle des industrie graphiques en Communauté français

INSTITUT NATIONAL POLYTECHNIQUE DE GRENOBLE

CERTAM - Centro Studi Ricerche e Formazione su Trasporti Ambiente e Mobilita

ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN OF THE UNITED NATIONS (UN/ECLAC)

ARSIS - ETAIREIA KOINONIKHS YPOSTHRIXIS NEON

Institute of Ageing and Vascular Research

Kereskedélmi és Vendéglátóipari Szakközépiskola

Consorci per el Desenvolupament Economic del Raiguer

Enea - Ente per le Nuove Tecnologie L'energia E L'ambiente

British Industrial Biological Research Association (BIBRA)

THE DANISH INSTITUTE FOR EDUCATIONAL TRAINING OF VOCATIONAL TEACHERS -- DEL

EILENBURGER ELEKTROLYSE-UND UMWELTTECHNIK GMBH

European Research Institute on Health and Ageing

Ministère de l'éducation nationale (Centre de Technologie de l'éducation)

INSTITUT DE MEDECINE ET PHYSIOLOGIE SPATIALES

ATHENS UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS & BUSINESS

Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR)

Centro del Profesorado de Santa Cruz de Tenerife

University of Patras - Dept. Medical Physics (MP/UNPA)

MICRO RESIST TECHNOLOGY GESELLSCHAFT FUR CHEMISCHE MATERIALIEN SPEZEIELLER PHOTORESISTSYSTEME MBH [DUPLI:999014777]

Liechtensteinische Fremdenverkehrszentrale

Ministère de la Santé - Province de Catalogne

International Language Centre (France) SA

CONFÉDÉRATION EUROPÉENNE DES SERVICES SÉCURITÉ - COESS

COMMUNITY AND EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION FOR SCIENCE, TRAINING AND TECHNOLOGY COMEAST C/O OTTO-VON-GUERICKE UNIVERSITÄT MAGDEBURG

INSTITUT FÜR TECHNISCH-WISSENSCHAFTLICHE HYDROLOGIE

Chambre Regionale de Commerce et d'Industrie des Pays de la Loire (CRCI)

Confederation of Finnish Industry and Employers

United Medical and Dental Schools of Guy's and St-thomas's Hospitals

Direccao-Geral da Qualidade do Ambiente (DGQA)

European Convergence (Managed Services) Ltd (ECMS)

ICTM AB - International Consulting - Training and Marketing

CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE (CNRS)

HOSPITAL UNIV. LA PAZ - SERVICIO DE CIRURGIA PLAST. Y QUEMADOS

EURO INFO CENTRE ZUID-NEDERLAND EIC NL 452

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF DENMARK AND GREENLAND

De Montfort University Leicester SEZ.M 80.3

Université paris X Institut Universitaire de Technologie de Ville d'Avray

Lab. Nac. de Engeharia e Tecnol. Industrial

ACTA - Associazione Cultura Turismo Ambiente

Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer

ZIAM ZENTRUM FUR INDUSTRIELLE ANWENDUNGEN MASSIVER PARALLELITAT GMBH

OCTOPUS -SISTEMAS E INFORMAÇÃO GEOGRÃFICA, LDA

SERVICES PETROLIERS SCHLUMBERGER PARIS SA

TOKYO UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY

A.S.I.P.S. - Associazone per lo studio in psicologia della salute

SYNDICAT D'INITATIVE ET DE TOURISME DE LA V. LUX

JOINT INSTITUTE FOR VERY LONG BASELINE INTERFEROMETRY (VLBI) IN EUROPE

INSTITUT FÜR BILDUNGSFORSCHUNG DER WIRTESCHAFT

RESEARCH CENTER OF THE ATHENS UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS

THE FINNISH BUSINESS COLLEGE - SUOMEN LIIKEMIESTEN KAUPPAOPISTO - SLK

Fundacion Universidad-Empresa de Murcia Edificio Escuela de Negocios

THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COMMITTEE FOR THE FISHING INDUSTRY

ECOLE DES HAUTES ETUDES EN SCIENCES SOCIALES

Lab. Nacional de Investigacao Veterinaria

SÜDTIROLER LANDESVERWALTUNG ABTEILUNG SCHULE UND KULTUR

Zentrum für Angewandte Mikroelektronik und Neue Technologien der Bayerischen Fachhochschulen eV (ZAM)

CSBO UMBRELLA ORGANISATION OF THE SUBSISED PMS CENTRES

RUG - Rijksuniversiteit Groningen - Vakgroep Pedagogiek, Andragogiek en Onderwijskunde

ROBOTIKER - Grupo Tecnologico de Robotica y Automatizacion

Cambridge Training and Development Company

LFVZ-LIECHTENSTEINISCHE FREMDENVERKEHRSZENTRALE

CENTRE INTERNATIONAL DE HAUTES ETUDES MEDITERRANEENNES

UNIVERSITY OF PLYMOUTH, SOUTH WEST REGIONAL ACCESS CENTRE

Giunta Regionale della Campania, Settore Orientamento Professionale, ricerca, Consulenza e sperimentazione nella Formazione Professionale

PEI HEALTH & COMMUNITY SERVICES AGENCY CROWN CORPORATION

LBA - Landsforeningen for bygg og anlegg

Institut National Polytechnique de Lorraine

Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Univ. Politehnica Center for Advanced Technologies University Politehnica din Bucharest

Centre d'Etudes et Recherches des Charbonnages de France (CERCHAR)

Märkische Fachhochschule Läbor für Elektro,ik

FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V.

SIEMENS RESEAUX INFORMATIQUE ET TELECOMMUNICATIONS SAS

LNEC - LABORATORIO NACIONAL DE ENGENHARIA CIVIL

Université catholique de Louvain / Ec. Sté Pub. Sect Sc. Hosp.

CONSELL DE GREMIS DE CIOMERCIO I SERVEIS

Cooperativa Cultura e Professionalita s.r.l.

MINISTERO DEL LAVORO E DELLA PREVIFENZA SOCIALE

VLAAMSE MAATSCHAPPIJ VOOR WATERVOORZIENING

ECOLE d'ENSEIGNEMENT (ADMINISTRATION D'AFFAIRES)

SCHLUETERSCHE PUBLISHING HOUSE GMBH & CO KG

Heriot Watt University, Computer Vision Laboratory

INEB (Instituto Nacional de Engenharia Biomédica)

Berlin-Brandenburgische Fortbildungsakademie

ASSOCIAZIONE NAZIONALE COOPERATIVE CONSUMO

THE ROYAL INSTITUTION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING (MCGILL UNIVERSITY)

NATIONAL CENTER FOR SOCIAL RESEARCH EKKE

UETP IIS Frauenhofer für Intergrierte Schaltungen IIS-A

FACULTY OF EDUCATION UNIVERSITY OF VALENCIA

UNIVERSITY OF PIRAEUS RESEARCH CENTER - DEPARTMENT OF MARITIME STUDIES

Turun lähiradioyhdistys ry (Radio Robin Hood)

FEDERAL MINISTRY FOR PUBLIC ECONOMY AND TRANSPORT - GENERAL DIRECTORATE OF POSTS AND TELEGRAPHS

ICS-FORTH INSTITUTE OF COMPUTER SCIENCE FORTH

Université catholique de Louvain-University of Helsinky-HOGER INSTITUTE VOOR DE ARBEID

Ministère de la Santé - Communauté Wallone

Confederacion Empresarial Valenciana (CEV)

Steierfrucht \"Obstvermarktungsgenossenschaft\"

Nederlands Instituut voor Zorg en Welzijn

Ecole Régionale des Cadres Hospitaliers - APM

THE UNIVERSITY OF TARTU, FACULTY OF MEDICINE

Landesverband der Unternehmer Rheinland-Pfalz

FACHVERMITTLUNG FÜR HOTEL UND GASTSTÄTTENPERSONAL, BADEN-BADEN

Université de Bretagne Occidentale, UMR/CNRS 6521

UNIVERSITA DI ROMA - LA SAPIENZA- DIPARTIMENTO DI CARATTERI DEGLI EDIFICI E DEGLI AMBIENTI

INSTITUTE OF BOMEDICAL TECHNOLOGY - INBIT

EGIN-FINLAND C/O - THE FEDERATION OF PRINTING INDUSTRY IN FINLAND - GRAAFISEN TEOLLISUUDEN LIITTO

FREDERICK INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY - FIT/FRC

AOF - Arbejdernes Oplysningsforbund - The Workers' Educational Association

CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE

SCUOLA SUPERIORE DI STUDI UNIVERSITARI E DI PERFEZIONAMENTO SANT'ANNA

NEHTERLANDS ORGANISATION FOR APPLIED SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

PÔLE EUROPEEN DE DEVELOPPEMENT DIRECTION TECHNIQUE

FATRONICA - FABRICO DE ARTIGOS ELECTRONICOS, S.A

Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Lebensmittelchemie

HOCHSCHULE FUR TECHNIK UND WIRTSCHAFT MITTWEIDA HANGEWANDTE INFORMATIK

LBA (NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES)

NATIONAL TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF ATHENS.

Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine

STATEN ERHVERVSPÄDAGOGISKE LAERERUDDANNELSE (SEL)

HOGHESCHOOL UTRECHT, FACULTEIT NATUUR EN TECHNIOEK, LABORATORIUM ONDERZOEK

School of Printing Technology The London Institut

Ente Nazionale per l'Energia Elettrica SpA (ENEL)

AMT FÜR ARBEIT WIRTSCHAFT UND SOZIALES DER EVANGELISCHEN KIRCHE IN HESSEN UND NASSAU

INSTITUT OF CONSTRUCTION SCIENCES \"EDUARDO TORROJA\"- CSIC

Technological Educational Institution of Athens

Devon Social Sevices (Sensory Team Plymouth)

Ente per le Nuove Tecnologie l'Energia e l'Ambiente (ENEA)

MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS

AUEF CAPE / CENTRE D'APPUI AUX PROGRAMMES EUROPÉENS DE FORMATION

International Management Consulting Services

Niels Brock Copenhagen Business College CBS

Industrie-und Handelskammer für die Pfalz

Laboratoire Cantonal - Contrôle des Denrées Alimentaires

MORA (Mehrsprachiges offenes Radio Burgenland)

EPV-European Parnership in Vetenary Science

CENTER FOR ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES IN NEW MATERIALS

University of Brussels - Medical Informatics Dept. (MI/UNBR)

Technological Education Institute of Piraeus

Institut de Promotion Sociale - IEPSCF ARLON

National Association of the Disabled, Adaptation Training Centre

Universität Fridericana Karlsruhe (Technische Hochschule)

IceTec-Technological Institute of Iceland

School of Nursing University of Manchester

RESEARCH LIAISON OFFICE, UNIVERSITY OF ICELAND (RLO)

UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD, SCHOOL OF CLINICAL DENTISTRY

SOCIETE D'INGENIERIE POUR L'EAU ET L'ENVIRONNEMENT

DHMOTIKOS ORGANISMOS KOINONIKHS PAREMBASHS

FUNDACIÓN UNIVERSIDAD-EMPRESA DE VALLADOLID (FUEVA)

INSTITUTE OF HUMAN RESOURCES AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT

Servicio de Investigacion Agraria de la Junta de Extremadura

INSULA - INTERNATIONAL SCLENTIFIC COUNCIL FOR ISLAND DEVELOPMENT

Christie Hospital and Holt Radium Institute

University of Kent at Canterbury, Department of Bioscience

Cyprus Cultural and Special Interest Tourism Association

ACPA SERVICE SCRL - ATTIVITA-COOPERATIVA PER L'AMBIENTE S.C.R.L

Johanneum Research Institute for Information Management

FSG - Ferenczi Sándor Egészégügyi Szakközépiskola És Szakiskola

UNIVERSITY OF CYPRUS-v School of Humanities and social Sciences

Hungarian Chamber of Non-profit Human Services

ARTEB (Agence Rhones-Alpes pour les Technologies Biomédicales)

RHEINISCHE FRIEDRICH-WILHELMS-UNIVERSITAET BONN

INSTITUTE FOR TRAINING DEVELOPMENT AND RESEARCH--BIEF

EFMD - EUROPEAN FOUNDATION FOR MANAGMENT DEVELOPMENT - INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMMES UNIT

CICCOPN - Centre de formaçao Profissional da Indústria da Contruçao Civil e Obras Públicas do Norte

Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC)

ALUEF - Association Liegeoise Universite-Entreprise pour la Formation

LANDESINSTITUT FÜR PÄDAGOGIK UND MEDIEN (LPM)

ISEGI -HIGHER INSTITUTE FOR STATISTICS AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

CARDIFF BAY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (CBDC)

INSTITUTO NACIONAL DE INVESTIGACIONES AGRARIAS

Nederlandse Organisatie voor toegepast natuurwetenschappelijk onderzoek - TNO

ORGANISMO NAZIONALE BILATERALE PER LA FORMAZIONE SCRL

PROJECTT - Processing Resources Optimally, a Joint Effort in Chemical Technology Training

Universitat de Barcelona Dpt. de Fiscia Aplicada i Electronica

INSTITUTO DE ECONOMIA Y GEOGRAFIA - CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICES

ISTITUTO SPERIMENTALE PER LA PATOLOGIA VEGETALE

VAV THE SWEDISH WATER AND WASTE WATER ASSOC.

Eastern Health and Social Services Board

OSTERREICHISCHES INSTITU FUR BERUFSBILDUNGSF ORSCHUNG

UNIVERSITY OF SUSSEX CAREER DEVELOPMENT UNIT

IDELUX - Association Intercommunale d'Equipement Economique de la Province de Luxembourg SC

Parque natural de Sierras de cazoria Segura y las villas

LEIBNIZ-INSTITUT FÛ� FESTKÃ�PER-UND WERKSTOFFORSCHUNG DRESDEN

NATIONAL EXAMINATION AND QUALIFICATION CENTRE -- NEQC

Asociacion Centro de Tecnologias de Interaccion Visual y Comunicaciones-Vicomtech

WHO COLLABORATING CENTRE FOR ORAL HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH (DENTAL)

CESMA-Centro esperienze e studi di management

FEAP - FEDERATION OF EUROPEAN ACQUACULTURE PRODUCERS

ECIPA - ENTE CONFEDERALE ISTRUZIONE PROFESSIONALE ARTIGIANATO E PMI

AGBM (Alliance pour le Génie Biologique et Médical)

European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Marine Environment Unit

KRISTIANSAND MUNICIPAL INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT

MAX-PLANCK GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTEN E.V.

FUNDETEC - Fundo para o Desenvolvimento do Ensino da Engenheria e da Tecnologia Electrotecnica, Electronica e dos Computadores

Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières (BRGM)

NJM Economic, European & Management Consultants Ltd

Bundesanstalt fur Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe (Bgr)

ASSISTANCE PUBLIQUE HOPITAUX DE PARIS - DAI

METEA / Research Center on Environmental Methodologies and Technologies

CENFIM - Centro de Formaçao Profissional da Indústria Metalurgica e Metalomecànica

TECH-SET TECHNISCHE BERATUNG-PLANUNG-UMSETZUNG GMBH

GRAMPIAN MEAT PROCESSORS TRAINING ASSOCIATION

DRAF-Ministère Français de l'Agriculture

COMUNE DI ROMA XI DIPARTIMENTO UFFICIO SPECIALE FORMAZIONE PROFESSIONALE

Auslandsreferat Fachhochschule Darmstadt

SOCIEDAD PARA EL DESARROLLO ENERGÉTICO DE ANDALUCÍA, S.A.

GWENT TERTIARY COLLEGE - TRAINING AND ENTERPRISE

Max-Planck Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften e.V.

UFCM - SOCIETE EUROPEENNE DE FORMATION EUROMEDIA

Heinrich-Hertz-Institut für Nachrichtentechnik GmbH

LGWK- LIECHTENSTEINISCHE GEWERBE UND WIRTSCHAFTSKAMER

The Information Centre for Energy Efficiency

TOTNES SCHOOL OF EUROPEAN LANGUAGES SOCIAL AND CULTURAL STUDIES (SELSACS LTD)

LABORATOIRE D'HYDROLOGIE MATHEMATIQUE - EQUIPE HYDROLOGIE DE L'URM 55-69 - CN

University of Horticulture and Food Industry

CZECH ACADEMIE OF SCIENCEINSTITUT OF MACROMOL AKADEMIE

ISTITUTO CENTRALE DELLE BANCHE DI CREDITO COOPERATIVO - ICCREA SPA

USTAV PRO VYZKUM A VYUZITI PALIV A.S. (Fuel Research Institute)

International House Central Dept London UK

Bundesforschungsanstalt für Getreide- und Kartoffelverarbeitung

Institute of Geology and Mineral Exploration

Hadasit Medical Research Services and Development

Centre Commun d'Études de Télécommunications et de Télédiffusion (CCETT)

National association of Local Authorities in Denmark

TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET DRESDEN (DRESDEN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY)

ASOCIACION DE USUARIOS DE ENERGIAS RENOVABLES

TECHNION - ISRAEL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY.

CYPRUS INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGY AND GENETICS

INFPC - Institut National pour le Développement de la Formation Professionnelle Continue

IBEC - Irish Business and Employers Confederation

THE NORWEGIAN ASS. FOR EDUC. AND VOC. GUIDANCE

Università degli Studi di Genova, Laboratorio di Visione

Instituto Professionale di Stato per I Servizi Alberghierie della Ristorazione

Altmärkische Entwicklungs-gesellschaft Apenburg

LONDON CENTRE AND GROUP ANALYTIC PSYCHOTHERAPY

Biochemisches Institut für Umweltcarcinogene

INSTITUTE FOR INDUSTRIAL SCIENCES(IWI) VIENNA UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS

LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF NATURAL GASES

DEFENSE EVALUATION AND RESEARCH AGENCY - DERA

IBM DEUTSCHLAND ENTWICKLUNG GESELLSCHAFT MIT BESCHRAENKTER HAFTUNG

Industrie- und Handelskammer Ulm (IHK Ulm)

Centre Européen de Recherche et d'Analyses

VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT MEDICAL CENTER AMSTERDAM

EUROPEAN POWDER METALLURGY ASSOCIATION - EPMA

Office National d'Études et de Recherches Aérospatiales (ONERA)

Budapest Labour Market Intervention Centre (

VVKSO FLEMISH BOARD OF CATHOLIC SEC/ EDICATOP,

Instituto de Formaçao Bancaria Associaçao Portuguesa de Bancos

Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie

Cyprus College of Hotel and Tourism Management

ISCE - Instituto Superior Ciências Educativas

Instituto da Conservação da Natureza (ICN)

Institut der Psychologie/Universität Wien

MARIO NEGRI INSTITUTE FOR PHARMACOLOGICAL RESEARCH

RHEINISCHE FRIEDERICH-WILHELMS UNIVERSITAT BONN INS. FUR INFORMATIK LIL

Associazione Produttori Componenti Sinterizzati - ASSINTER

E.B.N.T. Ente Bilaterale Nazionale del Turismo

CENTRE INTERNATIONAL D'INFORMATION SUR LE GAZ NATUREL ET TOUS HYDROCARBURE

ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FEDERALE DE LAUSANNE

Laboratorio Nacional de Engenharia e Tecnologia Industrial

ANPA ( AGENZIA NAZIONALE PER LA PROTEZIONE DELL 'AMBIENTE )

Orange Personal Communications Services Ltd.

APS Verein zur Förderung der Europäischen Kooperation in Forschungs Entwicklungs-und Bildungsprogramm

LABORATORY OF SOCIOLOGY AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION UNIVERSITY OF PATRAS

The National Microelectronics Applications Centre

ESPOO COLLEGE OF HEALTH CARE AND SOCIAL WELFARE

Institut für Umweltsch. in der Berufsbild.

SERVICE REGIONAL DE L'ENSEIGNEMENT CATHOLIQUE

Internationales Hochschulinstitut Zittau

PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT OF UUSIMAA (MUNICIPAL SERVICES)

KONARKA AUSTRIA FORSCHUNGS- UND ENTWICKLUNGS GMBH

MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTEN E.V.

IBM Deutschland Bildungsgesellschaft mbH

LABORATÓRIO NACIONAL DE ENGENHARIA CIVIL

IBMT (Fraunhofer Institut Biomedizinische Technik)

Bureau de Recherches Geologiques et Minieres - Departement Mineralurgie

Asociación Empresarial Química de Tarragona

ASOCIACIÓN UNIVERSIDAD-EMPRESA PARA LA FORMACION (AUEF)- SALAMANCA

Bundesamt für Seeschiffahrt und Hydrographie

ITS - INGENIERIA Y TECNOLOGIA DE SISTEMAS

Université de Médecine Albert SZENT-GYÖRGYI / Faculté Sciences Santé

UNIVERSITÉ DE TOULOUSE LE MIRAIL, UFR DE PSY.

IRS-PED - InterRégionale Syndicale du Pôle Européen de Développement

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY CSONGRÁD COUNTY

Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas de Abel Salazar

Institut für Elektro. und Biomedizinische Technik

INESC PORTO- INSTITUTO DE ENGENHARIA DE SISTEMAS E COMPUTADORES DO PORTO

Sony International (Europe) GmbH Stuttgart Technology Centre

ISTITUTO SUPERIORE DI MANAGEMENT E CONSULTING-I.S.MA.CO S.R.L

Fédération G.F.O. Batiment, Bois, Papier, Carton, Céramique.

COUNTY FO LIMERICK VOCATIONAL EDUCATION COMMITEE

Landesberufsschule für das Hotel- und Gaststättengewerbe

Technische Darmstadt Institut Für Hochfrequenztechnik

Scottish Office Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Department

MKH-Multidisziplinäre Kooperationsgeme inschaft Hessen

VOCATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY TURKU

FHS des bundes für öffentliche Verwaltung

Associazione Italiana di Metallurgia - AIM

FEIDBERG UNIVERSITY OF MINING AND TECHNOLOGY

T.E.I. Athènes - Etablissement d'Enseignement Supérieur Universitaire Dépendant du Ministère de l'Education Nationale de Grèce

SENPA - Servicio Nacional de Productos Agrarios

BERUFSBILDUNGSZENTRUM HOMBURG (BBZ HOMB.)

THE FEDERATION OF SWEDISH COUNTY COUNCILS

CGIL - Confederazione Generale Italiana del Lavoro

CENTRE TECHNIQUE INDUSTRIEL DE LA CONSTRUCTION METALLIQUE

ALCEI 6 (CENTRO DE FORMACION INVESTIGACION Y DOCENCIA

Marienkrankenhaus Papenburg Aschendorf GmbH

LICHTTECHNISCHES INSTITUT UNIVERSITÄT KARLSRUHE

KREISVOLKSHOCHSCHULE WALDECK-FRANKENBERG

ASTER Ag. per lo Sviluppo Teconolico dell'Emilia Romagna

INSTITUT WALLON - DEVELOPPEMENT ECONOMIQUE-SOCIAL & D'AMENAGEMENT DU TERRITOIRE

FEDERATION DES PARCS NATURELS REGIONAUX DE FRANCE

Necton - Companhia Portuguesa de Culturas Marinhas LDA

Centre Scientifique et Technique du Bâtiment (CSTB)

UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER LJUBLJANA - DEPARTMENT OF PLASTIC SURGERY AND BURNS

SNITEM Synd. Nat; Indust. des Tech. Méd.

SCORE UK / STANDING CONFERENCE ON RATIO EQUALITY IN EUROPE

Friedrich-Alexander-Universitaet Erlangen-Nuernberg

Univ.-Prof. Dr. Norbert Kailer, Lehrstuhl Personal

Ministry of Agriculture of Athens, Institute of Food Hygiene

TU Darmstadt, VHT / Versuchsaustalt für Holz-und Trockenbau

Laboratory of the Government Chemist (LGC)

Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute B.P. Konstantinov of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Fédération de l'Industrie Européenne de la Construction

PRAZISIONSKUNSTSTOFFTECHNIK BURTLMAIR GESELLSCHAFT M.B.H.

Crop Protection and Soil Conservation Service

Parc antural de la zona Volcanica de la Garrotxa

Ministère des Affaires Economiques - Laboratoire Central

NIBEC, UNIVERSITY OF Ulster at Jordanstown

HOTEL UND GASTSTÄTTENVERBAND BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG E.V.

Asociacio d' Empresas usuaries de Microinformatica

DIFTA - DANSK INSTITUT FOR FISKERI TEKNOLOGI OG AKVAKULTUR

Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores - Investigacao e Desenvolvimento em Lisboa

OKO - PR Umlet-management und ganzheitliche kommunikation

Laboratoire Central des Industries Electriques

Ministère de la Santé - Dpt Soins Infirmiers

LBS- LANDESSCHULINSPEKTOR FUR BERUFSSCHULEN IN VORARLBERG

Login International GmbH Geschäftsführung

University of Twente Biomedical Engineering Division

SEKUNDAERROHSTOFFVERWERTUNGSZENTRUM SCHWARZE PUMPE GmbH

United Medical and Dental Schools of Guy's and St.Thomas's Hospitals

ÖSTERREICHISCHES ÖKOLOGIE-INSTITUT - ÖÖI

EnAIP Liguria- Ente Aoli Istruzione Professionale

Interdisciplinary Center for Technological Analysis and Forecasting

LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMPUTER SERVICES BOARD

Bezirksamt Weißensee Stadtrat für Wirtschaft und Finanzen

OWZ Bayern / Bayerisches Zentrum für Ost - Managementtraining GmbH

ABWASSER VERBAND SAAR, KÖRPERSCHAFT DES ÖFFENTLICHEN RECHTS

Université de Bordeaux I Laboratoire I.X.L.

FEDERAZIONE DELLE ASSOCIAZIONI SCIENTIFICHE E TECNICHE

SINTESI - SINERGIE TECNOLOGICHE IN SICILLIA

GISIG Geographical Information Systems International Group

EMPRESA DE INVESTIGACAO E DESENVOLVIMENTO DE ELECTRONICA

Danish Institute for Fisheries Technology and Aquaculture

CRISIP - Centre de Recherches de l'Institut Supérieur Industriel de Pierrard

State Institute for Quality Control of Agricultural Products

EVALUATIONS AND LANGUAGE RESOURCES DISTRIBUTION AGENCY

THE GREEK PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION

Norwegian Telecommunication Administration

NOORDERPOORTCOLLEGE - OPLEIDINGSCENTRUM DE ZEVENSPRONG

A. BRITO - Indústria Portuguesa de Engrenagens

FELTALALOI ES KUTATO KOZPONT SZOLGALTATO KFT

Institut für Empirische Pädagogik und Pädagogische Psychologie, LMU München

REGIONE BASILICATA DIPARTIMENTO ALLA FORMAZIONE E ALLA CULTURA

SCOTTISH AQUACULTURE TRAINING ASSOCIATION

Cyprus International Institute of Management / C.I.I.M.)

TECHNISCHES INSTITUT ST.VITH ( TECHN.INST)

Federation of employers from romanian tourism

NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR PEDAGOGICAL RESEARCH --INRP

Union des Industries Métallurgiques et Minières

ISTITUTO ZOOPROFILATTICO SPERIMENTALE DEL PIEMONTE LIGURIA E VALLE D'AOSTA

Lab. Fédéral d'Essai des Matériaux et de Recherches

Vienna University of Technology Institute for General Electrical Engineering and Electronics

Ludwig Maximilians Universität München Institut fü

Societá Italiana per l'Esercizio delle Telecomunicazioni SpA Telecom

BODØ REGIONAL UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF NURSING

Ministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft und Weiterbildung Rheinland-Pfalz

Institute of Plant Physiology, Genetics and Bioengineering

FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FÛ�DERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V.

Vlaamse Inst. voor Technologisch Onderzoek

Centro di Ricerche e Servizi Avanzati per la Formazione Scienter

IPA (INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION)

Industriegewerkschaft Chemie Papier Keramik - Abteilung Bildung

Amt der Steiermärkischen Landesregierung Abteilung für landwirtschaftliches Schulwesen

Université de Strasbourg I (Université Louis Pasteur)

FAST- Fachhochschule Würzberg-Schweinfurt-Aschaffenberg

M-BIS MOBILE BUSINESS AND INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS GMBH

BUDAPESTI MUSZAKI ES GAZDASAGTUDOMANYI EGYETEM

Ministerio do Planemento e da Administr. (INSCOOP)

HWK Rhein- Main Frankfurt Handwerkskammer

IKV Informations und Kommunikationstechnologie GmbH

UNIVERSITY OF MUNSTER- INSTITUTE OF GEOINFORMATICS

ENSP - Eole Nationale de la Santé Publique

INGENIERIA Y SOLUCIONES INFORMATICAS DEL SUR S.L.

Association of Scottish Shelfish Growers

BDA Keurings-en Certificeringsinstituut BV

Dienst Landbouwkundig Onderzoek, Rijksinstituut voor Visserijonderzoek

Linguistic Literary Studies Department La Sapienza

Deutsch-Französische Industie und Handelskammer

POHJOIS-SAVO POLYTECHNIC, SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING, VARKAUS, (WAIT)

SHANNON CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT CENTRE / EXPERIENTIAL ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT CONSORTIUM IRELAND

Milchwirtschaftliche Untersuchungs- und Versuchsanstalt Kempten

CETEHOR (Centre technique de l'Industrie Horlogère)

CENTRO DE ESTUDIOS E INVESTIGACIONES TECNICAS DE GUIPUZCOA

BUDAPEST UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY AND ECONOMICS

Estonian Chamber of Industry and Commerce

BAP-Bremer Ausbildungspartnerschaft UETP Bremen

Centre de Psychologie et d'Orientation Scolaires

CONSORZIO SCUOLA-LAVORO, ISTITUTI TECNICI E PRFESSIONALI ROMANI

Centre National d'Études Vétérinaires et Alimentaires (CNEVA)

SHERWOOD MEDICAL INDUSTRIES OF IRELAND LTD

VERBAND SACHSISCHER WOHNUNGSGENOS- SENSCHAFTEN EV

CENTRO TRAMAUTOLOGICO DI TORINO - DIVISIONE CHIRURGIA PLASTICA E CENTRO USTIONATI

LUCKYEYE BILGISAYAR TANITIM HIZMETLERI YAYINCILIK TICARET A.S.

Peza Agrarian Cooperatives of Iraklion, Greece

Fraunhofer-Institut für Lebensmitteltechnologie und Verpackung

MENCAP - THE ROYAL SOCIETY FOR MENTALLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN AND ADULTS

FEDERATION DES PATRONS OPTICIENS ET OPTOMETISTES DU GRAND DUCHE DE LUXEMBOURG

BUDAPEST UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGYU AND ECONOMICS

IFREMER - INSTITUT FRANCAIS DE RECHERCHE POUR L'EXPLOITATION DE LA MER

Riga Technical University , Faculty of Power and Electrical Engineering

Studiecentrum voor Kernenergie - Centre d'Etude de l'Energie Nucléaire

MEDITERRANEAN CLUB FOR BURNS AND FIRE DISASTERS MBC

Université de Montpellier II (Université des Sciences et Techniques du Languedoc)

APHW FAST Ausbildungpartnershaft Hochschule-Wirtschaft

ESEM (Eur. Soc. for Engineering and Med.) (président)

IFB - Institut für Berufsorientierung Kärnten

ARAMIS - Association de Recherche Avancee en Microelectronique et Integration de Systemes

UNIVERSITA BOLOGNA / DIPARTIMENTO SCIENZE EDUCAZIONE

AREAM-AGENCIA REGIONAL DA ENERGIA E AMBIENTE DA REGIAO AUTÓNOMA DA MADEIRA

Hochschule für Techniek und Wirtschaft des Saarlandes

ARCADA (INSTITUT FUR ALTENHILFE UND SOZIALMANAGEMENT)

CICCOPN - Centro de formaçào professional

Leonardo Kontakt Hochschule-Wirtschaft Rheinland-Pfalz/Saarland - Fachhochschule Trier

Consejo Superior de Investigac. Cientificas

ETABLISSEMENT DE TRANFUSION SANGUIGE DE POITOU - CHARENTES

ECTF / European Communitis - Teleworks Telematics Forum

CONSELLERIA DE EDUCACIÓN. DG DE FORMACIÓN PROFESSIONAL. XUNTA DE GALICIA.

Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland

AMMATTI-INSTITUUTI, PÄÄKAUPUNKISEUDUN AMMATILLINEN AIKUISKOULUTUSKESKUS

ADERA Atelier Aquitain de Microélétronique

MINISTERE DE L'EDUCATION NATIONALE ET DE LA FORMATION PROFESSIONNELLE - SCRIPT

Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre d'Etudes Océanologiques et de Biologie Marine - UPR 9042

COLEGIO NACIONAL DE OPTICOS OPTOMETRISTAS

Ministère de la Culture et de la Francophonie

European Distance Education Network (EDEN)

CNC - Confédération Nationale Construction

National Institution for the Rehabilitation of the Handicapped

IT Information Technology Consulting Ltd

Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie du Mans et de la Sarthe

INSTITUT NATIONAL DE L'ENVIRONNEMENT INDUSTRIEL ET DES RISQUES

Liechtensteinische Gewerd- und Wirtschaftkammer

University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine ñ Bucharest

CHARLES UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL - BURN CENTER

CONFCOMMERCIO - Confederazione Generale Italiana del Commercio, del Turismo e dei Servizi

Moscow State University ' M.V. Lomonosov '

Ken Walker and Partners - European Housing Consultants

AALBORG University Institute for the Research in the Labour Market and the Education

F&L EUROPEAN TELECOMMUNICATIONS CONSULTANTS A/S (FISCHER & LORENZ)

VESO - THE NATIONAL CENTRE FOR VETERINARY CONTRACT RESEARCH AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES LTD

Casa Islandesa, Importação e Exportaçãà do Pescado, lda.

Institut für Bildungsforschung der Wirtschaft

GEN. STATE HOSPITAL OF ATHENS - CENTER OF PLASTIC SURGERY AND MICROSURGERY

THE CITY OF EDINBURGH COUNCIL - DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

ZENTRUM FUR AUS UND WEITERBILDUNG DES MITTELSTANDES ST. VITH(ZAWM)

RHEINISCH-WESTFAELISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE AACHEN

CRP-HT - Centre de Recherche Public - Henri Tudor

Gesellschaft für Zusammenarbeit von Hochschulen und Industrie eV

ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technology, Energy and the Environment)

GSF-Forschungszentrum für Umwelt und Gesundheit Intitut für medizinische Informatik und Systemforschung (MEDIS)

Ministerium für Kultus, Jugend und Sport

JOANNEUM RESEARCH FORSCHUNGSGESELLSCHAFT MBH

DR. ING. XIWEN ZHANG, BERATUNG UND PLANUNG IM VERKEHRSWESEN

UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY BEIJING

UETP-EEE & FINNISH SOCIETY OF GRADUATE ENGINEERS

INSTITUT DE FORMATION DE L'INDUSTRIE PHARMACEUTIQUE

CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE RICERCHE (ISTITUTO ELABORAZIONE INFORMAZIONE)

BERUFSBILDUNGSZENTRUM DILLINGEN (BBZ DILL.)

ACT-EIN PROJEKT DES BUNDESMINISTERIUM F. UNTERRICHT U. KULTURELLE ANGELEGENH

INSTITUTO PARA LA PIVERSIFICACIÓN Y EL AHORRO DE LA ENERGÍA

Dienst Landbouwkundig Onderzoek, Rijksinstituut voor Visserijonderzoek, Sectie A quaculture

Société Coopérative Agricole de Romilly Mery

SWEDISH CEMENT AND CONCRETE RESEARCH INSTITUTE

THE EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE PROMOTION OF COGENERATION

UNIVERSITY OF UPPSALA, DEPT. OF PHYS. CHEM

UNIVERSITY OF LIMERICK COOPERATIVE ED. DIVISION

Office National d'Information sur l'Orientation

Verband Sachsischer Wohnungs-Genossenschaften

Stellvertrender Institusleiter Naturwissenschaftliches und Medizinisches

Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid & Milieuhygiene

CEFAMOL ASSOCIACAO NACIONAL DA INDUSTRIA DE MOLDES

EMPRESA NACIONAL DE RESIDUOS RADIOACTIVOS S.A.

National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC)

INSTITUT DE RECERCA I TECNOLOGIA AGROALIMENTARIES

Comité National de Fprmation en Microéléctronique

THE IRISH PHARMACEUTICAL & CHEMICAL MANUFACTURERS FEDERATION

BUNDESMINISTERIUM FÜR UNTERRICHT UND KULTUTELLE ANGELEGENHEITEN (BMUKA)

Consorzio Intercominale dell'Area Fiorentina

Educational Science Department University Roma 3

UNIV DE VALLADOLID - Depto de Sociologia

University College of North Wales, School of Ocean Sciences

INSTITUT POUR ENFANTS AUTISTIQUES ET PSYCHOTIQUES

Forschungsinstitut der Feuerfest-Industrie

BIC Algarve Huelva / Buainesa innovation centre

INGENIERIA E INDUSTRIAS BIOENERGETICAS S.L.

Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn

CATT Central Austrian Training in Technologies Salzburg

SAMUEL NEAMAN INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED STUDIES IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

SIEMENS NIXDORF INFORMATION SYSTEMS CATT

PAUL-EHRLICH-INSTITUT, FEDERAL AGENCY FOR SERA AND VACCINES

CESTUD S.P.A. - Centro Studi degli Scambi con l'Estero

Hungarian Academy of SciencesComputer and Automation Institute

EURO INFO CORRISPONDENCE CENTRE EICC SI 751 SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTRE

National Center for Science Research Demokritos

HOGER INSTITUUT VOOR DE ARBEID (HIVA), KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVEN

CFPC - Centre de Formation Professionnelle Continue

SOAEFD - THE SCOTTISH OFFICE, AGRICULTURE, ENVIRONMENT AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT, MARINE LABORATORY, ABERDEEN

ISTITUTO PROF. \" FRANCESCO DATINI\" PRATO

Landesanstalt für Ökologie, Landschaftsentwicklung und Forstplanung

A. Director of the Post Office Departement Of Cyprus

FAS NATIONAL TRAINING & EMPLOYMENT AUTHORITY

Université Bordeaux I Institut Universitaire de Technologie Centre de Recherche Etude et Developpement

ASOCIACION DE INVESTIGACION DE LA INDUSTRIA DEL JUGUETE, CONEXAS Y AFINES

INSTITUUT VOOR PROFESSIONELE VORMING VAN DE VOEDINGSNIJVERHELD

Landes-Berufsschule für das Gastgewerbe Lochau

ÖSTERREICHISCHES FORSCHUNSZENTRUM SEIBERSDORF

UNIVERSITY OF TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS

National Academy of Sciences of Kazakhstan

Carl von Ossietzky Universitaet Oldenburg

Institute for Theoretical and Experimental Physics

ISTITUTO EUROPEO PER GLI STUDI SOCIALI ASSOCIAZIONE EUROPEA (IESSAE)

AMALGAMATED ENGINEERING AND ELECTRICAL UNION

European Communities - Commission of the European Communities - Joint Research Centre (JRC)

HELLENIC TELECOMMUNICATIONS ORGANISATION SA

PART SACHSEN C/O TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITÄT DRESDEN TUD FORSCHUNGSFÖRDERUNG/TRANSFER

GIP - CET COLLEGE EUROPEEN DE TECHNOLOGIE

FUTOUR Umwelt-, Tourismus- und Regionalberatung GmbH & Co. KG

Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie-INTP

HOHERE LEHR UND VERSUCHSANSTALT FUR CHEMISCHE INDUSTRIE

FUNDACIO DIABEM : DIABETES, ENDOCRINOLOGIA I METABOLISME, BARCELONA

Université d'Aix-Marseille III (Université de Droit d'Économie et des Sciences)

Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble - INPG

SOCIETA GENERALE DI REVISIONE E CERTIFICAZIONE SAS DI MA BARRANCO & C

Escola Formaçao Profissional \"BOREALIS\"

OESTERREICHISCHE STUDIENGESELLSCHAFT FUER KYBERNETIK

North Norway Leonardo Student Placements

APEA -ASSOCIACÃO PORTUGUESA DE ENGENHEIROS DO AMBIENTE

INFORMATION & IMAGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (IMS)

STAATLICHE BERUFSBILDENDE SCHULE JENA BURGAU

SYNERGY S.A. VOCATIONAL TRAINING ORGANISATION

Bureau d'Etudes et de Services Technique

BSD - Gesellschaft für innovative Bildung mbH

SOCIEDADE DE TRANSPORTES COLECTIVOS DO PORTO, S.A

CONSORZIO UNIVERSITARIO IN INGEGNERIA DELLA QUALITA (QUALITAL)

VOLKSSWIRTSCHAFTLICHE GESELLSCHAFT ÖSTERREICH

DEUTSCHES ZENTRUM FUER LUFT- UND RAUMFAHRT E.V.

Irish Mid West Advanced Training Consortium

Bundesministeriums fur Bildung,Wissenschaft,Forschung und Technologie

Institut National de Recherches en Informatique et en Automatique (INRIA)

UNIVERSITY OF FLORENCE - DIPARTIMENTO DI FISIOPATOLOGIA CLINICA

FRAUNHOFER GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V.

ASOCIACIÓN VALLISOLETANA DE MUJERES EMPRESARIAS (AVAME)

CEPEGRA-Centre de perfectionnement des Industries graphiques

Office for National and Ethnic Minorities

PROCON GESELLSCHAFT FÜR DIENSTLEISTUNGEN IM UMWELTBEREICH

ADEME - AGENCE DE L'ENVIRONNEMENT ET DE LA MAITRISE DE L'ENERGIE

BALEAR DE DESARROLLO Y FORMACION (B.D.F.)

ITeG-Institut für Technik und Gesellschaft EDV-Schule

INESC-INSTITUTO DE ENGENHARIA DE SISTEMAS E COMPUTADORES

National University of Ireland - Maynooth

Politecnico e universita di Totino Dipartamento Interateneo Territorio

DIRECCION GENERAL DE ARQUITECTURA Y VIVIENDA - GENERALITAT VALENCIANA

EURO INFO CENTRE CRCI BOURGOGNE EIC FR 264

Universiteit van Amsterdam - Academisch Ziekenhuis

Central Union for the Welfare of the Aged

I.D.S. Innovation Développement Santé Groupe Crystal

ANIEM - Associazione Nazionale Imprese Edili

MINISTERIO DE EDUCATION Y CULTURA. DIRECCION PROVINCIAL. ZARAGOZA

Centre d'Etudes Techniques de l'Equipement de l'Est

AF FORUM / ASSOCIAZIONZ PER L4ALTA FORMAZIONE

FNEGE- Fondation nationale pour l'enseignement de la gestion des entreprises

FOUNDATION FOR RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY HELLAS

COLEGIO OFICIAL DE ARQUITECTOS DE ANDALUCIA OCCIDENTAL - DEMARCACLON DE SEVILLA

Compagnie de Signaux et d'Équipements Électroniques (CSEE)

TII / Technology Innovation and Information Association of Europe

CSIC - Instituto de la Grasa y sus Derivados

COMUNE DI ROMA ASSESSORATO ALLE POLITICHE EDUCATIVE E DELL'INFANZIA COORDINAMENTO POLITICHE GIOVANILI

GMD-German National Research Centre for Information Technology

Centre d'Études Techniques de l'Équipement Méditerrannée (CETE)

INSA (Institut National des Sciences Appliquées)

Institut National de Recherche sur les Transports et leur Sécurité (INRETS)

Institut de Formation bancaire, Luxembourg

Campden and Chorleywood Food Research Association (CCFRA)

South and East Belfast Health and Social Services Trust

MOWLEM TRAINING - BAY CONSTRUCTION TRAINING CENTRE

MISSION INTERMINISTERIELLE DE DEVELOPPEMENT DU PÔLE EUROPEEN DES 3 FRONTIERES

CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY STANDING CONFERENCE CISC

AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT FUER INDUSTRIELLE PRODUKTION UND TECHNOLOGIE

Université Paris-Sud XI Institut Universitaire de Technologie d'Orsay

REVISIONS-OG FORVALTNINGS-INSTITUTET AKTS

Rambøll og Hannemann, Consulting Engineers and Planners

Technopolis CSATA Novus Ortus laboratorio di Microelettronica

ZSEMEGE-JULIUS MEINL IPAR ES KERESKEDELMI KFT.

DANSK BEKLÆDNINGS OGTEXTILARBEIJDERFORBUND

TURKU SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION/BUSINESS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTRE

FEUGA / FUNDACION EMPRESA UNIVERSIDED GALLEGA

Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)

Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille - Service Universitaire de Développement Economique et Social

National Schiftings- en Readaptie-Centrum voor Multiple Sclerose

ORGANISATION OF PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION OF ATHENS

Hôpital Nord - Assistance Publique Marseille

Institut for Veterinary Medicine of the Federal Health Office

FEUGA Fundacion Empresa Universidad Gallega

BEIJING MUNICIPAL OFFICE OF INFORMATISATION

DIPUTACION DE SEVILA - SOCIEDAD PROVINCIAL DE INFORMATICA

COOPERATIVE EDUCATION AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT, UNIVERSITY OF LIMERICK

HVBI - Hauptverband der Deutschen Bauindustrie

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Materialkunde e.V. - DGM

LANDESVERBAND DER RECYCLINGWIRTSCHAFT SACHSEN

Eurytania S.A. Agricultural Development Corporation

Direccao Geral da Qualidade do Ambiente (S.A)

DEUTSCHES INSTITUT FUER WIRTSCHAFTFORSCHUNG

AQUALINE POOL KERESKEDELMI ES SZOLGALTATO KORLATOLT FELELOESSEGUE TARSASAG

UNIVERSIDADE NOVA DE LISBOA- DEP. DE GEOGRAFIANE PLANEAMENTO REGIONAL

Association Route des Hautes Technologies

Social Work Department Strathclyde Regional Council

POLITECNICO DI MILANO-DIPARTIMENTO DI DISEGNO INDUSTRIALE E DI TECNOLOGICA DELL'ARCHITECTURA

Universidad Autonoma de Madrid Dépto. de Ingeneria Informatica

Comitato Nazionale per la Ricerca e per lo Sviluppo dell'Energia Nucleare e delle Energie Alternative

LKT-TGM LABORATORIUM FÜR KUNSTSTOFFTECHNIK AM TGM

LYCEE TECHNIQUE D'ESCH-SUR-ALZETTE (LTE)

PRIVATE FACHHOCHSCHULE FRESENIUS IDSTEIN - FH FRESENIUS

THE CHANCELLOR, MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE

Université de Paris VI (Université Pierre et Marie Curie)

Il Istituto Tecnico Industriale di Stato

POST-16 EDUCATION CENTRE UNIVERSITY OF LONDON

Part Sachsen, c/o Technische Universität Dresden

DINAMIA - Centro de Estudos sobre a Mudança Socioeconómia

Danisch Furniture Retailers Organisation

Universita di Parma Dip. Ingeneria dell'informazione

THE TAVISTOCK INSTITUTE OF HUMAN RELATIONS

Hochshule fur Bibliotheks und Informationswesen - HBI

GISIG -Geographical Information Systems International Group

Società di Ricerca per l'Oorganizzazione Sanitaria

Confederation Vallisolatana de Eruonesarios

ADULT EDUCATION CENTRE, CITY OF LIMERICK

BILDUNGSWERK DES ALLGEMEINEN UNTERNEHMENVERBANDES NEUBRANDENBURG E.V. - BWN

DLO-institute of agricultural and Environmental Engineering, (IMAG-DLO)

LP HYVINKÄÄ - HYVINKÄÄN AMMATTIOPPILAITOS

Bezirksamt Prenzlauer Berg Stadtrat für Jugend und Kultur

CENTRO PER LO SVILUPPO E LA DIFFUSIONE DELLA CULTURA D'IMPERSA CSDCI SRL

National University of Ireland, Galway, National Diagnostics Centre

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CORK CENTRE FOR TRAINING POLICY

Rectorat de créteil - Service Académique d'Information et d'Orientation

THE OPEN UNIVERSITY - DESIGN DISCIPLINE, FACULTY OF TECHNOLOGY

Italtel Società Italiana Telecomunicazioni SpA

iwl Institut für gewerbliche Wasserwirtschaft undLuftreinhaltung GmbH

Flour Milling and Baking Research Association (FMBRA)

New University of Lisbon - National School of Public Heath (ENSP/UNLI)

Absolventenverein d. land. Fachschule Gleisdorf

LAHTI RESEARCH AND TRAINING CENTRE, UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI

Egészségügyi Szakképzó Es Továbbképzó Intézet (ETI)

PAMBO TRANSPORT CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY LIMITED

DINTEC - Diffusione Informazioni Normativa Tecnica

INSTITUT DE FORMACIO PROFESSIONAL CALELLA

Ministère de la Santé - DGS - SousDir Professions Santé

INSTITUT FÜR BETRIEBLICHE BILDUNG UND UNTERNEHMENSKULTUR - IBU

FE.N.E.A.L UIL - FEDERAZIONE NAZIONALE EDILI AFFINI E LEGNO FEDERAZIONE NAZIONALE EDILI AFFINI E LEGNO

THE ROYAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR DEAF PEOPLE

Instituto Tecnologico Geominero de Espana (Itge)

CHRISTELIJKE CENTRALE V.D OPENBARE DIENSTEN

CENTRE DE RECERCA I INVESTIGACION DE CATALUNYA SA

Institut des Licenciés de l'Education, Uni. Autonome de Barcelone

Groupement Agricaole d'Exploitation en Commun \"Les Ferranges\"

Universidade do Porto Centrop de Estudo da Formacao e do Emprego

ASSOCIATION OF ADULT EDUCATION ENTERPRISES

ARISTOTLE UNIVERSITY OF THESSALONIKI - DEPARTMENT OF LAND SURVEYING

BELGACOM LIMITED LIABILITY PUBLIC COMPANY

Institut Universitaire Professionnalisé de Sciences Financières

Gesellschaft für umweltfreundliche Wertstoffaufbereitung

Trinity College department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering

INSTITUT FÜR BIDUNGSFORSCHUNG DER WIRTSCHAFT(IBW). WIEN

INSTITUTE OF PLASMA PHYSICS - ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC

Ab Siemens Osakeyhtiö / Siemens Nixdorf Informaatiojärjestelmät Oy

RHEINISCH WESTFALISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE AACHEN

Universidad de cordob-Escuela Tecnica Superior de Ingenior Agronomos

ECIPA ENTE - Confederale Istruzione Professionale per l'Artigiano e le PMI

Organisation für Klein-und Mittelbetriebe

Ernst Klett Verlag für Wissen und Bildung GmbH

EURO INFO CENTRE UK 559 BUSINESS INFORMATION SOURCE

ARDEUR - ASSOCIATION DE RECHERCHE, DE DEVELOPPEMENT D'ETUDES UNIVERSITAIRES EN RUDOLOGIE

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF HOUSING ASSOCIATIONS

Centro de Conservacion de Energia y del Ambiente

CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS

Istituto Sperimentale per la Cerealicoltura

OIT / ORGANIZACIÓN INTERNACIONAL DEL TRABAYO

Fraunhofer Institut für Systemtechnik und Innovationsforschung

RESEARCH CENTRE FOR VOCATIONAL EDUCATION

Vereinigung Österreichischer Industrieller

Gesellschaft für Mathematik und Datenverarbeitung mbH

Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF)

The Open University school of health and social welfare

AECOPS - Associaçio de Empresas de construçao Eobras Publicas

ENTE NAZIONALE PER L'ENERGIA E PER L'AMBIENTE - ENEA

THE SCHOOL OF PHARMACY, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON

CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE CÁMARAS DE COMERCIO, INDUSTRIA Y NAVEGACIÓN DE ESPAÑA

PANHELLENIC ASSOCIATION OF OPTICIANS AND OPTOMETRISTS

ACADEMIE NANCY-METZ RECTORAT (ACEDEMIE N-M)

Charles University- Nursing Theory and Practice Institut

University of Naples \"Federico II - Bioengineering Unit - UN/NAP

Compagnie Européenne de Composants Electroniques

Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund-Bezirkverband Rheinland-Pfalz

ASSOCIACÃO PORTUGUESA PARA O DESNVOLVITEMENTO DA INFORMAÇÃO CIENTIFICA E TÉCNICA

ISTITUTO REGIONALE DI RICERCA SPERIMENTAZIONE AGGIORNAMENTO EDUCATIVO

STROKOVNA SOLA ZA GOSTINSTVO IN TOURISM BLED

Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), Conwy Labora tory

Chambre Régionale de Commerce et d'Industrie des Pays de la Loire

UNIAO PROFISSIONAL DOS OPTICOS E OPTOMETRISTAS PORTUGUESES

EBLA ENTE BILATERALE LAVORO E AMBIENTE FEDERLAZIO/CGIL CISL UIL

ZENTRALINSTITUT FUER DIE KASSENAERZTLICHE VERSORGUNG

SYNDICAT INTERCOMMUNAL DE DEPOLLUTION DES EAUX RESIDUAIRES DU NORD (SIDEN)

DAFCO DE PARIS ADULT EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF THE REGIONAL EDUCATION

PROYECTO PILOTO DE COORDINACION INSTITUCIONAL PARA EL ACCESO INTEGRAL DEL JOVEN UNIVERSITARIO A LA VIDA ACTIVA

MINISTERIO DE AGRICULTURA, PESCA Y ALIMENTACION, SUBDIRECCION GENERAL DE SANIDAD ANIMAL

FINTRA - The Finnish Institute for International Trade

Departament d'Enginyeria Elèctrica i Mecànica

EDUCATIONAL LIAISON CENTRE - UNIVERSITY OF SURREY

Association IZOTOP of the Republic of Kazakhstan

KREISVERBAND DER ERWACHSENENBILDUNG E.V. WALDECK-FRANKENBERG

Verband der Schuhindustrie in Rheinland Pfalz

Universitat Bremen - Institut Technik und Bildung

Head of the Unit of Foodborne Zoonoses and Veterinary Epidemiology

Scienter - Centro di Ricerche e Servizi Avanzati per la Formazione

EGE UNIVERSITY, INTERNATIONAL COMPUTER INSTITUTE (ULUSLARARASI BILGISAYAR ENSTITUSU)

CHAMBRE DE COMMERCE ET DE L'INDUSTRIE DE VERSAILLES

ERAI (Entreprise Rhône-Alpes International)

ISRAEL OCEANOGRAPHIC & LIMNOLOGICAL RESEARCH - NATIONAL CENTRE FOR MARICULTURE

HOPITAL UNIVERSITAIRE DE RANGUEIL - SERVICE DE CHIR. PLAST. ET REP. DES BRÛLÉS

ESPOO - VANTAA POLYTECHNIC / ESPOO INSTITUTE OF BUSINESS

NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR VOCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

Union Technique de l'Automobile du Motocycle et du Cycle

Centro de Investigacion y Desarrollo - C.I.D. - C.S.I.C

UNIVERSITÉ DE MONS-HAINAUT SERVICE UNIVERSITAIRE SPÉCIALISÉ POUR AUTISTES

SYNERGIE Qualifikationsberatung, -Organisation und -Entwicklung GmbH - Niederlassung Rheinland

INIS S.A / Instituto de Formação e Serviços

UNION DES ASSOCIATIONS PATRONALES INTERPROFESSIONNELLES DE HAUTE-NORMANDIE

Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER)

ENSP (ECOLE NATIONALE DE LA SANTE PUBLIQUE)

Groupe d'Analyse Psychométrique des Conduites

Associazione Proteo Fare Sapere Richerche consulenze e servizi per la formazione

NIKOLAUS KERÖ PÔLE AUTRICHIE (Dipl. Ing.)

Pedro Jorge (Engineer) MARTINS BORGES DE ALMEIDA

Ana Maria GUEDES DE ALMEIDA E SILVA (Ms)

LUIS MIGUEL SILVEIRA PÔLE PORTUGAI (Professor)

PIER UGO CALZOLARI PÔLE ITALIE (Professor)
Adelino Vicente MENDONÇA CANÁRIO (Prof. Dr.)
Johannes Elisabeth Lambertus (Mr) VAN DE VEN
JEAN-PIERRRE DESCHAMPS PÔLE ESPAGNO (Professor)
Feasibility study of two innovative cogeneration projects at both institutional and organisational levels
The programme is the result of a request made by the Argentine Secretary of Electrical Energy to help in covering energy training needs of industrial and service facilities in order to achieve a better qualifications of the energy operators.
Programme of Training Courses to be taught in the Republic of Argentine
To provide a basis for energy labelling of cabinets, that is technically sound and agreed upon by the industry.
Energy labelling of supermarket refridgerated cabinets
This project will reinforce Portuguese participation in international and European scientific projects and programmes and create strong links of collaboration with R&D institutions.
Isolation and characterisation of thermo-Halophilic bacteria with possible biotechnological interest
Lipid peroxidation in human lipoproteins of low density and consequences
Mechanism of action and evaluation models of toxicity
Characterisation of protein linkage to calcium
Study of the physiological relevance of steroids in the action machanism of antibiotics
To strengthen the R&D capacity of scientifically and technologically less developed areas of Portugal, with support to institutions and centres with existing 'poles' of R&D competence.
Biogeography of the malacofauna of the Azores
Creation of strong links of cooperation between firms and R&D institutions.
Dynamic analysis of complex mechanical transmission systems
Measurement and analysis of distortions in ship flatting iron plate
Technologies for monitoring and rehabilitating polluted aquiferous
The atmosphere of the SW Iberian peninsula: study of its structure, dynamics and composition, from satellite and ground based observations
Technologies of data acquisition, processing and transmission
Identification of sexual hormones in fish
Search for a genetic mark and chromosome map of the Machado-Joseph disease
Geodesic applications of high precision in deformation and industrial metrology domains
Development of a spectral analyser of ocular fluoresence
Characterisation of fine revetment produced by laser and plasma
Continue research on metastable conducting detectors
The age of Galactic Halo and the problem of 2 degree parameter
Carbonated geomaterials: physical and textural properties

This project will study the development of expert systems (ES) and their application to environmental toxicology. This will involve:
integration of two different ES approaches based on separate principles: the ANN approach and that based on rules
development of reliable and validated simulation methods of pesticide degradation in the environment
development of toxicological modules, to characterize parent compounds and transformation products.

European links:
A related EU project, EV5V-CT92-0061, dealing with experimental studies on degradation of pesticides, will be considered.

INFORMATION DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES AND EXPLOITATION

Results will be disseminated through published papers, by participation in international and national conferences and through partners who have connections with public health authorities. Another partner will integrate the results into a commercial system.

Development of Second Generation Expert Systems for Environmental Toxicology
COCO will harness telematics to improved coordination and continuity in health and social services and boost the European telematics market in the process. Pilot healthcare networks will be validated in 11 regions to cover some 50 hospital centres and a dozen universities. All-round services to patients will benefit from multimedia technologies which increase the accuracy, speed and safety of daily communication between healthcare professionals. Regional identification with the system will be encouraged to ensure full participation of the healthcare sector and due regard for its real needs.
COORDINATION AND CONTINUITY IN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE: THE REGIONAL HEALTH CARE NETWORK
The long-term goal of DIABCARD is improved care for chronic diseases by using state-of-the-art technology for documentation and communication. Focused on shared care for diabetes patients, the project will prepare for routine applications of a chipcard-based medical information system (CCMIS) to replace paper records. Readily available up-to-date records will be put on a patient data card (PDC) offering data security, integrity and confidentiality. A network of Europe-wide regional test sites with common tools and guidelines will be coordinated by a project board, and should stimulate regional business interest and health authority support.
IMPROVED COMMUNICATION IN DIABETES CARE BASED ON CHIPCARD TECHNOLOGY
TARGET will pursue previous EU research aimed at a multimedia telematics system for advanced 3-D image analysis and planning in radiation-based cancer treatment. The latest analysis techniques will support and expedite current practice at treatment centres. Resources and expertise will be shared among specialists and peripheral centres to improve treatment planning and follow-up. The technical approach will employ sophisticated workstation software which aims at achieving faster and more accurate treatment. To validate this technology, specialised and peripheral centres will be involved using high speed communication networks. TARGET participates in the project cluster entitled: ACTION for Telematics Applications for Cooperative work of Healthcare Professionals.
TELEMATICS APPLICATIONS IN RADIATION AND GENERAL ONCOLOGY TREATMENT
JAMES-RN seeks to develop a Europe-wide interconnection structure based on asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) switching (see TEN-34) and associated trial high-speed services. The focus will be on communication capabilities to support national or regional research networking applications, particularly pilot ones whose real broadband needs are still unmet. Issues covered will include network management, implementation of broadband experimental services, and exploitation of feedback from national networks and other users to enable operators to consider the launch of a cost-effective commercial exploitation plan.
JOINT ATM EXPERIMENT ON EUROPEAN SERVICES
The CONCORD II will promote the general development of telematics applications in Europe by harmonising applications requirements and the relevant telematics infrastructure. It will put in place a mechanism to derive the common requirements gained in the telematics applications projects being implemented in the different sectors, collect the most relevant results in terms of suitable solutions and capture such information in Infrastructure Evolution Recommendations (IER). Results and solutions will then be submitted to a wider users' community for discussion, comments and finally validation.
CONSENSUS AND COORDINATION IN TA RESULTS EXPLOITATION PROJECT
ADEPT II continues earlier EU work with the aim of developing and testing electronic inter-operable, open transport payment systems, particularly on roads within and between cities. The emphasis will be on specifications to integrate transponder-based services, namely toll collection, parking management, road-use pricing and road-to-vehicle information systems on both motorways and in urban areas, with smart-card services for public transport and other city facilities. The project will lead to a validated specification for a common compatible payment system and prototype interoperable smart-card meeting the needs of the entire transport sector, including multi-lane toll collection.
AUTOMATIC DEBITING AND ELECTRONIC PAYMENT FOR TRANSPORT
Better opportunities for mobility through integrated demand-responsive public transport services (including minibuses, taxis, etc.) are the central objective of SAMPO, with special emphasis on the needs of elderly and disabled people. Advanced transport telematic (ATT) tools to support integrated, multi-modal transport will encourage efficient use of resources and less external funding. SAMPO will identify the needs of key users and tailor services to meet them. A vigorous awareness exercise is expected to boost ATT take-up by buses and taxis. Initial indications are that the proposed technologies may cut expenditure on special transport services by up to 20%.
SYSTEMS FOR ADVANCED MANAGEMENT OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT OPERATIONS
The purpose of DAPRO is to structure and demonstrate the content of the July 1995 EU Data Protection Directive as a basis for legal regulation of expanding telematics applications, and to clarify its relation to Member State law in this field. Both private and public sectors need such information, including case law, comments, data protection agency addresses, glossary and user guides, which will be published in an electronic system with a hypermedia interface. A publishing company will be responsible for implementing and marketing the system which will facilitate the extension of data protection law to other Member States.

Purification of sewage water generates unavoidable quantities of sludge, which encounter increasing difficulties to be accepted as a traditional fertiliser in agriculture. Since sludge is classified in EU-Directive as hazardous waste, it can no longer be exported to other regions. All wastewater clarifying companies are therefore confronted with environmentally damaging and excessively expensive sludge disposal for which the only alternatives are incineration or landfill. Transforming the sludge by natural means using a new composting technique and innovative mixing machinery into highly quality and more acceptable products will be a benefit to waste water management companies. The innovative aspects of the project are the new mixing technology, and the collaboration of public as well as private partners coming from 4 different EU member states.

The project intended to demonstrate on a pilot site how new compost materials can be economically produced on a small scale using partially mobile machinery and how it will be possible to find new local customers for these products. A further aim of the project was to establish quality control standards for this market which may allow qualified composts to be moved across EU borders. The re-use of compost will also reduce the need and production of artificial fertilisers and avoid destruction of natural sites by extraction of humus for recultivation.

The Community can benefit from this project on a number of different levels; the problem of sewage sludge is increasing in all countries and the search for an economic, environmental and transferable solution to all member states will be beneficial. In addition, finding economic techniques to solve a world-wide problem will have positive employment and social effects.

INTERREGIONAL PLAN FOR THE VALORIZATION OF SLUDGES ORIGINATED BY WASTEWATER TREATMENT IN THE SAAR-LOR-LUX-REGION USING QUALIFIED COMPOST

In Europe the future expansion of aquaculture is widely believed to be through land based recycling systems with minimal environmental impact. The global goal of this project was to bring together into one dynamic European network, fish farmers, technology providers, RTD institutes, and companies, with the main focus on water treatment. The network should be able to offer systems tailored to customers' needs all over Europe, in association with equipment manufacturers. Contacts were made between end-users, technical providers and these bodies agreed on the necessity to utilise different pilot production scale farms as a tool to verify recent technical improvements they have made in water treatment. These technical solutions from different fields will be adapted to make an integrated recycling system for the rearing of marine species. Even if Sea Bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) is the farmed species at both end-user sites, the project is species- and region independent.

The overall aim of this project was to improve and validate in full scale the use of innovative technologies for treating sea water, thus validating the concept of a closed circuit system to marine aquaculture. It focused on technical, environmental and economical aspects in land based aquaculture. The project aimed to meet the following targets:

1) Reducing investment costs:
- Use of more cost-effective new technologies
- Precise design and proper sizing for equipment
2) Increasing productivity and controlling inputs in the system
- Minimal use of natural resources (energy, new sea water)
- Maximum fish production per unit food used.
- Optimal fish performances by improved hydrodynamics in rearing tanks
3) Reducing risk factors and developing innovative management methods:
- Strict control of pathogens
- Computerised monitoring
4) Developing a concept fitting with new environmental legislation and reducing wastes:
- Reduction of wastes by minimal sea water exchange and use of natural renewable source of energy.
- Efficient management of effluents and integration of environmental criteria.

The project was genuinely pan European in its approach with trials in the North and the South and provides information of value to fish farming anywhere within the EU. The team overcame technical and organisational problems to achieve improved yields of fish and fish densities. The main questions lie in the area of economics where the high initial capital costs need to be amortised over the annual volume and need to enable the system to be competitive with the alternative sea cage approach.

The report suggests that there may be economies of scale from larger tanks or that the system might be used in conjunction with the existing sea tank approach. The project has wide ranging potential interest within the EU where wild fish stocks are low and where there is a growing demand for farmed fish. The approach provides benefits in terms of jobs in less developed areas, environmental benefits and market benefits in the ability to provide fish of the right size as required. The project team overcame many technical and organisational obstacles in undertaking the project and achieved yields in line with their original objectives. The main concerns lie in the area of the economics of the approach compared with sea cages - particularly given the relatively high initial capital costs.

TECHNICAL IMPROVEMENT OF THE WATER TREATMENT UNIT IN CLOSED FISH FARMS

Rivers throughout Europe are under severe pressure to provide essentials such as water supply as well as being used for amenity and recreational purposes. Every Member State has therefore to improve the quality of its rivers. It is recognised that the most cost effective method to ensure river quality is an integrated approach in which all systems that discharge into the river are considered. Implementation of this approach is an important target for European countries, considering the large costs involved in protecting the environment (e.g.: 82.6 billion Euro to achieve the Urban Waste Water Directive which is largely aimed at river protection).

The project was concerned with the transfer of technology for the modelling and management of river pollution. An extensive R & D programme in Britain led to the development of both the tools and a methodology for this integrated approach - the Urban Pollution Management (UPM) Procedure. This procedure allows river systems to be modelled accurately, using variables such as sewer overflows and sewage works discharges, to enable assessment of minimum cost solutions for protecting the water environment.

The project aimed to adapt and transfer the UPM-procedure and related tools to five European countries (Belgium, France, Ireland, Italy and Portugal, to give a climatic range). Partners, who were selected for their expertise in modelling, carried out pilot studies to demonstrate the effectiveness of the procedure. It was hoped that successful demonstration of the UPM-methodology in Europe would result in cost effective environmental protection; proper management of river systems; improved water quality standards for river protection and improved communication between bodies responsible for river systems.

The conclusions of the project show a number of reservations about the applicability of the model to different local circumstances and climates. Nonetheless, lessons were learnt from each pilot study and modifications have been suggested. Although a number of technical problems have been highlighted, the knowledge of water modelling has been increased greatly. The lessons learnt have allowed the technology to be improved. Modifications needed to make UPM more generally applicable have been suggested. The pilot studies have demonstrated the value of the approach; the partners have benefited and agree the approach is valid and unique.

APPLICATION FOR THE URBAN POLLUTION MANAGEMENT PROCEDURE TO RIVER QUALITY PROTECTION IN EUROPEAN MEMBER STATES
TAMCRA support efforts by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to trade beyond their locality, often in the face of prohibitive marketing campaign costs. The project will explore how telematics may provide them with novel ways of publicising their products across the EU, in order to compete globally while increasing prosperity at their own regional base. TAMCRA will initially study the techno-economic viability of such strategies through an examination of user requirements and specifications in four different sectors. The project completed, the subsequent aim is then to develop a prototype for possible exploitation.
TELEMATICS APPLICATION TO CREATE ALTERNATIVE MARKETING CHANNELS FOR SMES IN URBAN AND RURAL AREAS
This project represents one step in the direction of harmonising data exchange in the field of nephrology (renal and kidney care). It brings together medical professionals, dialysis and transplantation centres and health authorities, connecting them to a national and international network. NDSNET provides the European Community with an interface between heterogeneous nephrology data systems and the information highways. The benefits of NDSNET to the partners and patients are manifold, and include mobility of the patient, exchange of data on different levels, data security provided on several database and record levels, and gateways to external systems.
HARMONISATION OF NEPHROLOGY DATA SYSTEMS WITHIN REGIONAL NETWORKS
ARIADNE aims to increase disabled and elderly people's mobility within buildings by enabling them to gain physical access, find their way about, and obtain information more easily. It will supply the architectural and technological infrastructure to provide an appropriate level of support. This involves the retrofitted installation of intelligent nodes at pertinent locations within a site. At the reception desk visitors would be provided with a smart card ID badge containing their requirements and an itinerary of the visit. Upon sensing a user arriving at a particular location the intelligent node will provide information, aurally, visually or electronically. The project developments will provide a cost-effective access and navigation solution for building operators, enabling a wide range of users to enjoy safe access to buildings.
ACCESS, INFORMATION AND NAVIGATION SUPPORT IN THE LABYRINTH OF LARGE BUILDINGS
Clothes and the material used to make them can affect both physical and psychological aspects of daily life for elderly and disabled people. Clothing produced with standard patterns do not fit persons with body dimensions deviating from the average, and conventional patterns have to be tailor-made to individuals. EASYTEX will use an automated measuring system, and data will be transferred to a CAD/CAM pattern design unit that will provide the control information for the cutting of garment parts to individual dimensions before they are put together. A database of authoritative information on varied textile and clothing suppliers for elderly and disabled people will be supplied in brochures and on CD-ROM and the Internet at day care centres throughout Europe, with information also being provided to industry and research groups.
AESTHETICAL, ADJUSTABLE, SERVICEABLE AND MAINSTAY TEXTILES FOR DISABLED AND ELDERLY
This project develops methods for designing and evaluating inexpensive, mass-market home automation appliances for daily life that offer people integrated control and monitoring functions through two-way radio frequency transceiver chips. Low-cost pan-European availability, ease of use, reliability and a variety of functions will encourage uptake in a potentially vast EU market. Further innovation and growth in the business sector should follow, as well as co-operation between the manufacturing SME=92s. Marketing strategies will be targetted at influencing the pan-European distribution channels. Inter-operability of the chip with existing assistive devices and communication protocols (M3S) will be a central concern.
MOSAIC-HS aims to establish a common standard development for interoperability between two-way radio systems as well as integrated applications covering everyday locations (home, offices, industrial environments, hospitals, rehabilitation centres) relevant to elderly and disabled users. It will implement and test the 'plug-and-play' approach to residential and communicative bus systems in various work/life situations, using a common technology. The first step is an inventory of user needs, and then the development of modules for the user-friendly control of appliances like home alarms and communication/services, using existing cost-efficient elements. The final objective is a prototype integrated multimedia/multimodal, cost-effective personal controller offering direct access to many domestic, hospital and commercial applications.
MODULAR SYSTEM FOR APLLICATION INTEGRATION AND CLUSTERING IN HOME SYSTEM
DIET addresses requirements for the assessment of natural language processing (NLP) components in adequacy evaluation and quality assurance. Effective and efficient assessment is often hampered by the lack of suitable test material and technology. DIET will develop methods and tools for the glass box evaluation of NLP components, building on the results of previous projects covering different aspects of assessment and evaluation. It will extend and develop test suites with annotated test items for grammar, morphology and discourse, for English, French and German. DIET will provide user support in database technology, test suite construction tools and graphical interfaces. The project results will be used by the industrial partners for in-house and external quality assurance and evaluation. They will also be made available in the public domain through appropriate channels.
DIAGNOSTIC AND EVALUATION TOOLS FOR NATURAL LANGUAGE APPLICATIONS
EAGLES will build on its previous work on identifying best practice and defining guidelines in language engineering. It will both consolidate existing work and carry forward new work in key areas dealing with written and spoken language resources and the evaluation of NLP systems. In addition to guidelines definition, emphasis will be placed on field testing, wider dissemination in customised forms, extended industry involvement, and revision and maintenance issues. Close interaction with EU RTD and industry projects will be sought to enhance user feedback and acceptance. The results, based on proven methodologies and organisational structures, will be a set of handbooks to be disseminated widely through the Web. They are expected to facilitate the integration and reuse of language engineering components and resources. This, in turn, will lower development costs and give system builders the opportunity to construct more robust, flexible integrated applications in a shorter time.
EXPERT ADVISORY GROUP ON LANGUAGE ENGINEERING STANDARDS
The main objective of Geological Electronic Information eXchange System (GEIXS) is to bring together the existing but dispersed data holdings of geosciences information, gathered over more than a hundred years, presently held by the national geological surveys of the European Union, and to turn these information assets into a European resource.
Geological electronic information exchange system
Radiation biomes: current and long-term effects of ionizing radiations on an ecosystem
Three-dimensional computer simulation of solid fuel combustion to protect the environment from the harmful discharges of power plants
Environmental effects on amphibians and reptiles in severely polluted or destroyed habitats of Kazakhstan
Application of electromembrane technology for the providing of drinking water for the population of Aral region
The interactions between saiga and domestic livestock in the Aral Sea region through contact, competition and transmission of parasites and diseases
Geographical information system for research and management of natural resources in the delta of the Syr-Darya
Synthesis and characterization of polyampholyte gels
Mechanisms of cellular adaptation to ionising radiation
Study of the mercury of the river Nura with a view to the development of an effective management strategy for the polluted technogenic sediments
Elaboration of new ecologically safe microbial means against the harmful slugs
Integrated research leading to the conservation and management of the dalmatian pelicans Pelecanus crispus, in S.E. Kazakhstan
Development of an information modeling system for Aral Sea coastal region
Analysis and diagnostic techniques of radioactive contaminations of arid lands of Kazakhstan
Screening for salinity tolerance in Medicago and other legumes
Linear and nonlinear Idempotent Analysis
Novel Pt nanostructured materials for electrocatalysis
Cosmic Ray primary spectrum, chemical composition and anisotropy at energies 1E14 to 1E20 eV; measurements and data analysis
Study of instantons, monopoles and strings in the field theory
The geological evolution of the boundary zone between the Belomorian structural province and the Karelian craton in the White-Sea - Northern Karelian area of the Baltic shield. Comparisons with the margins of contemporaneous Paleoproterozoi
DNA damage repair by homologous recombination
The Project aims at transferring know-how generated in an EU-Environmental Research Project. Content of the Project is the design and operation of a disassembling cell consisting of a robot, a visual recognition and a plastic recognition system. The main emphasis lies in the disassembly of pure plastic material and collection for recycling of high value material. Typical products to be disassembled pertain to a so-called morphological product families.
DISASSEMBLY AND RECYCLING OF PURE MATERIALS FROM CONSUMER GOODS

The project was aimed at continuing and strengthening dissemination of the SPRINT specific project SP226 \"Real Time Control for Urban Drainage Systems\". In SP226, Real Time Control technology was adapted and applied at numerous pilot study sites throughout the EU and was demonstrated to offer more cost effective solutions to a wide variety of urban drainage problems. The purpose of the project was to raise awareness through a series of dissemination workshops, the creation of a multi-media information tool and the set up of a user-group forum.

STEAM comprised three separate but related work packages. The first was a series of dissemination seminars based on presentations by participants in the original SP266 project. This included contributions from both technology providers, to explain the technology, and also from end users from the original project to illustrate how real problems were solved; site visits also took place. The seminars were be supported by the use of multi-media information/training tools.

The second work package was the creation of a multi-media information/training tool containing and supplementing much of the presentation material from the first work package. The tool combined CD-ROM and Internet to provide widespread and convenient access to large amounts of information in several formats.

The third technical work package was to set up and to maintain a User-Group Forum called the Integrated Modelling User Group (IMUG). The object of this forum was to provide a focus for activity in the field of integrated modelling of urban drainage systems and the application of RTC. Such a group already exists, but requires initial external financial support to become fully recognised and thereafter the group was expected to become self supporting.

A consortium has been created in order to validate the Multifrequency Electrical Impedance Measurement Technology for its applications in the meat processing industry. The consortium comprises the developer of the technology (the co-ordinator of the project), a research institute and three enterprises from the meat processing industry. Three different prototypes for three different applications have already been tested successfully by the co-ordinator and will be validated.
MULTIFREQUENCY IMPEDANCE MEASUREMENTS TECHNOLOGY FOR MEAT QUALITY CONTROL

The project concerned a novel electrochromic technology based on transparent nanostructured metal oxide films modified by redox chromophores that had been developed in the course of a recently completed Joule II project in nanocrystalline solar cells. The objective was to develop and transfer the technology to two European companies with the capacity to exploit it, namely Pricer AB for programmable shelf edge labelling and Donnelly Mirrors for an electrochromic rear-view mirror.

For the mirrors application a working laboratory scale prototype was produced and demonstrated. But Donnelly (which is a subsidiary of Donnelly Corporation, a major US company) is already strong in conventional dimmable mirrors based on their proprietory electrochromic technology and decided not to take the nanochrome application further now (because of the capital investment costs), and for the time being will stay with their proprietory technology.

For shelf-edge displays the applications work was dependent on Pricer's input to the development of display driver software. But this part of the project was compromised when Pricer experienced trading difficulties and had to refocus its business away from this area of interest. As a consequence of this the labelling application was not taken through to implementation.

NTera (formerly Nanomat) has gone on to develop other applications of their proprietory nanochromic materials (including displays) which now account for about one third of their effort. In the displays context Ntera has demonstrated its prototype capability to produce flat panel 'printed paper quality displays'. Other interests include batteries and sensors, which together account for another third of their effort. The remainder is devoted to IPR management. Extensive license agreements have been drawn up with major global companies.

TRANSFER OF AN INNOVATIVE ELECTROCHROMIC WINDOW AND DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY TO THE EUROPEAN NTBF AND SME SECTORS

Low temperature cofired multilayer ceramics (LTCC), was developed for the production of highly complex electronic equipment and introduced into automotive, telecom and electro-medical applications. In conjunction with LTCC the direct mounting of unpackaged semiconductors in Flip-Chip (FC) technology where chips are glued or soldered top down on to ceramic carriers seems to be advantageous. Both technologies together were applied in power electronic applications for wattages of up to 150 W. By increasing the switching frequency of the converters by a factor of 50 the decrease of the values and sizes of capacitors and chokes can occur to such an extent that they can be integrated into the carrier as embedded components. Especially adequate planar ferrite chokes can be designed.

Within the AMFAS project LTCC & MCM, used in automotive and telecom equipment successfully, was investigated, adapted and tested for application in power electronics (SMPS, step down convertors, electronic ballasts). The advantage to integrate passive discrete components into the ceramic carrier was taken consistently. The semiconductors required and the adequate assembly technic were also investigated.

Furthermore topologies for harmonic filters and control circuits together with the respective IC-technology and power transistors were investigated. Prototypes of switching converters were assembled to demonstrate the technical feasibility and the reliability of the technique proposed. After the definition of an optimal production process and the evaluation of the cost of the production equipment the economy of the proposed technology for power electronic products were demonstrated for various but large production volumes.

It was expected that the proposed technology which requires specific knowledge, equipment and specially trained staff will increase dramatically the competitiveness of the companies involved in the project in comparison with their - often Non-European - competitors applying conventional printed circuit board technology which is easy to copy and easy to install with a reasonable amount of invest.

APPLICATION OF LOW TEMPERATURE COFIRED MULTILAYER CERAMIC TECHNOLOGY AND FLIP-CHIP ASSEMBLY TECHNOLOGY FOR SWITCHING CONVERTERS
LISBON AND TAGUS VALLEY REGION TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION STRATEGIES

The world markets for abalone is strongly under-supplied. Therefore, abalone prices have increased rapidly, creating incentives for the more expensive land-based culture. However, SMEs culturing abalone in land-based systems have faced several obstacles mainly in obtaining sufficient quantities of nutrients seaweed without causing negative environmental impact to natural stocks. The quantity and quality of seaweed as well as proper tank design together with effluent regulations has limited production to date.

The development of a self-sustaining, environmentally friendly, intensive system for the integrated culture of marine organisms in cold as well as warm water was based on research undertaken by two R&D institutes in Ireland and Israel. The system produced commercially valuable finfish (sea bream and grouper) and recycled their excretions through seaweed biofilters, which removed most pollutants from the water, and whose protein-rich yield can feed the abalone culture. The commercial culture of the seaweed-consuming abalone converted this low-value by-product into a high-value commodity, which would generate substantial returns. The development of a new tank design allowed much higher intensification, which is abalone stocking density, than is currently possible.

SMEs that implemented the developed technology were able to gradually enter this Niche and produce high quality seafood products at relatively low costs using fully controlled independent Green systems that will guarantee long term profitability.

Development of an integrated environmentally friendly polyculture of abalone, finfish and seaweed in a land based facility
The project consists of the introduction to the agricultural sector of technology which allows the optimisation and rationalisation of hydro and energy resources and the optimisation of fruit tree crops in Southern Europe. Technology from research in new irrigation systems will be validated which measure, and adjust in real time, the water consumption of fruit trees. The technology to be used is transferred from the Photovoltaic and Telecommunications sectors.
VALIDATION OF A SYSTEM FOR OPTIMISING WATER RESOURCES IN TREE CROPS AND TECHNOLOGICAL TRANSFER OF TELEMANAGER MOBILE PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS
QUALITY CONTROL IN STEEL INDUSTRY BY AUTOMATIC SURFACE INSPECTION SYSTEMS
Computergesteund massaplan vorming van complexe gebouwen
Formation et perfectionnement de conseillers en developpement technologique
New opportunities for industrial development in the agro-food sector through biotechnology exploitations
Les cultures de cellules animales : principes et applications
Advanced seminar on inorganic coatings on glass
Training and information transfer on the commercial applicability of microgravity
SICCICOM 88/89 - Short intensive courses in computers, information and communications
Metodologia para la programacion del diseno
ALUMED - ALUMINIUM PRODUCTS USED IN THE BUILDING INDUSTRY UNDER THE MEDITERANEAN CLIMATOLOGICAL CONDITIONS
MAFT - Methoden der Arbeits- und Fertigungsplanung unter Beruecksichtigung neuer Technologien
Intensivkurs uber die Einfuhrung automatisierter Betriebssysteme fur den offentlichen Nahverkehr
The processing, storage, retrieval and transmission of images - An open learning project
AMMIT - Advanced multimedia immunology training
Design and testing of a novel training system for flexible tutoring based on expert system
Biotechnology - Open learning : bio-process technology, medical pharmaceutical biotechnology and modern biotechnology in food production
Joint COMETT project for EuroPace activities
DEMOCENTER PER LA AUTOMAZIONE FLESSIBILE
HYLITE - HUMBERSIDE AND YORKSHIRE EUROPEAN LIAISON INITIATIVE FOR TECHNOLOGICAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING
FUNDACION BCD - SERVICIOS FORMACION U-E CATALUNA
CATT - Central Austria Training in Technologies
AGROF - Association for the Development of Agro Food Industries
INTERCOM - Icelandic National Training Effort Re Comett
BATECH - Training for the Development of the Banks, Technologies and Human Resources
Multidisziplinaere Kooperationsgemeinschaft Hessen
Cloning and characterisation of spindle-c, a gene required for polarisation of the anterior-posterior and dorsal-ventral axes in drosophila

The project addresses the need of all libraries to develop and utilise performance measures for the new networked, electronic environment, alongside traditional measures, and to operate these within a framework of quality management. Within the project a strand of work will develop international agreement on standard performance measures for the electronic library environment, building on existing agreements for traditional library services. The project builds on the recommendations, strongly endorsed by the EC reviewers, of the EQLIPSE (FP3) Project, on the CAMILE Concerted Action and on the MINSTREL, DECIMAL and DECIDE Projects.

EQUINOX will develop, and prove in large-scale demonstrations, an integrated quality management and performance measurement tool for library managers.

With the increasing use of electronic resources and services in libraries, EQUINOX will help libraries to understand and better manage:
their traditional workflows and organisation of tasks;
the ways they interact with their users and staffs;
their interactions with other departments and services in their organisation;
their interactions with their suppliers.

EQUINOX will enhance and adapt the current EQLIPSE ISO9000 compliant Library Management System (QMS) and the ISO 11620 compliant Library Performance Measurement and Benchmarking Indicators to address these issues in an open and generic way. It will provide assistance to managers operating in non-ISO9000 quality management frameworks. It will build interfaces between constituent service applications to facilitate economy of data collection and will be hospitable to future enhancements of the performance indicator standards.

The definition of electronic library performance indicators will be addressed in a horizontal workpackage. However, EQUINOX will be hospitable to any defined performance measure so enabling libraries to choose to enhance the internationally agreed set with local indicators.

Library Performance Measurement and Quality Management System

The completed EDUCATE project clearly showed that scientific, technical and medical users have a need for access to information resources and assistance in how to handle them. Such assistance has become more necessary than ever owning to the complexity of widely varying IT options. As a result the DEDICATE project sets out to develop cost-effective distance education courses in information literacy. These will be based on programs developed under the EDUCATE project and programs for networked learner support allowing both asynchronous and synchronous communication modes. Support will also be provided in the form of document supply .

The distance education courses will be demonstrated and tested at four library sites in technological universities in Estonia, Hungary, Latvia and Lithuania and at the International Center for Information Management, Systems, Services, in Torun, Poland. The distance education programs will be directed initially to training library staff in the access and use of information resources in a networked environment. This will form part of a programme for Training the trainers - with extension to scientists and engineers. The first group of application sites will be in the area of science and engineering.

These demonstrator sites should act as catalysts for the development of user-education programmes within their respective countries. The DEDICATE courses will thus encourage co-operation in the field between libraries in western and eastern Europe.

Distance Education Information Courses through Networks

The objective is to establish and develop exemplary regional information services (RIS) in three diverse European regions.

Relying on a combination of technical and human resources, networked public library services will be developed to provide independent and mediated information for the user. The project will set up new partnerships between information producers, mediators and end users and different kinds of libraries - academic, specialist and public. Critical legal and regulatory issues will be addressed such as copyright and the implications of electronic commerce.

A major element in RIS will be regional sites coordinating all Web activity relevant to the needs of the participating regions. Sites will be multifunctional offering mediated gateways to the Internet for citizens, virtual shop windows to stimulate regional economies and new retrieval tools for information mediators. The sites will also address presentation and access by incorporating facilities such as localised searching, filters and security features.

The project will achieve its goals through a high-profile and energetic process of dissemination and exploitation activities. Charging mechanisms for certain information services will be considered with a view to generating income.

Libraries in European Regions - Access to Telematics and Other Resources
PAN-European Network in Multifunctional Microsystems
NOVEL PRECURSORS FOR METALORGANIC VAPOUR PHASE EPITAXY
MESSAGE HANDLING SURVEY AND TRENDS FOR THE IES USER COMMUNITY

The aim of the Y-NET project is to establish a pan-European distributed Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) network to provide all participants in ESPRIT and other EC R&D Programmes with improved communications and exchange of data, using OSI conformant software and equipment.
The OSI-based network services to be provided by Y-NET will comprise X.400 electronic mail, file transfer and access management (FTAM), directory services and office document architecture (ODA). These services will be made available to the R&D community involved in Community-supported research, including those in small and medium-sized enterprises who do not have access to communication networks.
Y-NET nodes will be established in the Member States via organisations acting as National Operating Units (NOUs) coordinated by the Y-NET management Unit (YMU) located in Brussels. The Y-NET services will be linked to COSINE and other associated national and international infrastructural network, facilitating access to these services. An NOU will provide (in the appropriate national language):
documentation
user support and a help desk
user administration.
Operational and management costs will be fully met by ESPRIT as part of its communications infrastructure activities, and a group of European manufacturers (Bull, Olivetti Systems & Networks and SNI) will provide free equipment for the project and assist Teleo in resolving technical issues.

CTA-SME is a one-year pilot action to try out ways of improving the awareness and take-up of microelectronics technologies by small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs). It is intended to provide a forum through which relevant activities at Community and national level can communicate, exchange information and address common problems.
In addition to convening workshops and setting up training activities, the pilot phase will prepare (in collaboration with the relevant member-state programmes) \"technology transfer packages\" that contain information covering the market analysis, economic assessment, design and fabrication of ASICs (application-specific integrated circuits). Initially drawing on the results of existing ESPRIT microelectronics projects, these \"packages\" will be made available to SMEs and national SME service centres throug hout the European Community.
If the pilot phase, after independent evaluation, is found to have been successful, the Commission will propose the extension of the action with the aim of reaching a large number of the approximately 25,000 European SMEs that could (as recent surveys indicate) incorporate ASICs and other microelectronics components into their products and so gain a competitive advantage in the global information technology market.
ASICs are being used in an ever-widening range of products, ranging from aeroplanes to automobiles, toys to telephones, and word-processors to washing-machines. Almost every sector of manufacturing industry can benefit from the application of ASIC technology, as it permits manufacturers to add more functions to their products, so that systems and equipment can achieve higher performances and be made more versatile and easier to use. As well as simplifying product design and cutting manufacturing, assemblyand subsequent maintenance times, ASIC technology helps reduce the number of components and material costs while increasing reliability. All this improves the profit-margins and competitive position of the companies concerned.
SMEs, with their capacity for quick and timely innovation, are playing a crucial role in maintaining the competitiveness of Europe's IT industry. Their faster reactions to changing market conditions and willingness to take risks accelerates the development of new types of products and the exploitation of leading-edge technologies. But most of the estimated 25,000 SMEs that could make good use of ASICs, recent surveys show, have either a limited capacity to make use of ASIC technology or little or no awareness of its potential for their business - and those that already use ASICs would benefit from expert evaluation of the pros and cons of using different approaches in any particular application. These are the questions that the CTA-SME pilot action will be investigating in close collaboration with existing regional, national and international initiatives in this area.

Concerted Technology Access for Small and Medium-Size Enterprises

Changes in information and telecommunications technologies are having an increasing influence on daily life and on society as a whole. These changes are associated with equally profound transformations in working life, and have given rise to a renewed concern with quality-of-life issues in general and, especially, to questions regarding the quality of working life (QWL).
The QUALIT project will help optimise information technologies used in situations where an improvement in QWL is desired by supplying a decision-support system (the QUALIT tool) coupled with a library of documented case studies (the Observatorium).
The QUALIT project will reach its goals by further refining and validating the theoretical basis for organisations and quality of life developed in the ongoing QLIS project (5374). It will also use the prototypes developed in QLIS. QUALIT will develop an environment (including various knowledge-based tools) for analysing quality-of-life issues in work-forces.
The main results are expected to be:
-a theoretical base for quality of life in the work-forces of organisations
-an environment supporting the analysis of quality-of-life issues in work-forces
-installation and use of the environment in at least five different organisations in at least three countries
-establishment of the Observatorium.
The market for the results will consist of IT consultancies, IT suppliers and IT developers.

Quality Assessment of Living with Information Technology

THE OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH ARE THE FOLLOWING:

- RE-EXAMINATION OF THE BASIC CHEMICAL SPECIES OF VOLATILE FISSION PRODUCTS AT THE ENTRY OF THE RCS AND STUDY OF THEIR PHYSICO-CHEMICAL BEHAVIOUR DURING THE INTERACTION WITH THE CARRIER, THE AEROSOL AND THE SURFACES INSIDE THE PRIMARY CIRCUIT;

- IMPROVEMENT AND REALISATION OF THE CALCULATION METHODOLOGY FOR THE ANALYSIS OF THE TRANSPORT OF THE FISSION PRODUCTS AND AEROSOL THROUGH THE PRIMARY CIRCUIT, WITH THE INSERTION OF NEW MODELS ON THE MECANISMS OF DEPOSITION/RE-SUSPENSION OF THE AEROSOL IN TURBULENT CONDITIONS AND OF CONDENSATION OF THE WATER STEAM.

REALISATION OF CODE MODELS ON THE PHYSICO-CHEMICAL BEHAVIOUR OF THE FISSION PRODUCTS AND OF THE AEROSOLS IN THE PRIMARY CIRCUIT OF A LWR NUCLEAR PLANT IN THE COURSE OF A SEVERE ACCIDENT.
The objective of the project is to create a satellite-based infrastructure that will allow the European and Japanese users to exploit the connectivity created for the development and trial of new applications. A further objective is to introduce non-GAMMA applications with a Europe-Japan aspiration to the use of the satellite network.
Global architecture for multimedia action

The objectives are summarized as follows :

1. Genetic of autochthonic populations
2. Feeding in pre-fattening outdoor
3. Management of natural resources in fattening outdoor
4. Biochemical and technological qualities from meat and fat
5. Adaptation to technological transformation
6. Characteristics of products during ripening
7. Approaching to marketing and consumers testing.

MEDITERRANEAN PIGS IN SYLVO-PASTORAL SYSTEMS : IMPROVEMENT IN PIG PRODUCTION TO BE TRANSFORMED INTO DRY CURED PRODUCTS OF HIGH QUALITY
The project is aimed at the transfer of risk evaluation technologies from the nuclear engineering sector to the capital investment sector. The overall scope is the achievement of better software tools for EU investors and traders to evaluate value at risk (VAR) for venture capital initiatives and the mutual and pension funds management. The technology transfer opportunity is offered by existing software technologies developed and copyrighted by JRC and DERA in the engineering/energy sector.
CAPITAL INVESTMENT PROBABILISTIC RISK ASSESSMENT TECHNOLOGY

The main goals of the project are:
- The identification of potential areas in traffic engineering to which AI may be beneficially applied;
- To give the traffic engineer a helpful guide which includes criteria and characteristics of AI methods and techniques in non-specialist language;
- To supply useful information to other DRIVE tasks dealing with the possible application of AI methods in road traffic engineering and also to maintain a close cooperation between the more application oriented projects within DRIVE such as 6205 and 6525.

Applicability in Transport and Traffic of Artificial Intelligence
This project seeks to establish internationally accepted standards in RDS-TMC (Radio Data System - Traffic Message Channel) location coding, messages and message management and to obtain a real consensus among broadcasters, national traffic authorities and manufacturers through a liaison group structure with EBU, ECMT and national traffic authorities. This structure will permit the consistent operation of RDS-TMC throughout Europe. The project includes the development of both broadcast and in-vehicle test procedures and equipment.
RDS Advice and Problem Location for European Road Traffic
The main goal of this project is the development and testing of a microwave link for automatic two-way data-communication between vehicles and the roadside. The potential of such a link for use for vehicle identification, monitoring, control and road pricing is very great. Many of the technical advances in the RTI field will depend upon the successful outcome of this research. In seeking to develop and test a suitable data-communications link that is reliable, robust, secure and immune from environmental disturbances, the partners in this project are united in the view that microwave technology is the most appropriate medium. An early decision will be required, however, on the most suitable frequency on which to standardize for the main applications envisaged.
Pricing and Monitoring Electronically of Automobiles

The goal of the project is to specify the integration of existing systems into a comprehensive driver information system operating across Europe. The first objective of the project is to define the nature of driver information systems by:
- determining and evaluating users information requirements,
- evaluating alternative technical methods for data handling,
- and by the development of information generation and dissemination procedures.

Infrastructure based dynamic route guidance systems will provide valuable information for the traffic control authorities and in turn information from traffic control systems will be required by the guidance system in order that its routing advice is appropriate. This project's goal is the integration of the dynamic route guidance and traffic control systems (TCS).
Integration of Dynamic Route Guidance and Traffic Control System

The roadside-to-vehicle communications necessary for DRIVE applications could be provided by existing or planned cellular radio systems. This technique could provide a very cost effective communications infrastructure, but at present its capabilities and limitations are not understood in detail. In particular it is widely believed that the capacity of such systems is too low. Studies by one of the consortium members have shown a way to overcome this problem by the use of a single common downlink and a single multiple-access uplink. In this way cellular radio, particularly GSM, can provide a high capacity duplex link without unduly loading the radio network.
Among the most important DRIVE applications are route navigation and driver information. This project concentrates on the use of cellular radio as the communications link for these purposes.

An RTI System Based on Cellular Radio for Traffic Efficiency and Safety
The project proposes to develop an architecture for medical Knowledge Based Systems (KBSs) which combines a range of advanced logic-engineering and knowledge-engineering techniques. The project is closely related to project T530 \"Advanced Architecture for Diagnostic Medical Knowledge based Systems\", though proposes a wider range of patient management and information retrieval techniques.
Methods and Architectures for Logic Engineering in Medicine
The COVIRA project (COmputer VIsion in RAdiology) aims at a substantial improvement of the quality of computer assistance in the clinical Neurosciences by providing a fundamental image interpretation tool which is a prerequisite for efficient computer assistance in neuroradiological diagnosis, in radiation therapy planning and in stereotactic neurosurgery.
MODELLING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS FOR CHRONIC HEALTH CARE - EXAMPLE : DIABETES
Promoting and Realising ELTA through Communication and Information Strategies for Europe
The objective of the proposal is to establish a testbed for a communications network involving broadband cable, direct broadcast satellite (DBS), and ISDN. Also a knowledge base will be set up on one central site where remote sites can review what material is available and how to use it. The network will be used for the development and distribution of educational video material. A number of different potential applications will be studied, ranging from the transmission of live programmes and video conferencing to the distribution of interactive teaching materials.
Collaborative Authoring Production and Transmission of Interactive Video for Education
The project deals with the study and the specification of conditions favourable to be development of the educational technologies for training purposes within small and medium sized companies.
Educational Technologies for European Enterprises
Ada has the potential to replace FORTRAN as the language of choice for numerical calculations. Also, various areas in which Ada is becoming the standard programming language (military applications, aerospace industry, oil exploitation, etc.) make use of computers for complex numerical applications. As such applications are highly standardised, there is a need for libraries of numerical software in Ada.
Pilot Implementation of Basic Modules for Large Portable Numerical Libraries in Ada
Data protection guide for European users
This was an interesting and ambitious project which aimed to examine, in a wider sense, the economic and productive areas where the dependence on information systems is particularly significant.
The vulnerability of information systems - intersectorial, economic and social effects.
The aim of the project consists in replacing an existing cooler in a cement plant having a capacity of 1200 TPD with a new clinker cooler. The new cooler features two main innovations, the mechanical flow regulator and the cross bars for conveying the clinker. These innovations improve the thermal efficiency and eliminate wear on grate plates.

The project was concerned with standardising the production methods for granulated tyres (by retreading) and enhancing the production methods for the granules. The granules are of non-specified material and are approximately 1mm in size. New Industries Ltd had developed the core methods and equipment for embedding granules into retread tyres to improve the tyre's road resistance, decrease road wear (in comparison with studded tyres) and promote general recycling of tyres. Further development of this Project involved diverse expertise such as adhesive materials, various granule types, coating methods, design of new production equipment and automation. This process of granulating tyres has been patented.

Several tests have been conducted on the concept to verify the characteristics of granulated tyres. At VTI in Sweden, slipping characteristics on wet ice were tested against those of studded tyres and produced very favourable results. Road wear tests performed in Germany showed that granulated tyres wear the road 14 times less than an average of nine different studded tyres. In Iceland noise from granulated tyres was compared with noise from studded tyres and regular tyres, where it was verified that noise levels from a car driving on granulated tyres are similar to those from regular tyres but significantly less than the noise levels from a car driving on studded tyres. In addition to the above tests, extensive user tests have been going on since the beginning of test production in 1994.

Partners in this project with New Industries were Vacu-lug Traction Tyres of England. They manufacture retread truck tyres and almost any tyres for non-commercial vehicles and applications ranging from small fork-lift tyres to large earth-mover tyres. They intended to use the technique for their own production of hot cure tyres as well as promoting it to manufacturers of retread passenger tyres.

The project covered two winters and focused on fully documented user and laboratory tests on the manufactured tyres. Test production was done both at Vacu-lug facilities and in Iceland with the user tests in Iceland and Scandinavia in co-operation with dealers selling Vacu-lug products. Manufacturers of retread machines were approached regarding participation in the implementation phase of the project.

The outcome of the project gave extensive knowledge of the combination of adhesives, granules and coating methods to give the best result from both the consumer and manufacturing point of view. The implementation of the technique to commercial manufacturing involves the design and full automation of the embedding process. During the project a fully automated prototype of a granulating machine with all specifications for further manufacturing will be installed and made ready for commercial manufacturing of granulated tyres.

GRANULATED RETREADED TYRES FOR SLIPPERY CONDITIONS INCREASED RUBBER RECYCLING AND LESS ROAD WEAR
TREATMENT AND UTILISATION OF WHEY IN GREEK CHEESE FACTORIES (DEFINITION PHASE)
ADAPTION AND OPTIMIZATION OF LASER TECHNOLOGY TO THE MOULD INDUSTRY (DEFINITION PHASE)
TRANSFER OF ADVANCED SURFACE ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE MODERNISATION OF INDUSTRIAL SECTORS OF GREECE
AENEAS is a collaborative project between Ricardo, Daimler-Benz and Kistler. Its aim is to assimilate Cylinder Pressure based Engine Management System (CPEMS) technology in order to obtain substantial improvements in cost, efficiency, comfort, emissions and reliability compared to conventional systems.Conventional Engine Management Systems (EMS) are primarily parameter based systems in which there is no underlying model to describe the behaviour of the engine. Such systems therefore require many parameters to control the engine under steady-state, transient fuelling and varying ambient conditions.The introduction of Model-Based control in order to overcome this problem has been hindered mainly by the lack of inexpensive sensing devices which can closely monitor the engine's performance. In particular, the measurement of cylinder pressure which would give valuable information on the engine's performance, has been very expensive due to the harsh environment of the combustion chamber.In recent years, attention has focused upon the development of inexpensive cylinder pressure sensors in order to realise a system more appropriate for the application of Model-Based control. This project is based on the results of advanced R&D work carried out by Daimler-Benz and Kistler on the application of Silicon Carbide on Insulator (SiCOI) and Silicon On Insulator (SOI) technologies for such devices. These material systems have been shown to operate under harsh combustion environments and have the potential for a cost effective solution to the development of a CPEMS.The first objective of the project is to demonstrate benefits which are expected to include :- Better controlled combustion giving lower emissions, faster light-off and smoother running- Improved sensing leading to a reduced number of sensors and faster sensing- Reduced number of engine maps- Improved adaptive capabilities- More suitable for Model-Based control hence reduced calibration effort and greater scope for novel control methods- Improved On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) The second objective is the widespread diffusion of this technology to European companies. This would include publications, arranging demonstration workshops and establishing production networks. The project partners will carry out the following main activities: - Establish the cylinder pressure sensor and overall system specifications- Evaluate the sensor in terms of robustness, stability, lifetime, cost, etc.- Configure control algorithms for implementation into an ECU- Test CPEMS on a test-bed and a demonstration vehicle - Disseminate the results of the project to European companies.
APPLICATION AND EVALUATION OF A NOVEL ENGINE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM BASED ON INTELLIGENT CONTROL ALGORITHMS AND UTILISING INNOVATIVE SENSOR TECHNOLOGY

Based on the experience, holdings and data collections of existing (or emerging) official, officially recognized or public terminology information and documentation centres (TDC) in Europe the general objective of the project is to design and implement a European Network of TDCs - TDCnet (in the form of an `extranet' with as many technical requirements in place as possible).

This comprises among others
- The organization and optimization of the cooperation among the existing TDCs (including the creation of synergies with respect to the organisation of holdings and data collections and the coordination of software development (incl.certain DP aspects such as character set development, etc.)
- The development of a set of jointly provided information products and services in the field of terminology documentation (TD)(such as value-added products and services based on a `Virtual Union Catalogue', network publishing, and a common distribution strategy as well as a joint market development strategy based on the assessment of user needs)
- The encouragement and promotion of the establishment of TDCs in language communities, where they would be needed, but do not yet exist.

European Terminology Documentation Centre Network
The main objective of the RACE Open Services Architecture (ROSA) project is the definition of an open services architecture for IBC services and the application of that architecture to solve practical service creation and implementation problems.
The main objectives of this workpackage are to propose a framework for cohesive, harmonised evolution strategies towards IBC; to select and evaluate alternative routes for providing IBC services; to propose situation-specific migration strategies.
Evolution Prospects and Framework /SPT Evolution Planning; Interworking and Gateways; Realisation - Ongoing Transition Plans; Transition - Integrated Networks
The project's objective is to create an integrated model structure appropriate for RTI Policy analysis and then to use this model structure in order to produce evaluation criteria for RTI system effects.
Framework for Integrated Dynamic Analysis of Travel and Traffic
The future growth of health informatics in Europe will be critically dependent upon the availability of tools and facilities which enable the rapid implementation of high quality systems. Such tools and facilities must be usable on a Community-wide basis, and applicable to a wide range of applications. This project develops the concept of an Integrated Health Information and Decision Support Workbench (Health Bench), which will provide a framework for tools designed to assist the implementation and operation of health computing applications.
Health Information and Decision Support Workbench

1. Delineates the information requirement of Community Oral Health Physicians having regard to WHO standards and specifications, T210, T221.
2. Establishes internationally respected criteria for critical relevant, meaningful information in Primary Health Care System T120.
3. Establishes techniques of calibration against WHO standards for Oral Health Information T230.
4. Facilitates direct data entry into computers in field environments in a standardized, specific manner and eliminates errors at the point of data input T120, T230.
5. Facilitates immediate field analysis by the clinician, clinical manager and analysis by the Health Services Manager at base, of the actual real normative needs of patients targeted T130, T310, T320, T324, T330, T410, T411, T415.
6. It facilitates the development of a framework for the measurement of tangible inputs and how these inputs can maximize health outcomes by facilitating change at the key interphases T310.
7. It facilitates analysis of user compatibility and user training requirements in a closed Primary Health Care environment T560.

Computer Aided Community Oral Health Information System

This project (the Main Project for cluster 2 in RACE I Part I) has the main objective of acting as a central point for all the activities on the analysis/synthesis of reference configurations, carried out in the system projects of RACE Part I and II.

Specific goals of the workpackage are:

- identification of suitable target, initial and intermediate reference configurations, each reference configuration being constituted by functional groupings and reference points
- identification of the network architectures and application technologies to realise the functional groupings
- analysis of the available options and selection of the most suitable ones at predefined time frames
- contributions to relevant standardisation bodies
- lead to relevant Common Functional Specifications.

To develop a training of trainers didactic methodology course based in interactive videodisc. To provide two types of application: autoinstructional and consultation. An introduction video and an analysis programme has been elaborated as complementary elements.
Didactic Methodology Course based in Interactive Videodisc
Increase competencies, competitiveness and productivity within SMEs in the building sector pushing the introduction of new technologies. Project also aims at the design and testing of a new didactic and methodological approach to vocational training in the sector.
INFORMATICS APPLICATION IN THE BUILDING SECTOR
Harmonized Approaches to Ambulatory Care Outcome Measurement in Europe
Prevention from Thrombosis by Urokinase Enhancement
Database on Transcribed Sequences in Tumour Cells and Identification of Transcription Pattern Changes Related to Transformation and Other Tumour Cell Properties for Global Fingerprinting Analysis of Human Pancreatic
Ocular Fluorometry: New Methods and Instrumentation for Non-Invasive Diagnosis by Ocular Fluorescence Measurement
Epidemiological Surveys on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in Different European Countries : Prevalence Rates and Relationship to Host and Environmental Risk Factors
Immunotherapy of Chronic Arthritis - Experimental Basis
A multicentric case-control study of the major risk factors for lung cancer in Europe with particular emphasis on intercountry comparison
Changes in Glial Cells with Ageing: In-Culture Studies
Pharmacologic Stress Echocardiography: a New, Effective and Inexpensive Method for Non-Invasive Diagnosis of Coronary Disease in Clinical Cardiology
Colon Cancer Prevention: Evaluation of Resistant Starch and Aspirin in Carriers of Familial Adenomatous Polyposis
Limiting Access to Health Care in Various European Countries. A Study of The Legitimacy of Government Control and the Relevance of Consumer and Provider Preferences
Health Services Research related to Rehabilitation for Persons with Multiple Sclerosis
European Pharmacovigilance Research Group
Efficiency in oral health care-The evaluation of oral health systems in Europe.
European Network for detection and monitoring of major drug allergies
European Collaborative Research on Mosaicism in CVS
Methods for early detection and identification of plant diseases
In-vitro cultures for the purification and propagation of plants
Harmonic analysis on and geometry of fractal sets
TECHNOLOGY FOR INSTANT DYEING OF LEATHER

Main Objective

MOVE aims to combine voice and data based services in a single environment. Future personal communicators, i.e. Personal Digital Assistants (PDA) with wireless communication facilities, will allow harmonisation of voice and Internet services on a single network such as UMTS. The MOVE middleware and application programming interface (API) for such terminals and 3rd generation networks will enable operation, adaptation and re-configuration of voice and data calls for a variety of applications. These include announcement services for weather, travel, help desks, call centres, and so called 'What's-On' information retrieval, which are today voice-based. This functionality will be available for UMTS terminals in a highly heterogeneous environment. Although mobile data services, which, for example, allow mobile access to the Internet, exist in current 2nd generation communications, they are not integrated with the speech services that are still seen as the core services for the medium term future.

Thus the overall objectives of MOVE are

-to define and prototype a voice enabled mobile middleware architecture that integrates voice and data services for small user terminals

-to derive a common interface for voice enabled mobility support as an enhancement of today's networks and part of the UMTS service.

MOVE will address these issues by developing a middleware architecture called Voice Enabled Mobile Application Support Environment (VE-MASE) that provides support for multimedia applications running on mobile devices. This architecture includes a voice/data application programming interface (V/D-API), which allows an application programmer to design voice and data applications without regard to the nature of the underlying networks. Functions like Voice over IP (VoIP) allow the provision of a customised service for the user.

Technical Approach

MOVE will investigate network requirements in terms of quality of service limitations of voice over packet-switched networks, such as the Internet and over different mobile networks, such as Wireless LANs and GSM. An architecture, the VE-MASE, will be developed to support integrated voice and data applications. The VE-MASE will adapt to the specific transport capabilities of the underlying networks and supply a set of mobility and voice related management functions:

-Service Session Management, which will give the service provider access to user-specific context information (e.g., to a history of events preceding an information access).

-Call set-up based on an existing IP connection : Either a call is placed from the client terminal or call set-up information is delivered to the proxy gateway where the connection is set up to a Voice over IP based terminal, e.g., a call-centre.

-Multi-sensitivity adaptations: A Location Manager will support applications handling location-dependent information, and a System Adaptability Manager will provide information about device capabilities, user preferences and/or network capabilities.

-Mobility Gateway approach to support Voice over IP (VoIP) over mobile networks. Examples are the harmonisation of new voice sessions and ongoing data sessions and bandwidth adaptation from fixed networks to mobile networks (e.g., GSM).

-A Voice/Data Application Programming Interface, V/D-API, will be defined to allow application programmers to instantiate voice and data connections and service providers to offer voice enabled mobile services. We will specify the V/D-API formally having in mind the relevant standardisation bodies, and will allow our results to be used by industrial developers and researchers. A demonstration service will be developed that consists of both a mobile client part and a peer entity operated by a service provider. This unique approach of a distributed support function and application allows reaction to the context-specific needs of a user in the best possible way. The demonstration service set will be integrated with the VE-MASE prototype and a demonstration will be used to validate the approach.

Summary of Trial

The MOVE trial makes use of the developed Demonstration Service and the mobile support environment, to demonstrate the VE-MASE architecture and evaluate the benefits to mobile users of services integrating voice and data functions. The Testbed will use GSM and Wireless LANs and evaluate parameters such as end-to-end network performance and quality of voice transmission (i.e., VoIP) over mobile networks.

Mobile middleware with voice enabled services

Main Objective

AMASE will investigate techniques for enhancing an existing agent platform to support stationary and mobile agents for wireless mobile communication environment. The project will focus on:

-High degree of user mobility between various networks, devices and physical location.

-Small and mobile devices for PC, personal digital assistants and GSM with SMS transmit and receive capabilities.

The main goals are:

-to design, specify and implement the AMASE agent environment.

-to verify and demonstrate, with an agent-based application, the technical and economic suitability of agent technology for commercial wireless mobile applications.

AMASE Scenario

Technical Approach

The project distinguishes between the agent environment (Agent Facilities plus Communication Facilities) and the agent-based application.
Step 1 - Specification of the Mobile Agent Facilities
The differences between the agent systems prevent interpretability and proliferation of agent technology. In order to promote both interoperability and system diversity, the project will review the emerging OMG MAF specification where it is applicable in the AMASE Agent Facilities. Additionally the specification of the AMASE Communication Facilities will be based on the MASE specification of the OnTheMove project.
Step 2 - Enhancement of an Existing Agent Platform for Wireless Mobile Applications
AMASE will use the Siemens SWARM Platform as the starting point. The SWARM system is fully written in JAVA, known within the consortium, and the source code is available. The platform enhancement development will support secure and efficient agent operations, cost-effective adaptability to wireless network characteristics, high degree of user mobility, high degree of scalability for various device platforms, and UMTS service capabilities;
AMASE Agent Platform
Step 3 - The Wireless Mobile Application Scenario - AMASE Demonstrator
AMASE will apply the developed agent environment in the domain of Wireless Mobile Applications, which support both stationary and mobile. The application will enable bank customers to access and trigger electronic banking services from their wireless mobile device.
Step 4 - Evaluation of the AMASE Demonstrator
An expert evaluation, which conducts qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the performance of the functions of the AMASE agent environment and recommendations for the relevant standard fora such as OMG MAF will be performed.

Summary of Trial

The AMASE Demonstrator will implement an application in the banking domain using the AMASE agent environment.

Agent based mobile access to information services

Main Objective

PRISMA aims to increase the flexibility of fibre-wireless networks, by introducing multiple wavelength channels in the fibre network and selecting one or more wavelength channels as needed at the wireless base transceiver stations (BTSs). PRISMA's main objectives are:

-to develop strategies for dynamic reconfiguration of fibre-wireless networks by means of High-Density Wavelength Division Multiplexing (HDWDM) techniques

-to develop strategies for upgrading fibre-based access networks to deliver wireless services

-to understand how HDWDM techniques can support radio independence and improve Quality of Service in relation to hand-over and macro-diversity for 3rd generation mobile networks

-to understand the impact of HDWDM techniques on radio multi-bearer support, multi-connection, and asymmetric wireless services

-to develop cost-effective HDWDM optical system modules supporting digital baseband and analogue RF signals

-to demonstrate the viability of a flexible HDWDM fibre-wireless system for broadband ATM nomadic applications in a laboratory set-up and in a small-scale field trial

Technical Approach

Multiple wavelength channels will be used for signal transport in the passively split fibre network, feeding the BTSs. One or more wavelength channels as needed can be selected at each BTS. By setting this wavelength selection from the base station controller (BSC) or from higher levels in the fixed network, the base stations can be reconfigured to accommodate the variations in traffic offerings. Thus the cell sizes can be virtually adapted to capacity demands, e.g. to deal more efficiently with temporary \"hot spots\" in the network. Moreover, the various wavelength channels constitute independent transport channels, which allows several service providers or several signal formats to coexist without interference on the same fixed infrastructure. Introducing these wavelength channels on already existing fibre infrastructures (e.g., CATV fibre-coax networks) to support fixed and mobile services would reduce substantially the installation and deployment costs of wireless services. As the wavelength selectivity needs to be introduced only at those base stations where it is required, a gradual upgrading scenario can be followed, leaving the other base stations still compatible with the services being offered.
The main application studied will be nomadic ATM-based computing, employing 622 Mbit/s ATM per wavelength channel in the fibre part of the network, and 20 Mbit/s ATM wireless connections to portable PCs.
Transceiver Stations

Summary of Trial

In a laboratory set-up, interworking of a HDWDM ATM-PON system with a wireless ATM access module will be tested under a variety of network conditions. This set-up will integrate a number of novel and adapted optical modules, including the wavelength-switching functionality. Towards the end of the project, a small-scale field trial is planned in Ghent (B), to assess the potential of the system in a realistic user environment. From the university premises of IMEC, interconnections will be made with primary and secondary schools. These schools will get access on a broadband wireless ATM basis to the university's network, and via this network to the national R&D communication network (plus the full repertoire of Internet services) as well.

Photonic Routing of Interactive Services for Mobile Applications
Switchless Optical Network for Advanced Transport Architecture

Main Objective

The overall objective of project PELICAN is to demonstrate the feasibility of an end-to-end, managed, large-scale photonic network, including transport and access.
To this end, project PELICAN will integrate, in a single Pan-European field trial, several optical networking test-beds implemented in three on-going ACTS projects. These projects are :

-OPEN (AC066), which demonstrated the feasibility of an optical Pan-European backbone network in which Wavelength-Division-Multiplexing (WDM) is fully exploited for both transmission and routing;

-MEPHISTO (AC209), whose objective is to extend the principles of the Telecommunication Management Network (TMN) to manage WDM photonic backbone networks; and

-PLANET (AC050), which investigates the concept of ATM SuperPON (Passive Optical Network) access networks.

Technical Approach

To meet this goal, the project has been organised in 4 work-packages.
WP0 will be responsible for the project management and liaison with the ACTS horizontal projects.
WP1 The definition and specifications of the field trial and its evaluation will be carried out in WP1. In particular, the following tasks will be realised:

-Definition of the field trial in terms of network topology, infrastructure, services, and specifications of the equipment, components, and management systems.

-Feasibility assessment of the field trial through modelling and laboratory experiments.

-Laboratory integration of the equipment and of the management systems prior to the field installation.

-Evaluation of the field trial.

-Demonstration of advanced services in collaboration with the service providing projects.
WP2 is dedicated to the adaptation of the OPEN (transport) and PLANET (SuperPON) hardware according to the specifications.

-On the access side, the SuperPON will be equipped with a dynamic Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol in the upstream direction. This protocol will provide a significant gain in the statistical multiplexing and thus will allow a more efficient sharing of the available bandwidth between multiple end-users. Combined with the flexibility of ATM, it will create new opportunities for providing multimedia services to small business and residential customers.

-On the transport side, the wavelength cross-connects will be upgraded in size (higher connectivity) and/or in bit-rate granularity (demonstration of routing at 10 Gbit/s). In addition, new, lower complexity optical nodes will be assembled. Network elements, including the optical amplifiers, will integrate the hardware necessary for the OA&M and network management functions as defined within MEPHISTO.
WP3 The adaptation of the management systems of both the core and access networks to the field trial specifications will be performed in WP3.

-On the SuperPON side, the control messages will be transported via an ATM VP/VC channel directly on the system infrastructure, thus eliminating the need for an external data communication network.

-On the transport side, TMN-compatible performance monitoring facilities will be added to the agent developed for all the optical nodes. Management applications (configuration, fault, and performance) developed within MEPHISTO will also be adapted to the new field trial requirements. Finally, agents will be integrated with the hardware equipment and interoperability with the managers will be verified.

Summary of Trial

The main outcome of the PELICAN project will be a trans-border field trial built on the OPEN, MEPHISTO and PLANET test-beds. This integrated trial will consist of managed transport and access networks as follows:
A managed optical transport network, interconnecting French and Belgian cities by means of high-capacity optical fibre links cross-connected through transparent photonic nodes. This network, built upon an existing fibre infrastructure (G.652 fibre), will heavily rely on the use of WDM for both transmission and routing. Two network partitions of different topologies will be considered and managed according to the OA&M concepts developed within project MEPHISTO:

-a meshed backbone network composed of wavelength cross-connects, with or without wavelength conversion (from the OPEN project); the channel rate in this core network will be 2.5 and 10 Gbit/s;

-a two-fibre unidirectional ring regional network composed of three fully reconfigurable Wavelength Add-Drop Multiplexers (from the MEPHISTO project). Each ring section will support four wavelength channels at a rate of 2.5 Gbit/s. A centrally-managed optical access network, of the SuperPON type, in a Fibre-To-The-Building (FTTB) configuration. The PON will bridge a distance of 100 km and support a large splitting factor (2000), though only a limited number of subscribers will actually be connected. The bi-directional transfer mode will rely on TDM transmission in the 1550 nm window and at a bit rate of 2.5 Gbit/s in the downstream direction, and on TDMA transmission at 1300 nm and at 311 Mbit/s in the upstream direction.
Applications (such as ATM and IP/ATM, etc.) and services (such as interactive multimedia, distant learning interactive, collaborative work, etc.) identified during the definition phase of the field trial will be demonstrated over the PELICAN infrastructure.

Physical topology of project PELICAN field trial

Pan-European lightwave core and access network

Main Objective

The objective of COIAS is to demonstrate the feasibility of designing the Global Internet Infrastructure (GII) based on ATM and satellite networks. The implementation will rely on the capabilities and functionality of the new generation of Internet protocol Ipv6. The project will focus mainly on performance, quality of service (QoS), mobility and security features. Several applications; such as Air Traffic Control, Air Navigation and widespread personal applications will be demonstrated on the COIAS platform.

Technical Approach

Each project partner is already involved in the development of new generation communication products dealing with Internet, ATM or satellite. The COIAS project team intends to participate actively in the standards forming bodies; in particular the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) groups. This should lead to the efficient dissemination of the R&D results and provide immediate feedback on the technical choices of COIAS.
COIAS intends to address important technical issues such as: Internet and ATM QoS mapping, RSVP signalling over ATM and satellite links, IP flows aggregation, network resource optimisation, load balancing between ATM and satellite networks, security for mobile access and reliable multicast transport protocol. The second stage of the project will be the design phase which will be led by two well known research labs and four industrial partners that are already working in the Internet and ATM domain.
The development phase should provide IPv6 protocol stacks with the added functionnalities (mobility, security, QoS management) enabling existing applications to run and benefit from those new communication protocols. The platform integration phase will lead to the availability of a European platform allowing the evaluation of a GII prototype network.
The trials phase will enable performance analysis of the implemented solutions and assessment of the accuracy of the technical choices. This phase will lead to a complete analysis of the results and should assist in identifying the required evolution path of the GII design.

Summary of Trial

Comprehensive trials will be conducted over the COIAS platform, which relies on ATM and satellite links between the different partners located in France, Belgium, UK and Germany. Ipv6 routers will be used over the WAN links to interconnect local platforms located at the partners' sites. These local platforms include LAN, ATM LAN and Wireless LAN. A three month trial has been defined to test the architecture firstly with generic applications and then with the aeronautical application that could be considered as representative of future GII applications mixing audio, video, data in a mobile and secure environment.

Main Objective
PRAXIS intends to demonstrate and disseminate results of the ACTS programme via sustainable and successful trials. PRAXIS will set up an ACTS Service Machine as an electronic commerce platform to act as a basis for trials by ACTS projects. The project will encourage SMEs to use the ACTS Service Machine within the framework of these trials, thus fostering success stories via active exploitation support of ACTS projects.

Technical Approach
The project will integrate the multimedia services of IMMP and AVANTI using the information of INFOWIN and the platform of SMARTS to establish a state-of-the art electronic commerce platform, the so-called Service Machine for the ACTS community. The project will also take advantage of the SMARTS user group of about 5000 European SMEs, most of them based in major European Technology Parks. The platform and user group will enable PRAXIS to offer ACTS projects an opportunity to participate in commercial feasibility trials.

Summary of Trial
ACTS projects will be approached and their principal interests identified. Investment, commercial models and implementation, as well as the practical details of their integration into the ACTS Service Machine will be discussed. The ACTS Service Machine and its user group, together with the technical and non-technical support services, will make it possible to conduct feasibility trials in a real-life environment. These trials will use a tailored market approach to evaluate the critical factors for successful exploitation. It is estimated that at least the 30 ACTS projects related to electronic commerce will participate in the commercial feasibility trials.

Platform Supporting the Exploitation of ACTS Project Trials

Main Objective

DICEMAN intends to provide a solution to what is probably the single biggest problem facing the archive content industry and its consumers today. Content holders have vast quantities of material which they would like to sell. Content consumers have a growing need to access and purchase this content. However, today's business model is primarily based on paper, video tapes and CDs, and the postal system, making it slow, expensive and cumbersome. In this era of digital content and global digital networks, it is time a digital solution to this problem revolutionised the industry. DICEMAN aims to do this by:

1.Opening up valuable databases of multimedia content by making them easier to search, using:

-advanced forms of descriptions and indexing

-advanced forms of user interfaces 2.Enabling the location of the best content for a given purpose, both locally and globally, over electronic networks, using agent-based assistants to users and provider.

3.Enabling the exchange and trading of multimedia content over electronic networks using standardized interfaces to electronic databases.

Technical Approach

DICEMAN is an end-to-end chain for the indexing, storage, search and trading of digital AV content. To this end, it aims to develop a technical reference model based, where possible, on existing and emerging standards. Technical work will focus on the elements of the DICEMAN system to produce a demonstrator that effectively shows the benefits of the DICEMAN approach in selected scenarios. In a few important ancillary areas, like electronic payment and rights management, the project will not actively develop technology, but will inform itself about technologies in these areas to ensure the DICEMAN system is sufficiently generic to accommodate them. It will also establish liaison with relevant ACTS projects addressing them.

An initial requirements phase, involving all partners, will lay the basis of the project's technical work, which will implement the DICEMAN chain. The Content Provider's Application (COPA) will integrate technologies for analysing and describing content before storing it in the DICEMAN database, a specialised database which is MPEG-7 aware. The application is intended to make the work of indexing material a less laborious task and encourage consistency and completeness of descriptions.

A means to search for and retrieve content from the database will be provided for the consumer of content and a secure session protocol will be implemented. This protocol will provide mechanisms for identification and authentication of users wishing to access content databases to ensure transactions take place between trusted parties in a controllable way.

The use of agents in the DICEMAN system will be investigated to improve the usability of the system, particularly as the system scales to include simultaneous searches of multiple databases. Agents representing the content provider will attempt to interpret search requests intelligently, while agents representing content consumers will learn about user preferences and manage search results from multiple sources.

Summary of Trial

The results of DICEMAN will be demonstrated to a number of potential professional users, some of whom have already been identified and include major players in the content business. The first demonstrable solution centres around the COPA software application, which gives content holders a means to build AV databases with content which has been analysed and described in an MPEG-7 compliant way. The second is a software application that allows users to search for, retrieve and pay for content from such AV databases. Both of these usage scenarios have at their core the MPEG-7AV database, DICEMAN's implementation of which will be among the world's first. It is intended to demonstrate DICEMAN technology at the IBC in September 1999.

Distributed internet content exchange with mpeg-7 and agent negotiations

Main Objective

The primary aim is to examine the configuration requirements for consistent and accurate communication through videotelephony in comparison with standards of real-world face-to-face communication; i.e., identifying the veracity of videotelephony and its \"Fitness-for-Purpose\". To key objectives are to:

-define objective face-to-face videotelephony criteria and measurement tools for Advanced Communication Service tasks

-conduct experiments to determine the veracity of different videotelephony configurations on the basis of face-to-face psychological criteria

-create recommendations and benchmark tests for determining \"Fitness-for-Purpose\" to enable reliable procedures for rapid and flexible videotelephony service introduction.

Technical Approach

Achieving veracity of videotelephony involves two related elements:

1.identifying the communication goals for which videotelephony is the appropriate alternative to real-world human communication; and 2.identifying the correct technical and psychological characteristics for achieving these communications goals.
The overall approach of the project is to define the human communication goals that are key contenders for the successful application of videotelephony and to identify the appropriate technical and psychological characteristics for testing in experiments. Appropriate application contexts around human communication goals will then be developed, using these evaluation methods in a series of pilots.

The project focuses on empirical contributions for the derivation of the science base but incorporates relevant theory where appropriate (e.g. human information processing, human perception, human language understanding, social interaction and communication). Empirical approaches include social-science methods of experimentation, attitude assessment and performance testing. It also includes the capture of 'craft' knowledge which exists in related application areas (e.g., instruction, counselling, medical interviewing), technology domains (e.g., television, film, multimedia, publishing) and skill areas (e.g., drama, sound, training).

Systematic comparative studies of videotelephony configurations will examine technical and psychological characteristics of broadband communication. These studies will be conducted in rich-context laboratory trials that simulate an appropriate advanced service(s). Potential technical configurations include network characteristics, equipment characteristics, and image, sound and environment characteristics. Potential psychological characteristics include psychological distance between interlocutors, gaze behaviour, use of communication back-channels, success of interlocutor communication intent, time and process of interaction and mental effort required. Candidate services/applications include health care, education and expert case conferencing with simultaneous translation.

The experiments involve measuring real-time interaction and the development of objective psychological measures, which are appropriate in terms of: achieving experimental rigour, whilst having real-world applicability; requiring minimisation of length/frequency of data collection; and having feasible data collection procedures (equipment requirements, level of user intrusion, etc.). Evaluation tools must be developed specifically for the project. These are likely to include observation schedules and questionnaires. The data collection procedures will also be assessed for their potential value outside the laboratory in field trials with very large user populations.

Summary of Trial

The project will conduct controlled experiments rather than trials. The scope of these has already been described (see in particular the Technical Approach).

Fitness-for-purpose of videotelephony in face-to-face situations

Main Objective

Global roaming, which allows user mobility in terms of services and locations, is a major goal of the 3rd generation of mobile communication systems. Radio access reconfigurability is a promising technological and economic alternative in order to deploy flexible, modular, multiband and multimode radio systems. In accordance with the Generic Radio Access Network (GRAN) approach, which separates radio dependent from radio independent parts, SORT aims to demonstrate flexible and efficient software (SW) programmable radios, thus:

-set the requirements for adaptive Radio Access including the definition of a functional architecture and digital signal processing requirements (e.g. A/D conversion requirements relative to system constraints and filtering capability),

-study and design more flexible and efficient process architecture,

-implement critical radio functionalities on reconfigurable hardware (HW) for two types of air interface,

-strongly relate the whole project to the standardisation of UMTS/FPLMTS. SORT motivation and objective

Technical Approach SORT is organised in three phases:

-the system study which identifies air interface functionalities and provides a classification of functions (i.e. separate common from critical functions). Indeed the deployment of SW radio depends on the power consumption required to process real-time functions. The definition of digital signal processing requirements will ensure the optimisation of the process (relative to complexity and power consumption).

-the study and design of critical functionalities which condition the feasibility of SW programmable radios. The study and design of suitable processing architectures will take into account the implementation constraints of reconfigurable HW (HW technology characteristics and SW portability). This phase includes analytical analysis and performance evaluation (simulations) of appropriate algorithms and processing architectures, optimisation of all critical algorithms in real-time processing language (i.e. C language) for their implementation on reconfigurable HW (i.e. demonstrator target boards), and extrapolation to real equipment so as to estimate complexity and power consumption for various types of base station or mobile terminal.

-the implementation on a demonstrator of a set of critical functionalities ending with feasibility assessment.

Summary of Trial

The planned trial will implement two critical radio receiver functionalities (channelisation and sample rate adaption) on reconfigurable HW for two types of air interface (Terrestrial-UMTS and Satellite-UMTS). The demonstration platform will be a PC or Workstation that actually implements common functions, whereas critical real-time functions are performed in specific additional boards (i.e. project developed).

Main Objective

While several groups have identified the need for agent standards, their production is currently a research activity. Although research groups in various companies have produced working multi-agent systems, many issues are at present too poorly understood for reliable, well-specified standards to be generated. The goal of this project is therefore to generate this understanding such that the project can act as a driver of relevant standardisation effort. The principal focus of the project is the standards under development by FIPA - the Foundation for Intelligent Physical Agents. Additionally, the project will seek to influence agent standardisation work being performed by the Object Management Group

Technical Approach

The project will be structured around two development cycles - phase 1 and phase 2 - which will mirror the timetable for the production of agent standards in FIPA. Phase 1 will focus on the FIPA97 normative specifications, published in October 1997, with the aim of driving the development of FIPA98. Similarly, Phase 2 will validate the FIPA98 normative specifications due the following year, aiming to drive ongoing standardisation activity.

In each phase, demonstrators will be produced in three application areas - audio-visual broadcasting, service reservation, and electronic commerce. These application areas have been chosen to provide good coverage of the functionality of the FIPA and OMG standards.

Summary of Trial

The trials performed by the FACTS project will be designed to stress the full scope of standards under development by FIPA. At this stage, is has not been decided whether the three software interaction trials will each be performed on a single site or by linking remote sites.

Agent communication technologies and services

Main Objective

The objectives are to demonstrate the potential of widely tuneable lasers for High Density -Wavelength Division Multiplexed (HD-WDM) networks, to explore a new network architecture taking advantage of the flexibility of such lasers and to develop advanced control, management and switching methods for widely tuneable laser modules.

Technical Approach

The main focus is on the development of control methods for widely tuneable lasers and their implementation in subsystems containing the lasers fully packaged with drive electronics and microprocessor control. The aim of the control is to obtain accurate wavelength settings and sufficiently pure and stable laser spectra. Two distinct routes for achieving this control will be investigated and compared.

The look-up table control is based on laser characteristics (power, wavelength, etc. versus currents) stored on an EEPROM. The characteristics can be both under the form of extensive series of measurement data or based on simple physical models and a limited number of device parameters. Emphasis will be on control algorithms that require little characterisation and very fast programming and on automation of characterisation and parameter extraction.

The feedback control is based on direct monitoring of wavelength, power, etc. during operation and using it as feedback in the control of the tuneable lasers. Particular attention will be paid to wavelength monitoring using stable optical filters. Hybrid control schemes with both look-up table and feedback based control will also be considered.

Widely tuneable subsystems, including the above mentioned control methods will be developed and tested for use in the network demonstrator. The power, single mode stability, frequency stability and tuning accuracy will be investigated with a view to improve performance.

From a systems point of view, there is also a strong interest in fast wavelength switching (e.g. for packet oriented WDM systems) and in direct intensity modulation (to avoid the costly external modulator). Therefore, the limits of switching and modulation will be studied, with the aim to be able to optimise the laser design and to include switching and modulation in the laser control algorithms. To this end, spectrum stabilisation circuits a.o. will be explored. The stable operation of the tuneable subsystems will be investigated in a network demonstrator. Improved module specifications and refined requirements on their control and management will be derived from the experience with the network demonstrator.

Summary of Trial

The HD-WDM network demonstrator will make use of a simplified cross-connecting / routing functionality at the nodes by implementation of a large part of the routing function at the transmitters and receivers. This will require widely tuneable transmitters and receivers, but only passive and mainly fixed wavelength routing at the network nodes.

One of the aims will be to determine the minimum allowable channel spacing. The limitation on channel spacing will primarily come from cross-talk rejection requirements of the designed network. The target channel spacing is 0.4 nm (50 GHz). In addition, laser control and adjustment of the absolute wavelength relative to a reference will be assessed and wavelength management, network control and interworking between modules from different manufacturers will be demonstrated.

Application and Control of Widely Tunable Lasers in HD-WDM Networks

Main Objective

MOSQUITO deals with the Management of Quality of Service in Digital TV operations, either over satellite, cable or terrestrial networks. The ultimate objective is to monitor the Quality of Service over each point in the network. This is extremely important to network operators and programme providers. It will also offer users a higher quality service. European DVB (Digital Video Broadcasting) standards will make Digital TV increasingly free of borders within the continent. Network operators will become more involved in the transmission process and will be able to guarantee that the digital TV signal is correctly passed from one part of the network to the other.

This project complements the work of QUOVADIS. It is now possible to define complementary studies that will ensure comprehensive integration of the \"Quality of Service\" concept into all aspects of future digital television services and take into account relevant results from other ACTS projects.

Technical Approach

MOSQUITO will focus on a number of Quality of Service issues for Digital Television which could not be considered in QUOVADIS. These include the interaction between quality parameters, e.g. there is a known interaction between perceived picture and sound quality. This has implications for the overall perceived Quality of Service and merits further study. These studies will be based on objective and subjective assessments from QUOVADIS and complementary studies in MOSQUITO.

Another very important aspect is the optimisation of the agreed QoS Channel. The Packet Identifier (PID), defined by the DVB consortium, reserves space for QoS parameters. It is important to investigate how to use this facility and how to optimise and standardise it to resolve the various interoperability issues. MOSQUITO will also focus on the Quality of Service of Digital Television via ATM circuits, since these packet based networks have their own particular potential QoS problems. The time discontinuities, which can arise during ATM transmission, make it necessary to monitor special parameters, such as jitter and \"wander\". These problems require further investigation, in order to ensure optimum QoS via ATM networks.

For network management QUOVADIS adopted a TMN (Telecommunication Management Network) approach to QoS. MOSQUITO will enhance this Quality Management System, with network and service information coming from the network devices. Another crucial technique that needs to be investigated is statistical multiplexing, since it affects the quality of the picture. Finally, MOSQUITO will study the quality of data transmission (Electronic Program Guide, Associated Data, Return Channel), which was not considered by QUOVADIS.
The Mosquito QoS Management Network

Summary of Trial

Trials integration is a key element of MOSQUITO. Not only will it extend the trials carried out by QUOVADIS on the French National Host Platform, but it will also be able to validate other results on another DVB-T (DVB Terrestrial broadcasting) platform located in Bavaria and on an ATM plus DVB-T platform in Sweden. The three trials will integrate and validate the equipment developed by MOSQUITO for TMN and will study the impact of different Digital TV transmission scenarios on the final quality of the signal.

The modification of the network or T&M (Test and Measurement) equipment in order to adapt them to the format of the data associated with the measurement PID, will also be carried out on the French National Host.

Management of service quality in television operations

Main Objective

Existing telecommunication service and management architectures, such as IN (Intelligent Network) and TMN (Telecommunication Management Network), are based on the traditional RPC (Remote Procedure Call) paradigm of computing and provide services in a centralised manner. Service and management intelligence are located in only a few centralised network nodes, which results in potential communication inefficiencies and bottlenecks, and makes it difficult to achieve effective on-demand and customised service provision. New, innovative services are notoriously slow and difficult to implement.

Due to their inherent autonomy and mobility, mobile agents offer new possibilities for the provisioning of as yet unknown services in the emerging electronic service markets. By allowing the movement of both code and data, mobile agent systems have an extremely high potential to optimise the use of low-bandwidth, high-latency or unreliable network connections typical for mobile service environments. In addition, Agent Technology allows for rapid service deployment. These expected advantages have yet to be proved in scientific evaluations.

Key aspects of advanced communication services and applications in the near future will be personalisation and scalability. As a multiplicity of networks and transmission protocols will remain, users will look for seamless access to their personalised set of services from any suitable access point in either fixed or mobile networks, using different user devices. The main objectives of CAMELEON are therefore to develop and trial:

-service roaming features through the application of agent technology in an Integrated Broadband Communication (IBC) architecture, exemplified with the Virtual Home Environment (VHE) developed for the Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS),

-an agent-based VHE support environment to reduce lead-times and costs for the development and deployment of new and more advanced network-based services.

Technical Approach

The approach of the project is based on the development of scaleable concepts for integrating the use of Agent Technology with the evolving traditional telecommunication infrastructure. The architectural concept will provide the framework for the development of three specific services. These services will be implemented and evaluated on two agent platforms, which are targeted on two different time horizons.

-Agent Platform 2000: The platform 2000 will use a Java-based Mobile Agent Framework to prototype the chosen end-user services and to show the feasibility of a mobile-agent based VHE approach. A number of platforms are possible candidates for the implementation, including Aglets Work Bench from IBM, Odyssey from General Magic and Voyager from Object Space.

-Agent Platform 2005: Agents and CORBA are hot topics and fast moving areas in today's IT world. These technologies offer a lot of new possibilities in the conceptual work to be exploited by new products. As the second implementation platform the OMG MASIF-compliant and CORBA-based Grasshopper environment will be used.

Summary of Trial

CAMELEON's approach is based on the conviction that function, fit and performance of the use of Agent Technology in telecommunication networks must be investigated jointly. Hence:

-the functional adequacy will be assessed through user trials,

-the implementation feasibility of the new technologies and its interworking will be evaluated through prototype implementations,

-the performance of the CAMELEON architecture and services will be studied by simulations and by real-world experiments.

Demonstrations of the CAMELEON prototype software are planned for CeBit'99 and IS&N'99. As the user trials must be performed on the basis of realistic, interesting services three VHE applications have been selected from a long list of promising candidates:
1.The Adaptive Profile Manager will demonstrate how user preferences can be considered in a flexible and personalised manner when incoming communication requests have to be handled automatically.
2.The Virtual Book will combine various data sources for storing user related address information and store them into a virtual, network-based agency. This service will allow a CAMELEON user to apply different types of terminals, with different degrees of computing and communication performance, placed at different geographic locations, to be used even when roaming outside the home network.
3.The Flexible Financial Service will demonstrate how agent technology can be applied within private and business sectors to enable terminal independent financial services from various mobile devices. Application performance and transaction security will be improved through the inherent autonomy of mobile agents.

Communication Agents for Mobility Enhancements in a Logical Environment of Open Networks

Main Objective

The main objective of CustomTV is to develop, demonstrate and validate the technology for user-friendly screen customisation and interactive programme selection in a multimedia broadcast environment by introducing the multimedia elements of the MPEG-4 standard and the object description of the MPEG-7 standard into existing Digital Visual Broadcasting (DVB) services. This system will demonstrate the compatible co-existence of MPEG-2 with MPEG-4 and MPEG-7, thus helping to contribute to faster acceptance of these new standards.

Technical Approach

CustomTV will rely on existing technology. The demonstrator will be built using mostly commercial products (MPEG-2) and technologies developed by a number of ACTS projects implementing MPEG-4; such as the MoMuSys terminal and the German MINT project's implementation of MPEG-4 video decoding on the 320C6x DSP on a parallel pentium PC platform. To provide more than one image sequence within the transport multiplex stream, an MPEG-2 commercial system and an MPEG-4 customised system will be used to encode and decode the real-time video, audio and data elements. Considerable effort will be devoted to software development of program interaction and composition. The new MPEG-7 technology will enable the selection of one or more information streams from a multiplex containing many such streams and, together with the MPEG-4 compositor, offer a means of flexibly presenting this information on screen. Since MPEG-7 information streams will have descriptive tags associated with each information stream, content-based access of distributed information can be achieved where the user can selectively access the information according to a set of pre-selected key words or other search criteria. A user profile will be built to offer viewing suggestions on request. The work will be performed in collaboration with international standardisation bodies, in particular MPEG-7, MPEG-4, FIPA, DVB, DAVIC and others.

Summary of Trial

A real-time demonstrator system, based on multimedia DSP technology, will be built with a CCIR-601 resolution screen that is able to present CIF sub-images, text streams, JPEG still images and GIF graphic images. It will be based on existing MPEG-2 multiplexor technology to carry MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 streams and enhanced with MPEG-7 data. The CustomTV demonstrator will be used to show the formation of 'live' (MPEG-2) and 'recorded' (MPEG-4) broadcast multimedia material, enhanced with MPEG-7 information (indexed manually and semi-automatically) and broadcasting to the viewer site. At the receiving end the selection based on searching the required multimedia material using MPEG-7 will be demonstrated. Also interactive screen configuration will be shown. The project plans to demonstrate MPEG-4 broadcasting with MPEG-7 indexing via satellite at IBC'99 (incorporated in the DVB-S MPEG-2 transport stream in compatible form). This demonstration will include the customisation of the display screen. The project also intends to test CustomTV solutions in networks other than satellite such as ATM and DVB-T, which will be made available by the project partners.

Main Objective

OSM PLUS, an extension of OSM (AC211), is centred around the specification of an Interactive Development Environment (IDE) for object based Electronic Commerce based on a distributed asynchronous communications backbone.

Technical Approach

With IIOP interoperability for CORBA, and a diverse set of distributed object services, the OMG's Object Management Architecture has come of age as a tool for expert programmers to generate complex multi-tier systems. The Object Management Architecture and CORBA are on the verge of a next step, the provision a component framework enabling CORBA objects, representing both client-side and non-visual server-side functionality. Unsophisticated programmers will assemble these objects into systems, using visual development tools and scripting languages.
Based on the CORBA distributed object model from the OSM Project AC211, the OSM PLUS Project will specify a development environment capable of supporting the construction, deployment and execution of dynamic electronic commerce business components.
Development Environment for Distributed Object based Electronic Commerce Unlike classic application development, the deployment of electronic commerce objects mixes the local information technology domain with an open market domain. Products and Services that are made available under contract in the marketplace will be built on a foundation of external business services - added value will be provided through enterprise service and product offers layered above existing market offers. This is comparable to linking together a new application with libraries held and maintained in different organisation, but not under the consumers' control.
By tightly integrating the IDE with the Internet we introduce the ability for the dynamic coupling between externally available resources and local development. This tight coupling will be enabled through \"agency\" facilities (OMG ECDTF Reference Model) and/or Business System Domain interfaces which provide the points of presence for external enterprises, and the entry point for resource and services in the marketplace.
OSM Electronic Commerce Business Platform

Summary of Trial

No trial is planned within the OSM PLUS Project, however, an OSM compliant facility will be publicly available under iiop://home.osm.net (refer to the OSM web site ##URI##http://www.osm.net##ENDURI## http://www.osm.net for details).

Open service model for global electronic commerce

Main Objective

GESTALT will bring an online training demonstrator using the results of three ACTS projects:

-AC052 (PROSPECT) - Providing Multi-domain management in the expected open service market;

-AC100 (RENAISSANCE) - Integrating high performance services for interactive vocational training for European regeneration;

-AC221 (GAIA) - Providing generic architecture for information availability.

Technical Approach

The novel element of the project is the way in which the components from the above listed projects are integrated. The proposed strategy exploits two mechanisms for enabling the integration:

-The specification of open Business Objects comprising the interfaces between the various software system components within the GESTALT Architecture. These object specifications will consist of IDL descriptions and will be implemented within the GESTALT demonstrator;

-The definition of a metadata format capable of representing the multimedia courseware resources and their requirements for correct operation. The metadata will be developed in compliance with the defined format which will be deployed in the GESTALT demonstrator.

Summary of Trial

User-based trials will be conducted at the University of Naples and will include a broker service providing information on courses, modules and resources available, as well as online access to these via a web-enabled Learning Environment.
Network Performance trials will be conducted on the University of Sheffield Testbed which consists of configurable ATM, Cable Modem, ISDN and LAN Technologies.

Getting education systems talking across leading-edge technologies

Main Objective

Based on results from other ACTS projects, such as INSIGNIA and EXODUS, MARINE will investigate enhancements to the Intelligent Network (IN) architecture by means of flexible allocation of service control resources. Fixed network services as well as mobility aspects will be considered. The project will develop prototypes of enhanced IN equipment incorporating Distributed Processing Environment (DPE) and Mobile Agent (MA) technologies. Part of the IN core functionality will be redefined by means of the MA/DPE paradigm. In particular, Service Logic will be specified and implemented as CORBA (Common Object Request Broker Architecture) objects able to move across the network and to be executed on different platforms. The added flexibility is expected to overcome bottlenecks currently present in the IN architecture, thus producing a more powerful network able to tailor the redistribution of its functionality according to service needs. The architecture developed will be validated by means of experiments.

Technical Approach

The project focuses on the enhancement of traditional IN by providing a higher degree of flexibility in the allocation of intelligence for service control between the IN elements. This is done on the basis of a distributed computational paradigm, incorporating MA technology, which models the interactions between IN elements in order to avoid a rigid binding of service control functionality to specific network elements.

MARINE will develop prototypes of IN core systems, such as Service Control Points (SCPs) and Service Switching Points (SSPs), providing the runtime environment for the execution of machine-independent Service Logic Programs (SLPs) downloaded from the network. The architecture adopted will allow these SLPs to be executed either directly on the switches or on the SCPs, depending on service needs in terms of required delays, reliability and computational resources.

The added flexibility will help to achieve a better exploitation of the computational resources available within the network and to spread network-provided services to a higher number of users. This is particularly important in a broadband environment, where complex services, both in terms of connection topology and resources requirements, are offered to the users. The project considers an integrated IN/B-ISDN environment as the starting point. MA and DPE technologies provide the technical basis for the needed IN enhancements. MARINE will not develop terminals and related applications but will use available equipment. Services will selected from INSIGNIA and EXODUS, the main selection criterion being adequate exploitation of MA/DPE capabilities in the enhanced environment. Core network enhancements aiming at a flexible provision of services for both fixed and mobile users are the focus of the project. These enhancements will be made possible by the availability of Java-based MA platforms on top of DPEs, which provide the basis for the dynamic reallocation of intelligence between IN core devices.
Backward compatibility with INAP-based systems is an issue for the project.

Summary of Trial

The project has planned one trial site simulating two networks and a single experimental phase, based on friendly users and concentrated in the last period of project activity. The objectives of the project, together with its duration, allow significant results to be obtained by means of this configuration, without the need for a trans-European trial. The trial aims to verify the enhancements of the IN architecture in terms of provision of a MA environment based on a DPE for service support.

During the trial, services selected from INSIGNIA and EXODUS and implemented according to the MA/DPE paradigm will be verified and the advantages expected from the dynamic allocation of network intelligence to IN nodes will be tested.

Mobile agent environments in intelligent networks

Main Objective

The two primary objectives of SUSIE are related to trial integration and IP/ATM convergence:

1.to establish the basis for Premium IP convergence charging where the retail of IP based multimedia services is in the context of a usage charged ATM network with prioritised IP over ATM streams selected via a QoS/Price trader. 2.to integrate and validate TINA services (including management) with an IP/ATM network.

Technical Approach

The approach is innovative in that; firstly, SUSIE integrates into a trial concepts from two different ACTS domains: the ATM/IP aspect of high speed networks; and the service aspects with TINA implementation. Secondly, the project addresses some of the key issues associated with Premium IP, including prioritisation, cost management, accounting and service selection. Thirdly, the project studies convergence charging in the context of a usage charged ATM network by combining a number of connection detail records (IP and ATM) with service detail records from the higher layer. Finally, the project has commenced the establishment of an operators' forum to monitor and review the accounting aspects of the project.

Summary of Trial

The trial focuses on connectivity and services for a number of schools in Europe and Canada. The trial converges multimedia services, network IP/ATM interoperability and charging in the context of public demonstration. SUSIE will extend the Virtual Classroom project, which operated between Switzerland and Canada as part of the G7/GIBN project using the EXPERT ATM test-bed, with various access technologies including ADSL and multimedia services. The extension will include a video on demand server, media on demand server and multimedia communication services. The trial will be based in schools in Basel, Berlin, Dublin and Ottawa. Public demonstrations will be held in Telecom 99 and probably CeBIT 99.

Charging for premium ip services in the European information infrastructure & services pilot

Main Objective

The main objective of TERA is to support consolidating, condensing and rationalising the deployment guidelines for the introduction of advanced communication services and networks. This will be achieved by performing techno-economic evaluations of the outputs from other ACTS projects and field trials. The project will apply the techno-economic methodology and tool developed in projects TITAN(R2087) and OPTIMUM (AC226) that is now widely accepted within the ACTS community and among other telecommunications actors as the state-of-the-art approach for techno-economic evaluations of multimedia communication services and networks.
The wider consensus process will support consolidating the ACTS guidelines and lead to promoting their results in international journals, conferences and through the participation of non-EU Mediterranean countries in the process. The guidelines and results target the ACTS community, network and service providers, equipment suppliers, public authorities and regulatory bodies. They clarify the impact of key cost elements, revenues and the broadband upgrade economics. In addition, the guidelines will address the risks related to the introduction of new services and advanced networks in a competitive market taking into account the different regulatory environments and boundary conditions such as Universal Service Obligation.

Technical Approach

TERA exploits the previous work in techno-economic evaluations of telecommunication networks and services within projects TITAN (RACE II), which developed a tool for techno-economic evaluation of access network strategies focused on the residential market, and OPTIMUM (AC226), which enhanced this tool to handle multimedia networks and services.
TERA's results will be disseminated within the ACTS community and published in international Journals and presented in conferences. Specific ACTS workshops will be organised. This involves collecting data from ongoing field trials and projects as an input to the techno-economic analysis, exchanging of deliverables and meetings with relevant projects. The input data are mainly market data on demand for application and services and cost data of specific network architectures from the operator's point of view. The evolution scenarios and analysis based on single project inputs can be complete in the case of the 3rd call integrated trials. For technology oriented projects, the input data are mainly network architectures and cost breakdown. In this case the basis for evaluation of potential revenues are extracted from applications and services demand oriented projects. Using these data, TERA creates evolution scenarios with architecture / technology options. The evaluation is performed in some cases by the project itself with support from TERA, and in other cases it is performed totally within TERA. Special focus will be on evaluating broadband radio and satellite systems and comparing them with fixed network solutions. TERA, together with other ACTS projects, will consolidate, condense and rationalise guidelines, which should form a basis for draft deployment guidelines. It will also plan and organise with other ACTS actors a focused international conference on Techno-economics of telecommunication services and networks. Special attention will be given to the evolution toward multimedia broadband applications and services over different network solutions. In addition TERA will intensify the publication of quantitative techno-economic results in ACTS, International Journals and conferences.

Summary of Trial

The nature of this project is such that no practical experimentation is foreseen. However, TERA will evaluate and validate relevant field trials carried out by other ACTS projects, and other trials implemented by European Telecom operators.

Main Objective

The emerging Open European/Global Information Infrastructure is characterised by its increasing distribution, its dynamic nature, and the complexity of its resources. Managing such an environment requires increased intelligence in management solutions and the mobility of such solutions. MIAMI has the following objectives:

-to create a unified Mobile Intelligent Agent (MIA) framework by validating, refining, and enhancing the OMG MASIF (Object Management Group Mobile Agent System Interoperability Facilities Specification) standards according to the requirements for an Open European Information Infrastructure (EII).

-To develop mobile agent solutions for the management of the Open EII and validating them via a set of Pan-European trials in the context of network and service management, and Advanced Communication and Information (ACI) services.

-To create a reference implementation of the unified MIA framework in order to evaluate the service solutions in a Pan-European environment.

-To produce recommendations for the introduction of the MASIF in future products and for the development of MIA-based solutions.

Technical Approach

The implementations within the project will take place on an existing MASIF conformant mobile agent platform. The following facilities are at the core of the MIA infrastructure: lifecycle management, execution, migration, communication, security, and interaction with legacy systems. Case Studies will be selected to validate the MIA infrastructure. Legacy resources of different sites, such as network or service management systems, and facilities will be adapted to the MIA platform components, providing operational environments for the MIAs migrating among the agent systems. Two layers of applications, which will be built upon the enhanced MIA infrastructure, will correspond to the two groups of case studies:

-MIA-based Active Virtual Pipe Service. Agent-based service components providing Quality of Service data to the Service Provider as well as remote fault management and flexible routing strategies (configuration) will be installed and tested.

-ACI Service. Support features for ACI services will include remote mail check, video-conference, secure document access, GroupWare, and Brokerage.

Summary of Trial

The trial consists of a project-developed agent-based multi-domain management platform and selected Pan-European advanced communication and information services. Selected MIAMI partners will become players in the MIAMI enterprise model and host the appropriate roles. Agent systems and MIA-based service support facilities will be installed at the partner sites. The candidate communication infrastructures are: ATM, ISDN, and the Internet. The demonstrations will cover the selected applications in the field of network management (QoS, fault management, and routing) and ACI services (remote access to information and mail services).

Mobile Intelligent Agents for Managing the Information Infrastructure

Main Objective

The primary objectives of InfoBridge are to provide an information window th rough which the work of ACTS is visible to the outside world, as well as to publ ish accessible summaries of ACTS Projects and Domain results targeted at specifi c segments of the market (e.g. scientific, technical and policy communities). Fu rthermore InfoBridge will provide an electronic information base (Web-based Info space) as a hub for the information exchange within ACTS and to the outside worl d.
InfoBridge will build on the work of the successful ACTS project InfoWin, addr essing dissemination activities, which are not covered by InfoWin (e.g. extendin g the information window to new geographical regions especially Eastern Europe). It will continue the base information and service infrastructure after the end of InfoWin to ensure the visibility of ACTS results in the 5th framework program me.
InfoBridge will focus on the information generation from projects, information collation and consolidation around specific thematic points, information editin g and condensation for specific audiences including the reporting of key events.

Technical Approach

As InfoBridge will build on the work of the InfoWin project, it will use and extend the services, tools, products and experiences of this successful ACTS pr oject to reach the objectives of InfoBridge. After the end of InfoWin in Decembe r 1998, InfoBridge will continue the tasks, which are necessary to ensure a succ essful dissemination of ACTS results focused on key events bridging the gap to t he 5th framework. For all publications the well-known InfoWin label will be used to ensure continuity in the promotion of the ACTS Programme and its results.

The technical approach to achieve the objectives of InfoBridge is based on a distribution of the work into

-gathering, processing and publishing of ACTS-domain related information an d data (ACTS results and promotion material) in an attractive way

-re-purposing and information objective exchange with other horizontal acti on projects in order to support the promotion of results

-organising and co-ordinating the dissemination of ACTS results on major ev ents

-providing basic dissemination channels (such as an electronic information base, news services) and services supporting projects in the dissemination of th eir results

Covering of events

The technical approach to the work addressing the events is broken down into pre-event activities (preparation and promotion), activities at the event itsel f, and the follow-up of the event.

Publications and Promotion Material

As the ACTS Programme results in a wide range of outcomes and achievements, InfoBridge will establish - in close collaboration with a European network of re porters and technical specialists - a continuous collection and dissemination of results obtained in the projects. It will also establish and disseminate the im pact of the work in ACTS on the 5th Framework programme. The collected data will be processed in various publication formats for different target groups and obj ectives. The products will include promotional material (brochures, posters, fly ers etc.), domain-oriented thematic issues and success stories of ACTS. In addit ion, regular publications are planned such as a multilingual headline news servi ce. The products will be published as books, on CD-ROM and as on-line-versions o n the Infospace.

Basic Information Dissemination Infrastructure, Services and Project Support
A basic infrastructure will be provided by InfoBridge to ensure the continuous visibility of ACTS Programme and dissemination activities and the support of pr ojects and the Commission in their effort to provide ACTS results. This includes the ongoing promotion of ACTS in all European regions and in specific business sectors as well as towards the 5th Framework. These will be supported by regular information services such as multilingual headline news, as well as internet an d direct contacts to media gatekeepers and business multipliers. The Infospace w ill be the hub of the Web-based electronic information exchange for ACTS events as well as for the InfoBridge services and a database for the ACTS projects (e.g . other dissemination and promotion projects) and the ACTS Programme and communi ty as a whole. It is an essential channel for dissemination of information about the ACTS Programme and its results to the outside world in a continuous and tim ely manner.

Summary of Trial

The work of this project is such that no practical experimentation is forese en.

The Bridge from ACTS to the outside World

Main Objective
The objective of the project is to develop innovative base station array processing architectures and algorithms for UMTS that are sufficiently flexible to support a range of different second and third generation air interface standards.
Technical Approach
This project builds on the work of TSUNAMI-II (AC020). It is based on conducting field trials of adaptive antennas, using prototype equipment in a real mobile network. The first few months define the project's requirements. Mobile operators' requirements and the groundwork of the architectural definitions, including the system design choices and algorithms suitable for W-CDMA, will be completed.
Experiments and simulations will be carried out to allow architectural decisions to be made and the top level system design to be performed. Propagation measurements will be conducted in Aalborg (Denmark) and will be focused on developing the channel models required for the Adaptive Antenna technology baseline architectures in a realistic deployment. In order to achieve all the beamforming capabilities, studies will based on the information pertaining to different air interface and the additional signalling needed to complete all the process. Important requirements set by Adaptive for the UMTS BSS, using the present wireless systems, are determined.
Joint multi-user detection techniques for the seamless incorporation into W-CDMA will be studied, and the maximum performance in terms of interference cancellation will be investigated.
Summary of Prototype
The project will undertake prototyping of adaptive array processing software radio modules on a real-time platform. The aim of this task is to assess the use of the software radio concept for the implementation of adaptive antenna in base stations. Accordingly, the prototyping will be based on high speed DSP and this work will form an integral part in the UMTS adaptive antenna base station. The results from various other activities will be compared to identify the roadmaps.

The project was aimed at the transfer of risk evaluation technologies from the nuclear engineering sector to the capital investment sector. The overall scope was the achievement of better software tools for EU investors and traders to evaluate value at risk (VAR) for venture capital initiatives and the mutual and pension funds management. The technology transfer opportunity was offered by existing software technologies developed and copyrighted by JRC and DERA in the engineering/energy sector.

The basic objective of this project was to scale up for industrial use, the innovative results from a BRITE-EURAM Project, which concerned the residual service life of reinforced concrete structures. The demand for this has come from end-users (eight are partners in this project). The approach was to work from the best available science to produce a practical engineering approach to assessment, in user-friendly terms, covering corrosion, frost action, alkali-silica reaction (ASR) and other expansive actions. No validated manual currently exists, and it was estimated that the completion of this project would reduce unnecessary expenditure on repairs by 10-20 % within 3-5 years.

The major deliverable of the project was the validated User Manual, compatible with relevant European Codes and Standards together with complementary guideline documents, relevant to particular structures (buildings, bridges, dams, etc.), based on the output from the case studies. Each case study was also a deliverable plus a deliverable on how to apply the technology to prestressed concrete.

The specific objectives were to:

- calibrate the methodology against a wide range of structures
- give clear guidance on the application of the technology, with the emphasis on structural assessment, and on action plans for owners
- produce, publish and promote a fully validated User Manual
- outline how the technology might be extended to prestressed concrete.

A VALIDATED USERS MANUAL FOR ASSESSING THE RESIDUAL SERVICE LIFE OF CONCRETE STRUCTURES
Automatic grading of fish using machine vision
Feeding automation in offshore submerged cages
Enhancing stability of dried whole capelin
New protein ingredients obtained from fresh fish wastes and unmarketable white and blue fish, to be used as ingredients in ecological marine aquaculture diets
New ecological highly nutrition and palatable marine aquaculture diets
Treatment and disposal of suspended solids in the sewage from vertically integrated marine fish farms
Management tools for farming and processing fish
Comperative genetic structure in populations of Ostrea edulis, including growth and potential resistance to Bonamia ostreae
To determine the practicality of development of effective bacterins for the control of diseases caused by members of the Flavobacterum/Flexibacter group
Harvesting and processing of cockles without sand
A geographical information system for dynamic fisheries management
Aquaculture of Polychaeta for Southern Europe
Research Objective Mortality in European Oysters
Extrusion processing and enzymatic conversion as a tool for replacing fishmeal by cereal grains for use in aquaculture
Lower wastage levels through extended shelf-life for fresh fish
Development and implementation of a computerized sensory (QIM) system for evaluating fish freshness
Development of a rapid, innovative and cheap method for screening fish products for residues of antibacterial
Novel products and applications based on lecithins to improve health and nutrition of aquaculture species
Microalgal probiotics for fish and animal feeds
Fine chemicals from aquatic biomass (micro-algea)
Identification of critical parameters in growth, maturation, and ova production artic char (Salvinus alpinus)
Sea Lice Lure to prevent the infestation of fish in fish farms by parasites
Torwards understanding and control of Enterococcosis of Mediteranean fish
Extrusion processing and enzymatic conversionas tool for partially replacing fishmeal by cereal grains for use in aquaculture
Computerised Automatic Long Line System onboard fishing vessels
Developing a process for automated tuna head meat recovery
Accurate Fish Grading Using Machine Vision
Development of a \"Blue Label\" for fish farms towards a certified environmental performance
Research Objective - Mortality in European Oysters
New improved salting process for white fish
Comparative Genetic Structure in Populations of Ostrea edulis, including growth and Potential Resistance to Bonamia ostreae

OBJECTIVES
As vocational training opportunities take on an increasingly European dimension, guidance tools will have to take this dimension more into account. The object of the pilot project is to raise awareness within the Community of existing training opportunities, by enabling various European countries to share and homogenise access to their databases on vocational training in the broadest, most economical and amicable way possible. The aim is to automatically provide every European citizen with equal access to the training opportunities available within the EU and thus to promote the transnational mobility of students and workers. If it is easy for them to find out what training options are available in another country - and how to access them, the project will have fulfilled its objectives.

ACTIVITIES
The project will be divided into three phases. The first will be dedicated to studying existing information networks and on-line information services in the various partner countries. Emphasis will be placed on the ease and cost of use, on the level of interaction of the existing services and on the possibility of connecting them to a broader, international communications network. Once this study phase has been completed, the partners will have to select a network and a uniform service to offer to the participating countries, ensuring that all users have equal access to the databases. The project will finally be extended to include other European countries.

PRODUCTS
- A network of European databases on vocational training.

European network of data bases on vocational training

OBJECTIVES
The major changes which have taken place in industry and the service sector have profoundly altered the training requirements of companies and individuals. The recognition of the fact that the workplace can be used as a source of knowledge is becoming increasingly significant. This project aims to combine the results of tests carried out at several European universities and training bodies regarding the validation of professional experience, with a view to developing methods and tools for acknowledging skills acquired which are not dependent on national classification systems. It will focus on developing a European model for the evaluation of vocational experience which can be used for the appraisal and validation of skills of employees or people looking for work, or for the validation of skills acquired on a vocational training course.

ACTIVITIES
Initially, the universities involved in the project will review the approaches initiated at their establishments with regard to the validation of vocational experience, analyse their practices, methods and tools, and define the methods used by the partners with companies enlisted to participate in the project. The second step will be dedicated on the one hand, to verifying the transferability of the tools and methods, and on the other hand, to working with the companies in order to study how and under what conditions industrial or service companies of various sizes can incorporate the validation process into their human resource management policies. Finally, the partners will jointly evaluate and publish the results of the work and the experiments conducted with the partner companies.

PRODUCTS
- Guides on the evaluation and validation of professional skills, one for use by training institutions, one for use by companies;
- A guide for the training of trainers in the use of the NVQ system.

Validating learning inside and outside European companies for technicians, managers and engineers

OBJECTIVES
In order to respond to the requirements of show business professionals, this project aims to create specific training modules for the clothing professions in the world of show business (costume specialists, dressers), by arranging an exchange of training and professional practices between training institutions and professionals. By giving training practices a deeper dimension and achieving a better understanding of the capabilities and skills which the profession demands, it will be possible to create new jobs.

ACTIVITIES
Placements in a professional environment are initially envisaged, during which the students and trainers will make costumes and masks and will become acquainted with the techniques and practices specific to the world of show business. The professionals and trainers will then identify the core skills which need to be acquired and training requirements, and will then devise training modules (individualised training with tutor support) on the basis of these materials and experiences. These modules will also promote language-learning. A European reference system listing techniques for the design and production of stage costumes and masks will finally be produced.

PRODUCTS
- Training modules for clothing professions in the world of show business.
- European reference system.
- Creation of training networks.

Developments in training for clothing professionals

OBJECTIVES
The project will consist of implementing a system for facilitating the mobilisation of 35 union representatives from around 20 companies in the area of the PDE (Pole of European Development), with the aim of intensifying their involvement in the preparation of company training plans. At the end of the project, these unionists will be able to participate in the signing of corporate agreements on vocational training.

ACTIVITIES
The project will mobilise the union representatives, will focus on the preparation of corporate training plan projects in consultation with employees and social partners, and will test the vocational training measures for company employees in the event that a training plan has been negotiated. The implementation of these skill upgrading measures, aimed at \"low level\" wage and salary earners, the improvement of social dialogue and development of transnational co-operation will yield training solutions aimed at anticipating industrial change. The international validation of the qualifications obtained will promote the mobility of the various beneficiaries of this project.

PRODUCTS
- Production of a system facilitating the mobilisation of union representatives with the aim of intensifying their involvement in the preparation of corporate training plans.

For Company negociations on vocational training

OBJECTIVES
It has been observed that in general, company managers in Europe rarely resort to training to adapt to the economic changes and challenges in our society. Unconvinced of the necessity of investing in personnel - which is not directly productive - they are having increasing difficulty in encouraging and establishing real training policies at their companies - and this is particularly true of SMEs. In order to improve their skills on a continual basis and to promote their adaptation to industrial change, the objective of this project is to develop continuing vocational training policies for company managers in line with the movements of young managers in Europe.

ACTIVITIES
In a first phase and on the basis of an analysis of the training requirements of young managers and an exchange of best practices with regard to the implementation of continuing training policies in line with the movements of young managers, a series of training modules for trainers and tutors/mentors will be developed. These modules will be aimed at training the representatives of young manager associations in the progressive implementation of training policies at local and regional level. The implementation of these training policies will be realised in the form of individualised training courses for young managers. This first part will end with the development of a training course for trainers. In a second phase, the project will focus on the creation of programmes for the exchange of trainers/tutors who will be responsible for disseminating the results of the pilot project among local and regional groups of young managers in Europe.

PRODUCTS
-Creation of training modules for trainers/tutors.

Individualised training itinerary for young European managers

OBJECTIVES
This project is the direct result of new European directives on occupational safety. Various social partners active in this area have joined forces with the aim of improving existing training tools by carrying out a transnational analysis of training requirements in this area. The plan is firstly to develop safety techniques complying with European standards, secondly to develop safety training modules for employees and employers which meet the requirements identified in several areas, and then to provide in-company training to teach trainers how to use the new data communications training tools so that they can back up individualised training with tutor support.

ACTIVITIES
The project will be implemented in four phases. Firstly, the partners will analyse requirements with regard to in-company occupational safety training. In the second phase they will produce training material which will optimally meet the requirements identified. They will then develop modules dedicated to the analysis of the risks which can occur at the workplace. Finally, they will distribute the modules created in the form of on-line training tools which can be used in open and distance training programmes.

PRODUCTS
Various training modules will be created. Manuals for trainers will be written, explaining how to use the new multimedia tools. These tools will then be adapted so that they can be used for self-training purposes.

Safety training through multimedia and telematics tools

OBJECTIVES
The intention of this project is to continue a scheme initiated as a co-operative venture between French, Italian and German partners under a FORCE pilot project entitled \"How to rehabilitate residential areas\". The aim is to develop the core skills of experts in urban development and management operations: \"How to work in a partnership\", \"How to adapt to complex situations\" and \"How to listen to and involve residents\". It is also intended to expand the partnership to include two new countries (the United Kingdom and Austria) and to bring about co-operation between universities and companies.

ACTIVITIES
The training programme will be developed on the basis of accounts of work experiences in this field. An educational computer game which simulates urban operations will be created. The training programme will be tested by trainees before being transferred and disseminated by the companies and professional organisations involved in the project.

PRODUCTS
The training module in urban development and management will incorporate an exchange of experiences structured so as to be of educational use; an educational computer game which simulates operations, and the participation of those involved. It will be suitable for use by groups of students undergoing continuing vocational training in national or transnational companies, and by students on university courses.

Development of training for working in partnership, for urban restructuration and management operators

OBJECTIVES
The Housing Associations which came into being with the economic crisis in Europe are facing an ever-increasing number of requests for accommodation from unemployed people. In order to prepare for the time when these Associations will no longer be able to respond to demand, the partners of this project propose to develop a measure which will work in favour of this group and to contribute to their reintegration into active life. To this end, the employees of these organisations will be made aware of the need for intervention and will receive training enabling them, on the one hand, to identify the resources made available to the unemployed to help them return to the labour market and, on the other hand, to participate in the creation of new jobs for this target group.

ACTIVITIES
Housing Associations in Austria, France, Germany, Italy and the UK will join forces with the partners in order to confront and analyse their experiences with unemployed people. On the basis of this information, the partners will then identify skill requirements with the aid of partner universities, and will produce a suitable training programme. The training modules created will then be tested with the staff of the Associations and evaluated in the countries of the various partners.

PRODUCTS
Creation of training modules in the form of a manual which will be distributed among all the members of the European network of Housing Associations. The partners thus hope to stimulate thought in this area and to create training tools to enhance the product.

European project for training staff to generate employment related to housing associations

OBJECTIVES
The aim of the project is to analyse the training requirements emerging on the labour market with a view to improving vocational training in the local/community services sector (communal services, social services, leisure sector). Indeed, the skills which are needed for easy entry onto the labour market and the qualifications offered by training centres do not always correspond to one another. By analysing training requirements it will be possible to promote the entry, now and in the future, of young people undergoing training or induction, onto a job market where qualifications are becoming increasingly important.

ACTIVITIES
The project will be implemented in two phases. In the first phase, the partners will try to analyse the training requirements emerging in various sectors in their respective countries. For this purpose they will design a methodology which can be used to identify these requirements. They will then create training tools capable of meeting these requirements. Once these tools have been evaluated, they will be disseminated throughout the EU.

PRODUCTS
The partners intend to create materials capable of disseminating the information collected in the different sectors. Training modules based on the analysis of the training requirements in the local services sector will also be created and distributed throughout the countries of the EU.

Guidance activities in local/community services

OBJECTIVES
Continually subject to restructuring, the footwear industry has been losing 2.5% of its jobs every year for around ten years; this is five times more than the average in manufacturing industry. This project proposes to set up training partnerships involving regional agents from five regions of the EU which are highly dependent on the footwear industry and are thus weakened by the industrial changes affecting this sector. The objective is to anticipate training requirements and to adapt the training offer to these requirements with the aim of permitting the re-training, within or outside the sector, of certain people.

ACTIVITIES
The partners will first carry out a study which will make it possible to anticipate the training requirements in the footwear industry for each Member State and then for the entire EU. These results will then be compared with the types of training offered and with the qualification levels of employees in companies which are in the process of being restructured. By comparing training requirements, training offers and existing profiles, it will be possible to develop training modules which can be adapted to the requirements of each region.

PRODUCTS
Two directly exploitable products will result from the project:
- A European consolidated report on training requirements in the footwear industry.
- Training modules based on the data obtained.

Requalifications in the European shoe industry

OBJECTIVES
With the aim of developing best-practice models for the joint management of funds for continuing vocational training, the main objective of this project is to analyse and test the transferability of the contractual mechanisms used for financing continuing vocational training in the partner countries involved in the project. France has been identified as a 'resource country', having acquired experience and knowledge in the area with which we are concerned, whilst Italy has been identified as a 'target country' which would benefit from the transfer of this experience and knowledge. Other objectives are to establish a precise classification for the various contractual finance models and to analyse and evaluate the real effects of each model in the operation and management of continuing vocational training.

ACTIVITIES
In a first phase of the project, a comparative analysis of the contractual models will be carried out. In a second phase, the theoretical conditions will be determined under which the model or some of its elements can be transferred from the source country to the target country. Then the results of the preceding phases will be presented in a general report, which will provide an overview of the analyses and production work carried out within the framework of the project. Finally, the results will be disseminated so as to encourage the social partners and public institutions to carry out a political analysis of these results, in order to verify whether it is possible to evaluate in concrete terms the theoretical transferability tested under the project.

PRODUCTS
Production of a general report containing the results of the transfer simulation.

Impact and transferability of contractual models of financing continuing vocational training

OBJECTIVES
The objective of the \"Nemesi\" project is to anticipate training requirements on the European labour market, mainly by introducing new professional qualifications to companies, such as eco-audit and eco-balance. The final result will be a multimedia training programme which will provide the user with information on eco-control policies, programmes and systems used in companies, and will also be capable of evaluating their effectiveness. This programme will be designed for young graduates who want to pursue a career in eco-management, experts working in the energy sector, or employees of potentially pollutive manufacturing companies.

ACTIVITIES
In the first stage of the project, information will be selected on the subjects of eco-audit and eco-balance. On the basis of this information, an eco-audit methodology will be defined and tested at different companies. Material for training in this area will then be produced. The results and products will be available both at a local and European level.

PRODUCTS
- A multimedia training programme which will be used not only for training but also for decision-making, mainly with regard to the introduction and control of the eco-audit system within a company.
- A self-learning manual designed for operators involved at management level.
- A video providing a best-practice guide for the implementation of the eco-audit system in companies.

Network for monitoring the environment with the support of information technology

OBJECTIVES
For some time, governments have been confronted with pollution problems and ever-increasing energy consumption. Certain civil movements have already come up with solutions in the form of alternative technologies. The partners of the project believe that the solutions must be disseminated over a broader area by incorporating them in practical training modules. They will therefore be focusing on developing training modules dealing with technologies and the practical use of renewable energy sources, and with the processing of refuse and recyclable materials, and on encouraging trainers who are already moving in this direction to share their knowledge on a European level. They also wish to consider the introduction of new ethics with regard to consumption, production and the creation of jobs in future.

ACTIVITIES
The partners will firstly analyse the training techniques currently used in their respective countries in terms of alternative technologies. Indeed, some training centres have adopted this approach, but are the exception rather than the rule. By pooling the results of the analyses, they will then select the most relevant training methods and the target beneficiaries which they wish to address, and will create training modules which will be widely distributed throughout training centres, associations working towards a healthier environment etc. They will then organise studies of practical cases applying the Green Tourism principle in co-operation with travel agencies.

PRODUCTS
Training modules imparting knowledge and providing self-training materials dealing with the use of alternative technologies will be created for trainers and made available via the Internet. Video cassettes presenting typical examples will be created and educational trips organised.

Introduction to alternative technology and eco-logical lifestyle by means of network and study tours

OBJECTIVES
The aim of the project is to develop a modular training system which responds to the needs of companies which are emerging as a result of the globalisation of the financial markets, notably in terms of the financial, fiscal and commercial aspects of international trading and investment. The objectives of this training system are to improve companies' competitive standing on the international markets and to increase co-operation between banks, businesses and public administrations. This training system will be designed for technicians and university graduates looking for their first job.

ACTIVITIES
The project will consist of three stages. Within the scope of the first stage a preliminary survey will be carried out at French, Italian, Irish, Spanish and Finnish companies in order to determine their vocational training requirements. The next stages will involve studying the results of the survey and, finally, introducing a typical modular training programme.

PRODUCTS
- A modular training programme on the financial, fiscal and commercial aspects of international trading and investment.
- A manual, in English and Italian, explaining the modules and the learning programme of the training system, and including the results of the preliminary survey.
- A prototype database on the international tax system.

Globalisation of financial markets: modular training programme on financial, commercial and fiscal aspects of exchanges and international investments

OBJECTIVES
Nowadays, European companies have to face three major challenges: increasingly keen world competition, increasingly sophisticated technologies and increasingly demanding customers. The project proposes to respond to these challenges by introducing the total quality approach. It seems that this is currently the only effective way of reinforcing SMI/SMEs' operating systems and assuring their survival. More than a trend and a simple need, the total quality system is essential for the future of European businesses. It is now necessary to inform them and train them how to introduce this quality-assurance tool and this is the aim of this transnational quality training project.

ACTIVITIES
Following a feasibility study on the use of video-conferencing technologies linking the three countries and an information phase, the teaching, technical, linguistic and scientific tasks will be allocated to the various partners. The content of the quality training programme will be identified by analysing the answers to a questionnaire distributed among SME/SMIs and the universities in three countries. Training will take place by means of a video-conference link between the three countries. The interactive nature of this link and the use of simultaneous interpreting will allow the participants to communicate in real time. Assessments and audits will be carried out so that dysfunctionalities can be remedied and corrective measures taken. The implementation of this project will be illustrated and summarised by a film and a final assessment.

PRODUCTS
Creation of a quality training programme which can be used in other countries of the EU. It will demonstrate the feasibility of interactive videoconferencing with simultaneous interpreting for the future transfer of vocational training between all the countries of the EU.

Facilitating the transfer of vocational training in quality for SMEs, SMIs and universities in 3 countries of the EU through interactive visioconference in simultaneous translation

OBJECTIVES
The European EURO-FIET (International Federation of Technicians and Managers) conference, convened in April 1993 in Amsterdam, passed a resolution relating to the social skills of trade union officials, which requires them to undergo communications training. The partners of this project therefore propose to provide European trade unions with a reference system which will enable them to develop training measures focusing on social communication.

ACTIVITIES
In a first phase, exchanges will be organised in order to examine and analyse the different problems in each of the partner countries and the trade union communication strategies implemented on a national level. Once the training requirements have been analysed, short-, medium-, and long-term priorities will be defined. Training measures will be prepared and implemented. A methodological plan of action will be produced by pooling the results of the training requirement analysis, and by testing and evaluating the training programmes.

PRODUCTS
The project will result in the production of a social communication training guide. This guide will make it possible to assist European trade unions in analysing their training requirements, in developing training contents and programmes and developing evaluation methods.

European trade union training in social communication techniques

OBJECTIVES
SMEs have a small number of staff members and it is often difficult for employees to take time off for training purposes. Systems have been developed to deal with the problem of releasing employees undergoing vocational training. The objective of the partners of the project is to analyse the systems which make it possible for employees of SMEs to take part in training programmes and to transfer these systems, in the framework of concrete experiments, to 17 companies from the partner countries.

ACTIVITIES
Firstly, the practices already implemented in France (AGEFOS-PME introduced an open training system for in-company tutors - or mentors/coaches) and in Denmark (the Danish \"job rotation scheme\" replaces the employee undergoing training with an unemployed person who is trained in advance) will be examined. The Danish system will then be tested at 5 French companies whilst the open tutor training programme will be tested at 5 Danish and 5 Italian companies, with each of the two systems being tested respectively at 2 Spanish companies.

PRODUCTS
- Methodological tools designed and disseminated with the support of the social partners, with the aim of guaranteeing the success of the experiments: tutor workbooks, and guides to replacing the employee undergoing training with an unemployed person.
- Production of a compendium with case files relating to the experiments carried out.

Training-time management in SMEs: Optimising replacement of workers in training, or organising in-company flexible training

OBJECTIVES
The objective of this project is to provide workers and industrial SMEs with an appropriate analysis tool which will make it possible to define companies' training requirements and workers' qualification requirements and to help players involved in social dialogue in the development of continuing vocational training plans. The project will recognise workers' current qualifications, even if they are not officially certified. It should also be noted that the requirements of work and management organisations, which are synonymous with an improvement in quality, are crucial issues for the two parties given the intensified competition prevailing on all markets.

ACTIVITIES
With the scientific support of a university research centre, the trade union and business associations in Portugal (General Workers' Union), Ireland and Italy will analyse industrial relations, training systems and the application of the ISO 9000 standards in the three Member States, in order to produce software and associated tools with the aim of attaining the objectives which have just been mentioned.

PRODUCTS
Production of a set of tools, having the same characteristics - mainly the use of the ISO 9000 standards - which can be transferred to other contexts, aimed at promoting social dialogue on continuing vocational training plans. These analytical tools will combine the qualification requirements of the workers with those of the SMEs, so as to improve the quality and competitiveness of the companies.

OBJECTIVES
The technical revolution which has taken place thanks to the arrival of digital technology, virtual reality and the development of networks has meant that employees of the European audio-visual industry are having to be retrained as quickly as possible. The aim of the project is to respond to these needs by improving the quality of initial and continuing training programmes dealing with digital and virtual-reality technologies by developing innovative teaching methods and training tools. The development work will be carried out in close co-operation with universities, initial and continuing training centres and the companies' specialist staff. To reduce training costs, the project will encourage self-training or distance learning.

ACTIVITIES
Eight training modules, focusing on digital audio and video signals, digital production and post-production, virtual editing and new images, will be produced by the various partners in accordance with their particular speciality. Course requirements will be specified. The training modules will be tested, evaluated, and adjusted if necessary. The project will culminate in a seminar to be attended by all of the partners (trainers and researchers), during which the training and teaching tools will be finalised.

PRODUCTS
The project will result in the development of short training programmes, supported by learning tools (CD-ROM), designed for people undergoing initial training and continuing training, and trainers.

European School of Advanced Television: new jobs, new training, new tools

OBJECTIVES
This project is designed to help the European banking world to prepare for the single currency, future European legislation and harmonisation of accountancy and bank ratios. The partners aim to make up for the lack of teaching support with a new banking simulation game designed to help financial institutions to train qualified staff with a universal understanding of European banking activities. One of the aims will be to adopt investment strategies which help banks to avoid losing out when the EURO is introduced. Other aims will involve understanding legal implications, as well as administrative, accounting ones, etc.

ACTIVITIES
A banking simulation game will be developed on the basis of the existing one developed by the partners in this area. This banking simulation game features exercises on traditional banking activity, the move towards the single currency, harmonisation of legislation, adaptation to new competitive contexts and development of banking strategies. It will aim to develop - in its target audience - an understanding of the overall operations of a bank. This understanding is the best guarantee for the employability of staff and also facilitates the mobility of personnel within the organisation, which helps to strengthen the bank's ability to adapt and its competitiveness.

PRODUCTS
- Creation of a banking simulation game which prepares employees in the banking sector for the move to a single currency.
- Preparation of a curriculum relating to this area of banking training.
- Organisation of training for trainers.

Banking simulation game for managers: towards the single currency and the harmonisation of European banking legislation

OBJECTIVES
There is an increasing need for lifelong vocational training to include personal elements such as the conduct and personality of learners. A strong personality and a sense of responsibility are regarded as key qualifications for vocational development. These personal attitudes can be developed in part with the help of new technology and new media. The aim of this project lies in the development of an interactive and multimedia training programme which enables the user to develop this type of capacity.

ACTIVITIES
A concept linked to the acquisition of basic behavioural attitudes which are useful in professional life will be developed initially. These attitudes are characterised by positive thinking, a will to perform and working to objectives. The concept is then translated into scenarios for a computer-assisted interactive training programme. Once this programme has been completed, it will be adapted to meet the specific requirements of the partners. Finally, the programme will be tested and evaluated in various professional contexts.

PRODUCTS
The result will be a multimedia training programme on CD-ROM. The project will also provide information on how to take account of aspects of personality through new media.

The personal counsellor - an interactive, multimedia learning programme to promote personality features and aptitudes in relation to vocational activities

OBJECTIVES
Women are often under-represented during union negotiations. For this reason, the project aims to analyse the causes of under-representation and develop a training programme to teach women negotiating skills and thus help them to secure improved working conditions. This training is intended as a priority for women working in offices in the railway sector.

ACTIVITIES
Firstly, the project will analyse the factors standing in the way of women's participation in union negotiations. From the results of this analysis, a training programme for trainers and women employed in the railway sector will be developed. A pilot training course will be delivered to test the materials. The results will be exchanged between partners.

PRODUCTS
- An analysis of the training needs of women working in the railway sector.
- A 56 hour training programme on communication, negotiation and co-operation skills etc. designed to increase the participation of women in union negotiations. This programme will feature role-playing and audio-visual media focusing on women's issues in the approach to negotiation.
- A transnational exchange of the experiments carried out by the unions' training bodies.

Qualify and strengthen women presence in the contractual bargain process

OBJECTIVES
This project is the result of demand from professionals in the wood sector who face extremely rapid change in terms of materials and working methods and who have an increasing need for workers who can be flexible and adaptable throughout their career. The partners aim to develop methods for anticipating needs, produce training modules and identify and validate new qualifications.

ACTIVITIES
The partnership will, firstly, analyse the existing training structures and carry out a survey on the wood sector. The aim of this will be to identify needs in terms of qualifications, compare them with what has already been achieved and adapt them. Training modules will then be developed and tried out by the trainers of the various partners.

PRODUCTS
- Creation of a methodological guide for analysis of requirements, making it possible to anticipate business requirements.
- Development of a common professional and training reference framework.
- Implementation of a common training programme for trainers and tutors.

Multi-skilled saw-mill operator: changing competencies and qualifications in the primary wood sector

OBJECTIVES
This project aims to develop a self-training software programme aimed at official union representatives as well as shop stewards in workshops responsible for collective bargaining in the retail sector. It is based on the results of a previous FORCE project, carried out by union groups active in Italy, France and Germany and now expanded to include a third Italian union group and the Irish commercial union.

ACTIVITIES
An educational software programme containing the main negotiation structures and trends for each country will be set in place and should result in the development of negotiation capacity adapted to changes in the organisation of work, as well as in collective bargaining itself, in relation to the productivity-linked pay which is increasingly the norm in this sector.

PRODUCTS
Self-training software designed for union representatives responsible for collective bargaining.

Trainer training, production of self-learning software, and partnership networks for decentralised contracualisation in retail trades

OBJECTIVES
Alternative approaches relating to improving the planning process have been developed in industry and the best practice will be selected. But for a company to remain competitive, it needs to be able to establish efficient procedures in every department. These procedures call for constant up-dating which is why this project intends to combine the experiences of the main approaches to improving processes and produce a fully integrated training package which combines the strengths of these different approaches. The second objective will be to design a procedure to identify the skills of participants and the necessary prerequisites and determine the right choice of modules.

ACTIVITIES
In its initial phase, the project will develop guidelines for the integration of various approaches. On this basis, training modules will be developed, integrated, tested and made available by the quality managers of the project. As the declared strategy of this project is based on demand from industry, its second phase will consist in the production of an in-field test. Then the full input of trainees and trainers will be sought, enabling the training materials to be evaluated, adjusted and distributed.

PRODUCTS
The project will develop a broad set of tutorials covering the improvement of processes from analysis up to their production. It will include the development of seminars based on \"learning by doing\" and will elicit reusable experiences. Six integrated training modules will be produced.

A set of comprehensive training modules and material for process improvement, combining different industrial approaches

OBJECTIVES
Economic, demographic and social changes have significantly increased expenditure in the health care sector. Consumers demand quality services and products. There is no escaping the fact that the European medical industry is losing some of its market share to the US. For this reason, it is necessary for European businesses to develop training programmes which will enable them to introduce new technologies as fast as possible and thus have a steadier footing on the international market. The project intends to create distance training materials suitable for use in the workplace in the field of medical technologies for technicians and medical engineers.

ACTIVITIES
Initially, the project's partners will analyse the training needs emerging in the health care sector in terms of skills in innovative technologies. By pooling the results of this analysis, the partners will draw up training programmes in various sectors of medical technology and create distance training tools which can be transferred to a CD-ROM. The aim is to enable those working in this sector to train themselves in the workplace and acquire key skills in technological innovations. The training programmes will be evaluated, validated and distributed as widely as possible throughout the EU.

PRODUCTS
The project will aim to create distance training modules for medical technicians and engineers to familiarise them with the use of new technologies, which can be transferred to CD-ROM.

Healthcare in Europe: Action, learning and training

OBJECTIVES
Technological changes in the chemical industry call for a highly qualified workforce. A previous COMETT project has already developed a European training network in this field. This project aims to transfer the most relevant modules and to place a greater emphasis on environmental factors and on the management of energy sources and use. The partners wish to analyse the training needs in the chemical industry sector and create practical training packages which can be slotted into a traditional training programme.

ACTIVITIES
The partners will analyse training needs in companies in the chemical industry. These needs will be described and brought together in a database. The partners wish to use the database to define shortcomings in the existing training programme and create short intensive training modules through close co-operation between universities and companies. These modules will be evaluated on different levels. An evaluation of the classes delivered, a self-evaluation by students and evaluations produced by trainers, clients and experts will be produced. The existing network will be expanded, enabling the new training modules to be distributed throughout the EU to all interested companies.

PRODUCTS
Training modules and case studies will be produced and accompanied by simulation programmes for management of the control of industrial chemical processes. In addition, seminars for trainers will be set up, to familiarise them with the new tools.

Continuing education and training for the chemical process industry

OBJECTIVES
Women are presently under-represented in the technological sectors of the job market, even as this sector experiences rapid expansion. To diversify the employment possibilities for women in the job market, enhance their employability and use their specific skills in male-dominated sectors, the partners of this project aim to create an appropriate training programme. This programme will endeavour to adapt the female workforce to the changing market and develop career possibilities for women in the sector of new technology, offering them guidance, alternative working methods and mentoring.

ACTIVITIES
The partners will start by identifying the specific skills which need to be developed amongst women to enable them to break into the information technology sector. They will then develop a series of courses, each one targeting a particular skill field to be acquired and developing teaching methods suited to the target audience. A training plan and training material will then be developed for each course. The six courses will be piloted and assessed in each partner country, before being finalised and distributed in all the European countries.

PRODUCTS
Creation of six training courses designed to assist the integration of women into technological sectors of the job market (accessible by Internet and in printed form). Development of a training guide and training materials.

Innovative vocational training measures to develop and enhance women's careers in science, engineering and technology

OBJECTIVES
Competitiveness entails reactivity and therefore anticipation or forecasting. SMEs have potential for development and creation of jobs as long as they are given help in reacting to technical developments, reinforcing their capacity for anticipation and technological innovation. The project responds to this specific problem by developing methods and tools for anticipating skills needs and optimising the processes for responding to these needs. The project intends, on the basis of transnational university-business co-operation, to work to optimise these technological transfer tools.

ACTIVITIES
The training action will take place on the basis of an analysis of easily identifiable typical situations. There will be a dual operation to identify a problem and design a solution by mobilising the skills and knowledge which are considered to be the most relevant. On the basis of these typical situations regarded as revealing needs, a response dynamic will be developed. The activities will revolve around a transnational seminar which enables the key phases of the action to be identified and thus enables the methods and tools liable to optimise the process of developing and disseminating skills to be proposed for each stage.

PRODUCTS
- Methodology for anticipating skills needs.
- A technical information, communication and co-operative work network device on the Internet.
- Seminars for dissemination and transnational exchanges of students and short training courses for initiation in new technologies.

Technological innovation from idea to training project: modelisation and instrumentation of different stages (design, implementation and evaluation)

OBJECTIVES
For the past few years, the Saar-Lor-Lux-Wallonie Euro-Region has been called upon to face major industrial restructuring in order to increase its economic competitiveness. For this reason, the project will seek to emphasise quality improvement and innovative capacity, and also to integrate the European dimension into training systems, especially in the areas of the environment, food production and key skills.

ACTIVITIES
In order to bring about its objectives, the project will put in place a regional network which places an emphasis on particular sectors. This network will disseminate results through a bulletin and organise placements and student exchanges. It will also create work groups, each of which takes an interest in specific fields, analyses training needs and promotes technological transfer by organising training modules. Finally, it will organise seminars for people within the region who express an interest.

PRODUCTS
- Links with other European regions strengthened by virtue, amongst other things, of the modernisation of transnational databases already up and running.
- Analysis of training needs.
- A training programme.
- Short courses.
- Training modules.
- Seminars for trainers.

Transnational network Leonardo Rheinland-Pfalz/Saarland in technology transfer, mobility and training

OBJECTIVES
The tourism and catering sectors are developing rapidly in many regions of the EU. Matching this demand gives rise to a need for improved training programmes. For this reason, the project aims to develop and test forward-looking concepts for the acquisition of additional qualifications in a European context. It is hoped to design more attractive, more differentiated and more effective professional training.

ACTIVITIES
An analysis of the needs in the participating countries will precede the development of training programmes, geared towards the acquisition of additional qualifications in the gastronomy sector. These modules will be tested and assessed by trainers and apprentices.

PRODUCTS
- Modules for the acquisition of additional qualifications in the gastronomy sector.
- Support documents for training programmes, work documents.
- Examples for the integration of the modules into the company's practical training.

Acquisition of supplementary qualifications for young people in the hotel and restaurant business as a European exchange

OBJECTIVES
The banking sector is facing an increasing use of English as the language of communication for transactions. In order to improve the learning of financial and banking English, the project proposes to develop a multimedia self-training method. It will also seek to anticipate needs for essential language skills. To this end, a multimedia bilingual glossary will be developed.

ACTIVITIES
The method consists of creating contextual units (import, export, credit, etc.) which will respond to the linguistic and thematic needs of employees on the basis of exhaustive analysis. Each contextual unit will be divided into different levels according to linguistic difficulty. Tests will check the assimilation of the material. The teaching material will be developed from banking materials used in real life and will be made available by partners in the banking sector. A pilot training programme will be tested at each stage of the project, so that its relevance may be evaluated and any improvements be made directly.

PRODUCTS
A CD-ROM for the self-teaching of banking and financial English.

English for banking and finance multimedia self-study programme

OBJECTIVES
Ecological thinking has come to the fore as we approach the end of the century. But the demand for healthy, additive-free chemical products remains largely unsatisfied. This project aims to develop and test on a common basis initial and continuing professional training models in the field of ecological (biological) horticulture, in order to satisfy the growing demand for ecological fruits and their derivatives. It will also seek to help to support agriculture which respect to the environment and to reduce surplus agricultural production.

ACTIVITIES
A training module on ecological horticulture will be developed and tested. Then, a transnational training company, run by pupils from schools participating in the project, assisted by their teachers, will be created. Taking the actual conditions of the market into account, the students will produce, process and sell fruit in accordance with the principles of ecological horticulture. An exchange of pupils and teachers is also envisaged as part of the project.

PRODUCTS
- Curricula and teaching material for ecological horticulture.
- Manual for the setting up and running of training companies in the agriculture sector.

Development and testing of a training module in ecological arboriculture and setting up of a transnational training company

OBJECTIVES
The success of the organisational development and human resources measures in a company mostly depends on the psychological commitment of the employees. It is here that the trade union representatives within the company itself or between companies are called upon to help in the development of the companies and their employees as innovators. This is why the project aims to train trade union representatives to enable them to become more actively and constructively involved in planning activities, organisational development measures and human resources within the companies.

ACTIVITIES
Based on a preliminary analysis of training requirements, the intention is to train a group of European trade union representatives through four transnational seminars. These activities are completed by innovatory training and organised as a pilot in-company training course. It is hoped that this will increase the competitiveness of companies by improving the availability of the decision-makers concerned and their commitment to new approaches in the organisational development of companies and their human resources.

PRODUCTS
- Manual for the innovatory trainer
- Case study documentation
- Setting up of an innovatory European working group.

European trade unions - possible facilitators of engaging continuing vocational training and organisation development arrangements

OBJECTIVES
Things have moved on since the Gutenberg invention. This is why this project wishes to bring together training providers as well as the social partners, vocational training organisations and the concerned public authorities which work in the area of vocational training in the printing trade and in the media. The objective is to improve the qualification of professionals in this sector in the area of multimedia technologies. The use of new approaches and concepts will be completed by experience acquired in the framework of two pilot training courses.

ACTIVITIES
The partners will set up a network and promote structures of co-operation by regular meetings and the exchange of training aids and curricula. Two pilot training courses will provide the basis for incorporating the work of transnational teams via electronic networks. The aim is to create modular training courses in media technologies valid for all the countries of the EU in order to eventually reach a common European certification.

PRODUCTS
- Forms of co-operation between training providers in media technologies.
- Modular training courses and their certification.
- General availability of all the curricula and training materials available with all the partners in the targeted area.
- Result of the assessment of the project and pilot training courses.

OBJECTIVES
In the fight against the currently high level of unemployment in Europe, the various Member States of the Union are trying to exploit all the potential job pools. In this context the partners in this project recommend redirecting maritime jobs towards fish farming. This method of farming sea products, however, requires specialist training. This project has therefore set as its objective the idea of focusing open and distance learning on the unemployed or those trying to retrain and who live in the rural coastal areas of Europe, where small-scale fish-farming may be a profitable economic activity.

ACTIVITIES
The partnership starts by identifying the qualifications needed for this work and the training requirements. It will then collect training aids which already exist and any data relevant to the sector. The development of training aids can then begin. Manuals and guides are produced along with video material illustrating all the fish-farming methods and techniques. Training is then tested and assessed in three Member States and trainer tutors are trained.

PRODUCTS
Setting up distance training for training \"marine farmers\" or fish farming professionals to enable them to set up their own companies (manuals, guides, videos).

Small Scale Fish Farming - A Self-Study Course

OBJECTIVES
The convergence of digital technologies in communications and the media has meant that new products and services have been created based on multimedia tools and hypertext. At the same time, the need to develop flexible learning environments is becoming increasingly urgent, as is the need to train experts in technological training who will be able to master the complexity of the learning process and the technological environment. The objective of this programme is to create new training modules in multimedia production, which meet the needs of those working in the industry.

ACTIVITIES
The project will carry out a transnational enquiry and produce a report on the present and future situation of multimedia production in each of the participating countries. Workers' training needs will therefore be clearly identified. The project will produce a modular training programme and detailed training plans as required. Furthermore, it will set up a trainers' training programme and training tools which satisfy the new skills identified. Multimedia material and hypertext will be included. Finally, each partner will ask for its national certification system to be accredited.

PRODUCTS
- Training modules which can be used both in the classroom and on the Internet.
- Setting up of a WWW page containing information on the industry and accessible training services.

OBJECTIVES
Careers advice is a valuable service helping to get young people off to a good start in their working lives. The aim of this project is therefore to give young people the help needed in character development and preparation for choosing jobs, taking into account the new demands of the labour market. This includes the acquisition or passing on of key skills as well as the ability to be mobile and the capacity for life-long learning. Through the exchange and results of the experiences of partner countries, it is expected that information and careers advice tools will be developed.

ACTIVITIES
The partners will organise information and careers advice sessions with young people and analyse the processes at work in order to improve existing advisory tools. All the institutions and players concerned with preparing young people to choose jobs will be networked, and the tools will be finalised after being tested, assessed and discussed by all the partners.

PRODUCTS
- Information and careers advice tools.
- Manual on CD-ROM covering the incorporation of the process of choosing jobs into the college.

Pilot project vocational guidance, information and counselling

OBJECTIVES
The command of languages is just one of the skills required for opening up to a European labour market. This is why the project intends to improve the level of knowledge of English and to increase communication skills. It intends to create training tools based on telecommunications aimed at a target group of European employees. It will thus produce a model for introducing telecommunications into open and distance training modules, training aids for learning English and it will attempt to develop telecommunication services to meet the needs arising from language courses.

ACTIVITIES
The project starts by analysing training needs in four Member States of the EU. Syllabuses of language training aids will be developed from the results obtained by different areas of research. The aids will be assessed by pilot groups. Telecommunications will be used on the one hand to create innovatory training tools and to teach pilot groups on the other hand. At the same time, training aids for using telecommunications will be produced for trainers.

PRODUCTS
The following products have been created:
- Language learning material: manuals, CD-ROM.
- Distance training material by e-mail.
- An instruction manual for trainers including sections concerning on-line data processing.

Multiformat open and distance learning technical and business english programme

OBJECTIVES
The objective of the project is to try to remove the cultural and institutional barriers to equality of opportunity for men and women, mainly on the labour market. In order to do this, it will turn to the development of tools, methods and standards for promoting gender-sensitive education and training in colleges of further education. It will assess the differences between countries as regards equality of opportunity in education and will experiment with approaches to training.

ACTIVITIES
The project will carry out multi-disciplinary research in three Italian colleges of further education, based mainly on the transfer of stereotyped roles into the education process. It will be carried out amongst male and female students, teachers and administrators of these colleges. Discriminatory practices and prejudices will be assessed. Standards on gender-sensitive training processes will then be defined. Finally, a multimedia training system will be developed and distributed to company and human resource managers, school principals and teachers.

PRODUCTS
- Basic training plans for setting up permanent units on equality of opportunity.
- A training package (in Italian) for teachers and students made up of structured texts, a disk with hypertext functions, a videocassette based on the results of the survey, showing how to confront in a creative way, discriminatory situations in schools.

Youth gender education - gender mentoring workshop

OBJECTIVES
With the development of communication channels and the expansion of the tourism sector, tourist destinations have diversified. Knowledge of foreign languages is a prime requirement. Many professionals in this sector have no command of foreign languages, like many trainers responsible for vocational training. To fill this gap, the project wishes to set up language training modules firstly for trainers, then training programmes for professionals in this sector.

ACTIVITIES
The partners will analyse the present level of language skills which trainers have. At the same time they will look for the skills to be acquired in order to remain competitive. By collating the results of the two surveys, they will initially produce training modules for trainers and secondly, training programmes for professionals in this sector or for students in the process of looking for jobs. The training will be assessed by relating the language knowledge acquired by students to the language training skills of the trainers.

PRODUCTS
The project will lead to two language training modules being set up, one aimed at trainers in the tourism sector, and the other at the professionals in this sector. Teaching aids such as tourist guides, audio-visual cassettes will be produced alongside them. A databank providing on-line data processing distribution of the aids produced across Europe will be set up.

Development of linguistic competencies in tourism

OBJECTIVES
In 1994, three organisations belonging to different Member States and involved in training directors of social organisations initiated co-operation around two common themes: quality, and the implementation of a European dimension to training courses. The success of these meetings led the initial group to set up a network of training establishments to harmonise, introduce and develop this initiative. The network currently has 14 training organisations. The specific objectives of the project beyond the creation of this network are as follows: sharing a set of values amongst which are the opening and the pluralism of references and the demand for quality; to commit to a charter; and to draw up a relevant plan of action so as to improve the training of directors of social organisations.

ACTIVITIES
A method of accreditation will be developed and tested initially within the network itself before being validated and distributed. Innovative teaching practices will be produced through a research programme implemented by the members of the network. A \"European social\" training module will then be produced, validated and incorporated into the training programmes of the network's members. A common certificate will also be issued by the network under certain conditions to all the trainees and shall be an alternate basis of recognition of the European professionals in this sector of activity.

PRODUCTS
- Development of a method of accreditation, innovative teaching practices and a \"European social\" training module for organisations involved in training directors of social organisations.
- Drawing up of a common certificate for the network's members which constitutes an alternate basis of recognition for people working in the profession.

Development of a European transnational network of training organisations / directors of social organisations

OBJECTIVES
The increase in the number of aircraft and in the variety of flight speeds requires extreme vigilance and many specific qualifications by air traffic controllers, as well as universal control systems unaffected by national territories. Moreover, these systems will become even more complex as they use new satellite systems, automation and artificial intelligence, and they demand a real symbiosis between teams of experts and their \"silicone\" assistants. The management and the facilities of the control towers are gradually being harmonised and adapted, but the training of the controllers in this new environment still leaves a lot to be desired, because the human factor is an essential element in air traffic control systems. This is why the partners in this project have decided to co-operate in establishing European continuing vocational training for air traffic controllers.

ACTIVITIES
Having carefully analysed the implications of these new systems in terms of qualifications, skills and abilities required by air traffic controllers, the partners are together developing an appropriate continuing training programme and drawing up common recruitment and selection criteria. This training will be designed for use also as a continuing self-assessment tool by controllers. The partners are aiming for European recognition of their training programme and are endeavouring to go beyond national and cultural differences in existing continuing training courses.

PRODUCTS
Setting up a continuing training programme for air traffic controllers (syllabus, teaching methods, training and assessment).

Build and evaluate a new training path for air traffic controllers

OBJECTIVES
As a result of the European Directive on Health and Safety at Work, applied by Italian law (D.Lgs 626/94), the objective of the project on the one hand is to adapt the skills of workers' representatives to the new functions and responsibilities which the application of this Directive involves and, on the other hand, to support workers' representatives in their task of developing continuing vocational training and enhancing social dialogue through co-operation between trade unions and centres of further education.

ACTIVITIES
In order to achieve these objectives, data on training in health and safety will be collected by the project based in particular on the experience of partner countries in this area, as well as on the expertise of public organisations or universities specialising in this matter. The project will then develop a prototype of a training module and define the most relevant teaching tools. Particular emphasis will be placed on using aids which encourage self-training and distance learning. Finally, a system for assessing and monitoring the teaching methods and products developed will be set up. The final product will be distributed to those responsible for training and to the trainers so that they can distribute it.

PRODUCTS
- A training module on health and safety at work for workers' representatives.
- Multimedia teaching aids.

Training of trade union representatives responsible for health and security at work (smes, tourism, commerce and services)

OBJECTIVES
The European shipping industry is undergoing major changes. In order to adapt to these changes, employees in this sector are forced to acquire new qualifications and skills. The intention of the project is to create a tool to help anticipate needs in terms of skills in order to adapt the training curricula to these new demands. It will also create a framework of reference emphasising deficiencies in the area of vocational training.

ACTIVITIES
In the first phase, the partners will draw up an inventory of existing vocational training courses and assess how accessible these are. They will then analyse the opportunities emerging on this market and the skills they require in order to realise them. Next, vocational training courses will have to be reorganised to promote a real strategy of success. The project will, therefore, involve the creation of a database on the Internet that will make it possible to promote transnational training and an accompanying validation system. Once this has been done, the results will be disseminated as widely as possible.

PRODUCTS
The project will conclude with the creation of a database to include all the opportunities relating to the shipping industry and the skills needed to realise them. A network will be set up to facilitate access to information concerning the training that will enable people to acquire these new skills. Lastly, the project will create a model linking market opportunities, the technologies that have to be used to realise them and the training necessary to master those technologies.

Continuing training for vocational training teachers

OBJECTIVES
The insertion of disabled people is a constantly evolving process that requires a regular update of working tools and methods, and the training of staff to assist these people. With its European partners, the promoter of this project detected an insufficient supply of continuing training for people working in the social sector. The aim of the project is, therefore, to make proposals for continuing training in line with user needs, to make it possible to master educational and psycho-social tools, and encourage the ability to work out varied and individual solutions in a multidisciplinary spirit.

ACTIVITIES
An in-depth analysis of continuing training needs and motives will be carried out by the various partners. With the aid of the transnational partnership, training modules will be prepared and assessed, leading to the gradual setting-up of an organised unit capable of offering an innovative continuing training concept to a number of different people involved in the integration of disabled people. The aim of such a training structure will be to anticipate training and qualification needs, guarantee flexible and open systems and provide short and practical training courses, with, eventually, official recognition by the public sector.

PRODUCTS
Creation of training modules and/or curricula; technical and psycho-educational tools; publication of a guide of good practices covering methodology, techniques, form, content and routes of continuing training in social work; publication of a regular contact bulletin within the network. The project will lead to the implementation of a modular concept capable of meeting training demand from fields of social work other than that of mental disabilities and also suitable for initial training.

Implementation of a continuing training module for social workers and other players to integrate disabled people

OBJECTIVES
As the importance of the ecological dimension of our society grows, the tourism sector in Europe is currently called upon to restructure itself significantly. This study therefore proposes to contribute to the development of ecological tourism management strategies and the establishment of a process of re-training for professionals in the sector. The partners therefore propose to develop an appropriate initial and continuing ecological training which corresponds to the needs of companies active in the sector. The study will determine the needs in terms of ecology qualifications for those employed by the tourism sector, and the necessary conditions for the transfer of method and results to other European regions.

ACTIVITIES
In an initial phase, the study will identify qualification needs amongst businesses in the sector and will organise seminars in order to work through future scenarios. The partners will then define the qualifications and key skills needed by comparing the trends identified with the real level of knowledge amongst managers, and with the contents of curricula in tourism schools. On the basis of the results of the various analyses and professional profiles which will thus be built up, the partners will formulate, in line with national and regional specificities, proposals for the implementation of training measures corresponding to the needs of their target audience.

RESULTS
Documentation concerning the various surveys and analyses which have been carried out; seminars organised; description of case studies; comparison of European training systems in tourism; assessment of qualification needs; proposals for training measures.

OBJECTIVES
The importance of training for a business is constantly growing, but there is also a decisive factor which needs to be faced, namely the cost of training measures. One option for overcoming these budgetary problems is the use of training methods based on the new media, such as computer-assisted teaching. This study proposes to analyse the experiments carried out in this area, to perform an empirical analysis of the use of computer-assisted teaching in companies and to publish a manual on best practices in this field. On the basis of these analyses, it should be possible to define more comprehensive concepts in the future in the field of new training methods.

ACTIVITIES
This research will attempt to provide answers to the following questions: to what extent is computer-assisted teaching (CAT) currently used in companies? How is CAT incorporated into in-house training? What practical uses is it put to by companies and with what goals in mind? What factors hold back or stimulate the use of CAT in companies? What are the results of an assessment of CAT projects? What internal support structures are needed and what possibilities are offered by international co-operation in this field?

RESULTS
The study will provide the following elements: an analysis of the reference literature; an empirical study of 2000 businesses; a presentation of the best practices and the dissemination of results through publications and the holding of seminars.

Safeguard of the competitiveness of the industrial site Europe through innovative in-company training: the use of computer based training - a comparative analysis

OBJECTIVES
The main objective of the study is to spread knowledge and innovations in the area of skills assessment. This will involve promoting the use of flexible assessment techniques which, despite their general beneficial effect, are still all too often treated as methods which are sophisticated and difficult to use. This project is innovative in that it is essentially geared towards the study of the effects and the benefits from these methods of assessment as they are currently used in companies or in assessment and training centres, where as up to now the effects of assessment methods have primarily been looked at from a strictly quantitative viewpoint. The other strong point of this study is the pluridisciplinary partnership which has been formed around this problem in order to improve the assessment process. The brings various organisational and institutional contexts into the arena.

ACTIVITIES
Initially, research will be carried out into the effects and benefits of skills assessment methods and these methods will be made clearer for companies, employees and social partners. An awareness and information campaign will then be launched for companies, social partners and employees, in order to help them to deal with structural adjustments and to optimise investments in human resources. Finally, the results of the qualitative analyses will be placed in an administrative and operational framework for assessment of skills and counselling with the addition of new concrete and operational elements (tools and methods).

RESULTS
Co-operation with companies and the social partners should lead to the production of pragmatic guides which will serve as real working tools for the different individuals responsible, and furthermore, the pluridisciplinary partnership of the project will summarise the results of the work in a publication intended for an academic audience and for the economic players in question.

Concept and approach to evaluating competencies: study and research

Structural Eurocodes are being developed to try to ensure that designs for buildings and structures are compatible throughout Europe. Many of these standards have now been published, at least in draft form. Engineers in all countries need to be encouraged to use and comment on these draft versions of the Eurocodes to ensure that they are useful working documents which will be interpreted in a unified manner. Currently, an insufficient response has been received from industry on the draft documents.

This project aims to develop high quality, standard training modules and make them widely available by direct teaching and CD-Rom. It will also deliver national seminars in several member countries to highlight the work of this project and encourage a greater understanding and use of these design standards in structural steelwork. The lectures will be produced in several languages both on paper and in CD-Rom format and will be made widely available to the steelwork industry and to academic establishments.

Impact
This project will encourage a wider transnational discussion of draft versions of the Eurocode standards and create common training modules to ensure a single philosophy on their interpretation and use.

Structural steelwork Eurocodes - development of a trans-national approach

This project concerns a newly emerging job profile in Europe, that of the cultural manager in charge of the organisation and the management of cultural events or institutions. The project's objective is to examine and determine the jobs' specifications, to design innovative vocational training tools and to develop transnational certification systems that correspond to this specific field.

The partnership will focus on identifying the jobs' specifications and training contents. The contents of the training package will lead to the creation of modules based on a multimedia platform. The project work will include testing in real situations.

Impact
The project will contribute to the structuring of new jobs in the culture industry and respond to the new demand for specialised tourism/culture activities.

Social partners in the private security service sector throughout Europe recognise the need for qualified staff in order to provide a high quality service. The project aims to develop the transferability of vocational qualifications and certificates throughout Europe. Qualifications have to be seen as being useful in the labour market and valued by employers.

The main objectives of the project are therefore:
- to establish co-operation between social partners and national training institutions concerning the continuous improvement of vocational training in the private security service sector;
- to compare current provision and develop new vocational training programmes/modules that guarantee minimum standards;
- to promote access to broad-based qualifications which are transferable at European level;
- to identify best security vocational training practice.

Impact
The partners will endeavour to integrate the European vocational qualifications and training modules into national structures. Both should respond to the needs of the labour market and the on-going process of technological and structural change. The ultimate effect of the project will be an improvement in the performance and image of private security services on a European level.

Securing the future of the European private security services through education and training.

Women are significantly absent from the emerging information society. This project aims to develop modular self-learning material for trainers in companies. These packages will give guidance on setting up and delivering access and introductory courses to encourage women to explore information technology and acquire new skills to benefit from the information society.

The partnership brings together women's technology centres and information technology companies. Each partner will work with local companies to develop and test the training material. There will be a market analysis on women's attitudes to technology and existing good practice models with regard to women's technology training. A training plan for delivering introductory courses within companies will be developed and tested and training modules will be developed for trainers.

Impact
The project will encourage women to undertake advanced technology training so that they can progress to more advanced technical areas of employment and more actively participate in the information society.

Economic restrictions and innovative clinical practices have significant implications for European health care systems. In addition, new social demands are putting pressure on health care sector organisations and training providers to develop new structures of health care provision. The overall objective of this pilot project is to identify common skill requirements and develop an integrated training package for health, encompassing hospital-based specialist assessment and a systematic holistic programme for home care. The new training programme will enable professional and volunteer care workers in partner countries to develop their own personal portfolios towards vocational qualifications linked to European health care accreditation.

The project partnership will develop training modules to facilitate life-long learning and continuing vocational training which will upgrade the skills of care workers and meet the individual needs of the patient. A multi-skilling approach will facilitate the flexibility and mobility of the workforce and enhance career opportunities.

Impact
The project will affect the future planning and structure of health care provision and provide a training model for transfer to other areas of the health care system. Training providers will have access to a model of vocational health care training not currently available.

The combining of commercial qualifications with knowledge of technical organisational processes is becoming increasingly important in view of the growing segmentation and decentralisation of companies. The aim of this project is to develop a certifiable qualification module involving the acquisition of language and social skills at the technical-business management interface during the initial training and re-training of clerical staff for industry, especially during industry-wide initial vocational training outside the company.

The partners from Germany, Austria, Denmark and Ireland are developing a joint product, which will be put together by sharing the work among the individual countries and will subsequently be offered jointly on the international \"simulated business enterprise\" market. The objective here is, in particular, to convey learning objectives in the areas of commercial law, international cost accounting and international logistics in a manner that will enable trainees to use such knowledge in an active way. This will include a joint presentation at an international fair devoted to simulated business enterprises. The project is also planning parallel exchanges of instructors, initial trainees and people in re-training programmes. The developed module will subsequently be made available to the international association of simulated business enterprises with its more than 2,000 affiliated companies.

Impact
The project promotes the combining of commercial and technical organisational qualifications in conjunction with linguistic proficiency. The certificate will contribute towards the international recognition of qualifications.

Transnational simulated production enterprise

Great challenges lie ahead in the field of vocational training, especially with regard to tutors and teachers. In quantitative terms, targets have been set in Spain for the involvement of more than 100,000 companies in training schemes by 2002. In qualitative terms, tutors and teachers must have a clear understanding of new European and global realities and they must be able to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances. With this in mind, this project will:
- conduct a survey on the importance of training in industry;
- design industry training models and scenarios, drawing on comparisons of experiences between the partner countries;
- examine ways of improving institutional co-operation on industry training;
- specify new training and technical requirements for tutors;
- organise open debates and discussions on the issues.

One of the main products will be a \"basic guide for tutoring\", comprising a book of 100-150 pages and technical supports such as overhead slides and a CD-Rom. This would be used for 10-12 hour tutor up-dating sessions.

Impact
This project will have an impact on the relevance of training programmes with regard to industries' needs and will ensure that future training delivery is focused on adapting workers' skills.

The goal of the project is to develop methods of preventing young people's exclusion from work and vocational training. It develops the conclusions of a PETRA Programme report on the needs of adolescents involved in alternance-based training and education.

At national level, each partner organisation has selected a pilot group of students, ranging from 15 to 25 years of age. These groups will be taught and guided by a teacher and a multidisciplinary team. In transnational workshops and seminars, the teams and teachers will be trained to shift their focus of work from changing the student to changing the system and relationships of which the student is a part. The monitoring and follow-up of the process will be done by developing a self-assessment inventory for the teams and documenting the events in the project. The result will be the production of a booklet of guidelines on preventive methods against exclusion in vocational training. The self-assessment inventory for the teams will be published in diskette and printed version. The learning process of shifting the focus from crisis help to prevention will be continued through the network developed under the project.

Impact
Teachers and guidance professionals will be trained to use a systematic prevention approach in their work. Individual students will be helped to identify their strengths rather than their weaknesses. The change of focus is a learning process both for the students and the professionals involved.

Problems of high long-term unemployment and geographical isolation act as a barrier to economic development in many European regions. The partners in this pilot project aim to address this issue by developing an Experiential Enterprise Programme (EEP), using open and distance learning and targeted at the unemployed and women returners. This builds on the Experiential Enterprise Programme for Unemployed People developed in the PETRA programme (1992-5) and subsequently piloted with great success in Ireland.

The objective of this project is to make this method of self training in entrepreneurship available to a widely dispersed group of trainers/facilitators, by training a cohort of trainers/facilitators of EEP in each partner region who will, in turn, train further facilitators in their own localities. The bulk of the training is action-based and experiential and will be carried out through an Intranet set up for that purpose, with a limited number of face-to-face workshops. Products resulting from the project will include a dynamic, self-multiplying network of Experiential Enterprise Development (EED) trainers in each partner region and a common multilingual EED website for the ongoing dissemination of results.

Impact
Training will be made available in sparsely populated rural areas, enabling the long-term unemployed and women returners to set up their own enterprises and increase their employability. The project will also raise awareness of Experiential Enterprise programmes and training methods throughout the European Community.

Training programme in facilitation of experiential enterprise development for unemployed people

The single market has now become a reality within the construction industry. The frequency of construction companies' involvement within the European Union is increasing. Managers who are involved need to be aware of the diversity of the construction industry across member states if business, personnel mobility and career potential is to be met. Difficulties of comparability in existing national qualifications, structures and job roles has been recognised.

The partners intend to develop a new competency qualification: the European Construction Qualification (ECQ). This will be achieved by bringing together industry, the academic world and the professionals to develop the award. The format will be common across all EU member states and the syllabus will have a standard form based on both academic and competency values. It is intended that the structure can be adopted in countries not involved in the initial development and pilot schemes. This development will be focused on a free standing unit which is capable of delivery in a number of different ways. It is proposed that a structure of recognition will be developed, to allow each partner state to structure a qualification into their own national education and training framework.

Impact
The project will raise the profile and qualification level of the construction industry across state boundaries and provide a framework for a truly transferable and transparent award not currently available.

This project seeks to develop a new qualification in general building maintenance and create a mechanism for ensuring continuing vocational development through up-skilling of individuals facing exclusion from the local labour market. Local employers are reluctant to access practical and financial support without specific assistance from a dedicated individual.

The project will therefore create that support by training individuals to develop a caseload of local construction workers. Twenty disadvantaged trainees will participate in two pilot programmes lasting three months each. A total of thirty excluded workers will be on the caseload at the peak of operations in 1997. Four transnational trainer seminars will also be organised. Full details of the project's results and the training developed will be published.

Impact
The new qualification developed by this project will be targeted at those facing exclusion, helping to make graduates more marketable to SMEs in the construction sector.

Access to construction training for disadvantaged groups

The textiles and apparel sector faces fundamental changes, but with some specific problems. The changes are partly related to the impact of information and communication technologies, but also to changes in consumer patterns. Furthermore, as the single market moves closer to full integration, competitive conditions are changing, particularly where large retailers operate on a full EU scale. The long-term nature of these changes needs to be fully understood by all concerned and there is a corresponding need to develop new skills and competences among all groups in the sector's workforce.

Some of the partners to this project developed appropriate training materials under a former FORCE project. This project now seeks to multiply the application of these materials across the process-related boundaries in the sector and to reinforce their use in SMEs. Specifically, new training materials will be developed in four additional areas:
- the construction of SME business and training strategies;
- the associated development of SME co-operative networks;
- the extension to this sector of 'concurrency' in practice, particularly across the design-manufacturing and marketing interfaces;
- the development of advanced, autonomous teamworking practices.

Impact
The project will contribute to the advancement of UK NVQ equivalent training focused on skills, working methods and attitudes critical to changing labour market needs and competitive survival in the EU in a major female-employing, SME intensive sector.

Innovation and learning in the textile and apparel sectors - training for SMEs to support strategic change

This pilot project is concerned with alternating the training of young people between college and work experience. The three main issues are: the important role transversal competences play in securing employment and in career development; training strategies and organisational matters; and the transparency of competence systems. The objectives of the project are:
- to develop an analytical and conceptual approach for dealing with 'savoir être' (knowing how to be) skills;
- to design and develop an ODL system for training young people in transversal skills development;
- to develop a European validation and certification system for transversal competences acquired both during training and at work.

The results will be an ODL system, together with a set of modules for transversal competence training. These will be suitable for use by SMEs, and tutoring possibilities will be provided for.

Impact
As well as having an impact on transversal competence training, this project will establish a new partnership model which extends the UETP to social partner organisations.

Developing organisational skills for young workers

The advent of new technologies has helped physically disabled people access jobs they could not take on before. The same applies for people with learning difficulties. The aim of this project is to provide people with learning difficulties and/or dyslexia with a tool to improve their vocational training and employment opportunities.

The tool is entirely based on the use of multimedia components. Other modules can be added as and when necessary. The software programme will be produced in English and translated into the 4 languages of the partnership (Italian, Icelandic, Spanish and Swedish). It will include a module for on-line help from trainers comprising PC and database softwares in Windows 3.11 environment and over and will have a special user-friendly interface for the management of data using Paradox and DBIII softwares. Other products will include:
- a data bank of the most important user-friendly software programmes (available on the Internet and floppy disk);
- training modules for people with learning difficulties or dyslexia;
- new professional profiles.

Impact
This project will increase vocational training and employment opportunities for people with learning difficulties.

The main objective of this project is to develop a new approach to open and distance learning (ODL) that takes account of the needs of disabled people and integrates both students who are - and who are not - disabled. In both education and vocational training, ODL is considered to be a good opportunity for disabled people if appropriate tools and interfaces are selected that facilitate access to communication tools. A specific task of the project will be to develop procedures aimed at encouraging teachers to use telematic and multimedia tools as well.

The partners involved have been selected from both the field of education and of vocational training in order to facilitate exchange of different experiences. The Internet has been adopted as the main communication tool for all phases of the project, including dissemination, for its wide dissemination potential in all participating countries at relatively low cost. The pilot training trials will involve groups of users in all participating countries.

Impact
The project will create new job opportunities for disabled people, and encourage self-employment initiatives involving both workers who are - and who are not - disabled.

Tele-education and vocational training for disabled people

In the new federal provinces of Germany, almost as many women as men have had an engineering education. However, due to the structural change and the collapse of traditional types of heavy industry, far more women are affected by unemployment and have demonstrably less chance of finding another job in their profession. At the same time, only a few women are able to either create their own jobs by setting up in business for themselves or take advantage of the opportunities that are offered to promote this option.

The aim of this project is to investigate what causes can be found for this obvious exclusion of women with scientific and technical training from the labour market, and what instruments can be used to combat this development. The project will last for two years, and comprises three main phases. The first phase will analyse the situation of women with this educational background in the labour market, the motivation of women to set up in business, and the courses in business start-up programmes. Once the specific educational needs or deficits have been determined, training modules to supplement the business start-up seminars, course materials, and self-study materials will be developed. This will take place in the second phase. Parallel to this, a training module for trainers will be developed. In the third phase, these modules will be adapted to national conditions and tested.

Impact
The project will investigate the motivational and circumstantial obstacles for women to start their own business. Evaluation of the existing opportunities promoting self-employment will reveal deficits which lie particularly in the field of training programmes for people starting businesses and which can be eliminated by training modules specifically tailored to the needs of women.

Joint analysis and strategy development for self-employed women with technical and scientific training

The internal organisation of healthcare institutions throughout Europe gives nursing managers responsibility for a large proportion of the service management. In order to adapt to the changes faced by these institutions, ever greater demands are placed on these managers, who then have a greater need for appropriate health management training. However, the training delivered varies widely from country to country, and there are not at present any European standards in this area.

This project therefore aims to create a European continuing training network for nursing managers which includes both the transfer of theoretical training elements and the development of the nursing manager role.

This approach is based on action-training methods consisting, in particular, of the setting up of pilot projects. These training activities include modules specific to each country and each site, bringing together tutors from training centres and the nursing managers themselves.

Each partner will compile a glossary to define a common vocabulary, a guide to national recommendations defining the principles for the establishment of nursing management methods, which will be disseminated at regional and national level, and a European system of reference for use in the establishment of nursing management tools in healthcare institutions.

Impact
By creating tools for better healthcare, the project will help to consolidate the skills of nursing managers in the restructuring process under way in the healthcare systems of Europe.

Improving the management of the nursing service in hospitals through continuing training for managers

This project is concerned with the growing importance of cultural and heritage activities across Europe. European tourism will not be able to survive solely on the sun, sea and sand image for much longer, and, therefore, the added value of culture and heritage is becoming increasing important. Developing local culture, crafts and heritage will : provide a source of employment in rural or underdeveloped areas; contribute to the regeneration of traditional professions; and enhance equal opportunities in employment between men and women. More specifically, this project will respond to the need for a vocational training programme which covers different professions including craftspeople; owners of agro-tourism enterprises, travel agents, local authorities, museum staff, and architects.

The partners will develop a training needs analysis methodology focusing on cultural heritage tourism. They will then develop and test appropriate training modules and curricula. A total of eight different modules will be developed for trainers in each region, on the following subjects : establishing heritage products; agro-tourism and heritage tourism development; marketing skills; small business skills; quality standards; organisation of cultural events and festivals; food and wines; and hospitality standards.

Impact
The training developed by this project will be integrated into the curricula of the participating vocational training institutes in this project and, if possible, into those of other institutions in the respective countries.

This pilot project is in response to the sectoral need for training self-employees and/or workers in small companies. It focuses particularly on the protection of their health and safety at work, notably with regard to hazardous chemicals. Training will be developed to enable workers to protect themselves and their surroundings and, more importantly, to educate them on why they should care about their health, and what precautions they should take.

Four training packages will be developed : safety performance review and evaluation system; qualitative and quantitative safety and health objectives; site safety and precaution programme; and easy-to-follow implementation plan. The materials will focus on the more common workplace hazards such as suspended particulate matter, evaporating solvents, gas chemicals and noise.

The end product will be a 40 hour training course. All the information will be included in a well-documented, easily readable, flexible and straightforward manual, that will be initially produced in two languages - English and Greek.

Impact
The project will enhance the social conscience of workers and increase their awareness about safety and the prevention of accidents in the workplace. It will ultimately contribute to workers' well-being and increase their productivity.

Training of workers in air monitoring and occupational health issues

For several years, EU growth and investment has not led to increased employment in traditional economic sectors such as industry and agriculture. However, the voluntary sector is undergoing rapid expansion. Non-profit organisations are still in an early stage of development. They have a specific organisational and management structure and require specific skills of the people that work for them.

The objective of this project is to develop training for non-profit managers that will give them an occupational profile that is equivalent to that of a general manager of a small or medium-sized business. The training will also be targeted at unemployed young people wanting to work in this sector.

There will be four operational stages. The first will involve an examination of the role of non-profit managers in the project's partner organisations. The output will be a detailed hard copy and floppy disk report containing a full job description. The second stage will entail a similar analysis of a more extensive sample of non-profit organisations. The output will be a detailed report, including proposals for an education/training programme for non-profit managers. This will be piloted in a third stage. During the last stage, the results of the project will be published and disseminated. 1000 copies of a brochure will be sent out to non-profit organisations and education managers and a special web site will be created.

Impact
The project will up-grade the skills of non-profit managers and lead to an increase in the status and profile of this category of worker.

Because of the pace of technological change and the growing influence of information and communication technologies on society, new types and forms of work have emerged. A good example of this being teleworking. However, this type of work leads to related problems in areas such as labour legislation, tax regimes, social security and insurance, training access, work safety and time management. Other problems, mostly because the teleworker is effectively a micro-SME, include the lack of experience in marketing, external relations with clients, accounting, strategy and understanding relevant legislation.

The objective of this pilot project is to develop advice, guidance and training material for teleworkers, taking into account the specific problems outlined above. Emphasis will be given to the needs of female teleworkers, and the importance of finding the balance between professional and family life. The specific activities include: analysis of the current situation of the teleworkers; development of training material/modules on general management themes and specific themes; creation of an advice/guidance system; piloting of the material/system; evaluation; and correction of problems arising.

Results will include a range of reports on the specific needs of teleworkers, training tools, guidance manuals, a database, a web page and other publications. A final conference will be organised to present and debate the project outcomes.

Impact
The project will help to ensure that the development of teleworking does not leave people working in the profession at a disadvantage in the labour market.

The aim of this project is to support tourism managers in protected areas through continuing training. The will include the principles of sustainable development set out in the European charter for sustainable tourism in the natural and national parks of Europe.

This project involves the establishment of the experimental training needed to test new processes and new products which will promote sustainable development in the tourism and hotel sector before it is disseminated to SMEs in the tourism sector.

The first step is to create the essential tools, in particular the training kit, the eco-audit kit and the syllabuses. Then, a guide to sustainable environmental management and a guide to enhancing actions in favour of sustainable development will be developed, together with a guide to good practice. All these training tools will be disseminated in several different languages and in a common format. A training programme for trainers from universities and training centres will be set up. The effectiveness and relevance of the training tools and a pilot scheme will be assessed in ten pilot parks.

A European communication strategy will enable the results to be disseminated through the formation of a network of universities and training centres in the vicinity of the parks. These bodies will deliver training and training tools to the SMEs in the 700 natural and national parks around Europe.

Impact
This project will enable the signatories to the European charter for sustainable tourism in the natural and national parks of Europe to show their commitment to it in a practical way.

Continuing training in tourism-related SMEs to take account of the challenges set by the European Charter for sustainable tourism in the natural and national parks of Europe

As the international financial markets open up and new financial instruments and technology are used more extensively, business risk increases. In large companies and financial institutions, risk management is catered for by specialised university courses, but these are inappropriate to the needs of SMEs where differences of size, sector, and operating environment require other, differentiated approaches. This project aims to help SMEs minimise risk and enhance their competitiveness in the international market through the development of an innovative training programme designed to provide professionals with relevant expertise and skills.

Programme content will be developed from case studies supplied by industrial partners and tested with groups of students in an associated Leonardo da Vinci staff-student exchange programme. Programme modules will focus on risks in different fields : international marketing and purchasing, human resources, finance, the operating environment and international risk assessment and management. Modules will be designed for use in group and semi-autonomous training.

Products will include learning materials for teachers and students and risk management analyses, policy documents and manuals for SMEs, developed from student assignments. The project provides for adult education versions of the modules to be designed, and for a multimedia presentation/risk management game to be produced for use as a learning tool at different levels of education.

Impact
This project will lead to new training approaches to risk management, promote the creation of a network of training institutions and improve the competitiveness of SMEs.

Managing international risks and finance

Ever increasing quantities of information are created and stored in digital form, but access is frequently dependent on specific combinations of equipment. This project aims to meet the information needs of students and professionals in biomedical engineering by establishing an electronically based documentation point for information on training and educational activities in this field.

The project will achieve this through the identification, selection, collection and organisation of information from sources such as the internet, existing printed material and catalogues, university and training centres, libraries, industry and other sources. Data selection criteria will be defined by the partnership to ensure uniform depth of information. The information will be gathered according to specifically defined methodology. A documentation point will be created where the information collected will be subjected to further analysis and evaluation according to a specific evaluation plan. A database containing the selected information will be created with database management facilities.

The end product will be available in printed and electronic form for distribution via CD-ROM and the internet. Information on the project will be disseminated to universities, industry, and health care organisations through newsletters, journals and presentations to national and international scientific organisations.

Impact
The project will increase awareness of education and training provision and related activities in biomedical engineering. It will also promote the wider use of existing specialised materials in this field.

Medical engineering listed education and training information

Greek initial vocational training (IVT) policies are designed to help prevent social exclusion through educational integration. However, young persons from low socio-economic backgrounds and with inadequate qualifications frequently remain outside the IVT system and risk exclusion as a result. European initiatives have been taken to help groups at risk, but in the absence of methodology and specialised tools, the results have had limited success. This project seeks to build on the experience gained from these initiatives and, through the development of new methods and tools, to assist disadvantaged young persons, particularly young offenders, to adjust to the educational process of initial vocational training.

Research into the psycho-social and educational background of the target group will provide information for defining learning tools and programme content. The views of practising professionals will be sought on the needs of the target group and on the proposed training methods and strategies. New training tools will be designed for developing educational motivation and learning abilities through personal expression, communication activities, creativity and social interaction.

The programme will offer 200 hours of initial vocational training and 200 hours of applications e.g. psycho-educational activities, workshops, cultural activities. It will also include counselling and vocational guidance modules. Project evaluation will focus on the development of participants' learning ability, degree of preparation to integrate initial vocational training and work, the overall effectiveness of initial vocational training, and the psycho-social benefit to participants.

Impact
The project will create methods and tools for developing learner motivation and reducing obstacles to integrating the educational process, and will contribute to preventing social exclusion.

Development of innovative tools in initial vocational training for young offenders

The poor prospects young people without qualifications face in the labour market place them at an increased risk of socio-economic exclusion. Most research and policy in this field has focused on preventative educational/vocational measures.

This study will address other dimensions of disadvantage. More specifically, the project proposes to : identify those entering the labour market without qualifications,; analyse their labour market experience and identify their problems and needs; assess partner countries' approach to the problem of exclusion in terms of service and training provision; and develop a new organisational model for the delivery of training.

The conceptual framework of the study will focus on four assumptions; the needs of young people without qualifications, actual labour market performance, behaviour and experience must be taken into account, as well as previous educational experience; problems with this group are multi-dimensional and training must be combined with services in other fields; actors frequently have specialist expertise but difficulty in providing the range of service necessary for addressing the problems; and policy assessments should not be restricted to official policy, but also encompass the total range of policies and practice affecting the group.

Impact
This study will contribute to the formulation of policy at national and European level on combating social exclusion. It will also point to new directions for further research.

A new organisational model for the delivery of training for young people without qualifications

New requirements are emerging in nursing education, and there is a need to improve training methods to meet greater demands regarding clinical practice and quality improvement among nursing students. All students must have clinical practice, but there are limits to the numbers that can attend at any one time. Clinical practice is also expensive. A possible solution, and one that has been proved to have a major pedagogical impact, is to use CD-ROM to transmit the curriculum.

Interactive Multi Media (IMM) is a computer-based learning system where nursing students can acquire information through written words, sound, and visual effects such as pictures or video. They also have to be able to make choices in order to progress in the computer programme or to respond to questions.

The partners to this project will use IMM tools for training nursing students, and to refresh and update the knowledge of trained nurses. The partners will test existing IMM programmes in nursing education, and measure the outcomes. The programmes will then be adapted and developed with new up-to-date content. The training programme will be made easily available to other colleges in the CD-ROM format.

Impact
The outcomes of this project will help students optimise the benefit they obtain from their short clinical practice. There will therefore be an increase in the efficiency of clinical practice.

Interactive Multimedia in Nursing Education to Improve Quality in Pre-Clinical Studies

Nurses need a positive view of themselves and the world around them if they are to stay healthy and carry out their jobs for a normal period of time. Effective communication, self-management and co-operation skills can only be developed against a background of positive attitudes. The long-term results of nursing courses are often disappointing because participants frequently fail to integrate newly acquired skills into their routine and,instead, return to their old patterns of work.

The goal of the PPN project is to help nurses acquire the attitudes which will enable them to be assertive, and to undertake responsibility and initiative. The partners will design and test the method for a 60 hour course for qualified nurses. The training will be supported by supervision in small groups, where trainees will be monitored and given assistance in the practice of their newly acquired skills. Training the trainer courses will also be developed in each of the participating countries. Seven trainers per country will be trained to integrate the newly developed methods into their standard training programmes.

Impact
After having tested and evaluated the course, the partners will integrate the programme into regular initial vocational nursing courses in each of the countries.

One of the largest inhibitors to growth and profitability in the skilled engineering sector is the lack of transferable technical language skills. TELCAM aims to pilot a project between four European countries, spanning each corner of Western Europe, in which local manufacturers and educational institutions can collaborate in order to identify common concerns and work together using modern forms of communication.

The partnership's ultimate goal is to produce a CD-ROM containing a multi-lingual dictionary to be used by companies and engineering students, and, eventually, extending the dictionary to include other Member State languages after rigorous testing in a placement and exchange programme.

The dictionary of CAD/CAM terminology and vocabulary will be collated by engineering students, using expertise and advice from the SMEs in each partner country. Development will take place using a web site so that each institution in the UK, France, Finland and Portugal can have equal access, and be able to monitor progress transnationally. Throughout each phase, language support will be given within each institution and via regular communication between the countries. A language audit will be performed for each beneficiary to assess their foreign language skills, and then to tailor a suitable programme for each student/employee/lecturer.

Impact
The project will make language training an integral part of all vocational training, including the much neglected area of engineering and manufacturing.

Trans European language for computer aided manufacture

This multiplier project focuses on one of the most rapidly growing sectors of the EU economy - business start-up. It reflects the growing importance of entrepreneurial activity in the European economy, and is aimed at a group that can be regarded as disadvantaged and under-represented (women entrepreneurs). It will specifically address the problem of the mid-term sustainability of businesses - research shows that over 50% of new businesses fail in the second year.

The project is based on the outputs of a previous NOW project. The partnership will take the original outputs of the NOW project as a starting point, and technically up-grade the software platform from DOS to Windows; review the existing material; and up-grade content and shift the emphasis from women in the UK to European women in both content and approach. Beta versions will be produced in English, Icelandic, Italian and Portuguese. The partners also intend to develop a network of users and trainers and build a web site.

Impact
The project will encourage greater representation of women in the start-up business sector, and promote flexible self-managed training for use in autonomous workgroups.

EREN aims to establish the first multi-sectoral network of lasting contacts between practitioners across the field of adult education and training. It targets practitioners rather than policy makers and priority will be given to less central regions, some of which share problems such as sparse population, isolation from policy-making centres, industrial decline and underdevelopment. EREN will provide these regional practitioners with access to a level of information and debate, giving them an opportunity to learn from best practice models from other practitioners working in the same field.

Representatives from the different sectors involved in adult education and training in the various regions will participate in the network. Activities will focus on five key themes of strategic importance and regional interest : lifelong learning; open and distance learning, and new media; developing strategies for sharing IT resources; managing change; and encouraging mobility.

The communication/dissemination strategy is based on two main elements and the use of a customised internet-based platform for regular communication amongst all participants, on an on-going basis. This will be structured to provide theme forums for debate, as well as regional forums for localised cross-sectoral debate. An annual conference will be organised for face to face discussion, strategic priority review and identification of horizontal actions.

Impact
The project will provide a framework for the creation of a learning network within a learning sector, with continuous learning opportunities for practitioners in the field of adult education and training.

TEAM is a direct response to the needs of people with disabilities in Europe, of whom there are estimated to be 50 million (10% of the population). Those who have disabilities face a wide range of obstacles preventing full social and economic integration. Education, training and awareness-raising remain key determining factors in obtaining equal opportunities, and there is an important need for the training of those involved with people who are the subject of social and economic marginalisation.

TEAM's aim is develop a training qualification for professionals who advise people with disabilities about vocational opportunities, the applicability of assistive technologies, transferable support mechanisms and availability of learning materials. The following activities will be undertaken :

-comparative analysis of in-service training for staff working to support people with disabilities in four member states;
-adaptation of existing training courses and development of new training modules where gaps in provision are identified;
-development of training qualifications in disability awareness, assessment skills and the appropriate use of new technologies;
-production of guidance packs for use by training providers, vocational guidance services and voluntary agencies.

The guidance packs will be available in English, French and Spanish and alternative media (i.e. Braille, tape, large print). The partners will also published papers in English, French and Spanish professional and educational journals.

Impact
TEAM will combat social exclusion by promoting access to training and employment opportunities for those at a disadvantage in the labour market.

TransEuropean access and mobility for people with disabilities

The project is placed within the broad context of the under-representation of black and minority ethnic groups within the social professions, particularly within the European context. At the same time these groups find themselves over-represented as clients of social work.

This project aims to: open up a debate among social work educators on racism, marginalisation and exclusion in Europe and its impact upon trainee social workers from black and minority ethnic groups; identify and discuss different approaches and theoretical frameworks for looking at and challenging racism and other forms of oppression and to provide a model(s) for practice; identify, compare and develop appropriate access, training and support structures for black and minority ethnic students among academic partners and associated agencies; improve the knowledge, expertise and skills of trainers/educators and practitioners with regard to the concepts of anti-racist and anti-oppressive practice and how this fits with 'integration policy'; draw up an equal opportunity policy and framework for use by partners in the Socrates/Tempus network for European students mobility and work placements in agencies; train social professionals and prepare them to work in and for a multi-cultural and multi-racial society; and disseminate and transfer the results of the project to a wider audience.

Impact
The project is expected to impact on training and education programmes in social work, leading to the development of new theoretical and practice frameworks and modules regarding anti-racism and oppression.

Developing a common European framework for anti-racist and anti-oppressive practice for the social professions

This project is concerned with the development of educational computer-based multimedia solutions for the training and up-dating of people with special learning needs. The training will be primarily targeted at trainers and the materials will comprise independent modules, special software and manuals. The modules will cover the following topics :

- censor systems for optical and audio movement co-ordination;
- prudent function systems for improving memory, thinking processes, and concentration abilities;
- educational skill systems for improving understanding of basic concepts such as numbers, figures, shapes and time;
- trainer preparation, to help trainers prepare, deliver and evaluate training for people with special needs.

A special task force will be created, consisting of psychologists, computer scientists, graphic designers and specialists dealing with people with learning problems. The whole system will be multilingual so that it can be used all over Europe. Efforts will be made to ensure that the materials are user-friendly, easy to use and fully interactive, using different types of data such as photos, videos, and sound and digital animation.

Impact
The project will provide trainers, supervisors and carers with new techniques and technologies for educating people with special learning needs.

The acceleration in the use of advanced information technology has resulted in new approaches to education. It has, for example, facilitated the integration of visually impaired persons in higher education. Information technology is however not only an instrument on integration, it is also a subject of study which can open the way to intellectually stimulating demanding professions. This project seeks to give visually impaired computer studies students the opportunity to acquire higher skills for working in information technology through the development of support systems designed to help them during their studies.

The project provides for the establishment of an inter-university centre for preparing the targeted group psychologically and pedagogically for their studies and giving training in the use of basic equipment. The overriding aim is to integrate students into normal courses but expert support and specifically designed documents will be provided. Distance learning approaches will be encouraged to give access to partner institutions' course material. Evaluation of student ability will be carried out half yearly. Project implementation will require purpose-designed lecture rooms, dedicated computer equipment, library facilities and supporting personnel.

Products will include curricula, teaching aids and assessment packages for determining student aptitude for admission to the computer studies course.

Impact
The project lead to improved social and educational opportunities and employment prospects for the visually impaired.

Informatics education of visually impaired students

OBJECTIVES
The emergence of a common European area has intensified mobility in the area of training and employment. It is therefore necessary that vocational guidance counsellors be familiar with this area and its implications. The main objective of this project is to improve training for vocational guidance counsellors so as to enable European mobility of young people in initial training and also enable the transnational placement of young people in companies. The partners would like to facilitate the exchange of information and professional practice by the establishment of a system of exchanges and placements for vocational guidance counsellors in continuing training, in other member countries.

ACTIVITIES
The project will develop in three stages. Firstly, a training model will be created so as to make the member countries aware of vocational guidance practice at European level. A list of continuing training courses for vocational guidance counsellors will be compiled. Secondly, a module which will prepare the guidance counsellors to follow placements in other member countries will be designed. Finally, a third module will be developed concerning the transnational placement of young people in companies. After evaluation of these three modules, a European training catalogue will be distributed to different Member States.

PRODUCTS
- Placement guide for guidance counsellors.
- Preparatory guide for each of the different placements.
- Placement guide for young people looking for placements in European companies.
- Vocabulary list of vocational guidance terms

Continuing training in the European dimension of training and employment for vocational guidance specialists

OBJECTIVES
New technologies and current telematic networks allow a multiplicity of training locations, including distance and face-to-face training. Modern technological methods are attractive and allow the integration of the latest software innovations. By using these technologies, the project aims to develop linguistic competencies in a targeted language which will therefore help to develop work competencies and to facilitate co-operative work in a European context.

ACTIVITIES
It will proceed by putting in place the appropriate software material to promote the learning of European languages by responding to the real needs of employees and of companies, and notably the needs of SMEs. This work will take place in a multicultural context, and self-training or distance training methods will be used. In the framework of this project, the languages taught will be French, English and Spanish.

PRODUCTS
- Guides for the users and for those in charge of training.
- CD-ROMs for the public and for the institutions.
- Interactive CDI/Video.

Collection language television : ltv; year 1, ltv french; year 2, ltv english; year 3 : ltv spanish

OBJECTIVES
Players in continuing professional training such as trainers, planners and training advisors play a predominant role in the development of ground-breaking professional training. But these players also experience training needs in areas such as new methods and forms of learning. This study proposes to measure the existing deficiencies within this target group and to promote an innovative European culture of research and development in the area of continuing professional training. This will occur through the setting up of a transnational network of specialist national institutions.

ACTIVITIES
The partners will develop new guidance for players in continuing professional training, in accordance with the various national professional training systems, and will develop curricula and implementation plans. There will be analysis of the conditions required in order for appropriate training measures to be implemented within national training systems, and the thinking behind this new guidance will be set out.

RESULTS
Six theoretical and thematic studies carried out in the different Member States.

New forms of basic and further education of professionals for vocational education and training

Educational levels in the fish industry are lower than in other branches of the food sector. The rate of staff turnover is higher. There are consequently difficulties in ensuring product quality and customer satisfaction. The broad aim of this project is therefore to promote training and education for all fish industry employees concerned with end-product quality. The specific goals are to identify gaps in education and training provision and to increase workers' access to it.

The main regional partners will conduct a questionnaire survey amongst pre-identified groups of employees. The resulting data will be processed and analysed centrally. Experts will also draw up reports on training needs. An inventory of training solutions will be produced with a view to promoting access. This will be disseminated actively throughout the network and via the supporting student and staff exchange programme. Tangible products will include a training needs analysis tool, a report on training needs and a comprehensive inventory of training solutions for the fish industry.

Impact
The main outcome of this project will be the European network that, through its activities, will affect the training approach and structure of a significant number of European universities and companies working in the fish industry.

OBJECTIVES
This project aims to add a European dimension to the initial professional training of young chemists and to improve their language skills, thereby providing a solution to comprehension problems arising from the monopoly position of the English language in this field. Secondly, it aims to improve the quality of existing professional training programmes. The training tools which will be developed will serve as a basis for long distance self-training and for continuing training in this sector.

ACTIVITIES
A comparison of the various European training programmes, together with an analysis of the needs of industry and of higher teaching institutions, will firstly be made. The partners will then proceed with the development of common training modules on video in all the European languages, taking English as the reference language. The methods of working and managing in a laboratory will be filmed and discussed. A glossary will be produced. Finally, the impact of the material produced will be tested with a student exchange.

PRODUCTS
A film on CD-ROM presenting basic methods and working processes in the laboratory, discussed in the various European languages, will be created.
A glossary of the terms and expressions most commonly used will be available in electronic form.

This project will design and develop a masters degree in software quality evaluation. This is justified by the general need to introduce quality systems and the trend towards adopting ISO standards in most areas. The project will bring education and business organisations together to renew traditional means of education and adapt them for open, flexible, multimedia, interactive and distance learning use.

The partners will analyse training requirements for personnel in charge of software production and purchasing in information technology SMEs. They will then design and develop an intensive short masters course for open and distance learning use in conjunction with the universities involved. This will take the form of a guide containing methods, modules, subject material, a reference bibliography, an evaluation system and an up-dating system. The guide will be made available in paper-form, on floppy disk and on CD-Rom.

Impact
This project will create equal opportunities in new fields of qualification and employment, contributing to the definition of new competences and occupational profiles in evaluation/certification and quality matters.

Changes in technology and competition cause changes in occupations, which in turn add to the need for lifelong learning. New clusters of skills are urgently needed. For example, the traditional crafts of technical electricity, plumbing and air conditioning are compartmentalised, which causes lack of co-operation and ultimately results in wasted and overlapping work. To reduce the barriers between these crafts, it is vital to train employees to be multi-skilled.

This project aims to provide new methods and ways of responding to the impact of new building technology, to integrate initial vocational training with in-company training, to promote new forms of tutoring/mentoring and on-the-job training, and to create a new multi-skill training programme in electrical fitting, plumbing and air-conditioning. The programme will comprise four modules. It will be appropriate for distance, computer-based and on-the-job training use. The project itself will try out new training methods, for example the use of a virtual school system, work-shadowing and continuous evaluation. Multimedia material will be produced for the Internet.

Impact
The above programme will be applicable in both continuing and apprenticeship training programmes. It will also be integrated into the national education system. It will contribute to the development of new clusters of skills covering a range of different crafts.

Developing multi-skilled technician and lifelong learning

Environmental protection, now widely perceived as a necessity, has become a potentially important source of employment. However, much work still remains to be done to establish new occupations and professions in this sector. The project promoters, who have been involved in consultancy and training in the environmental protection sector for many years (i.e. water quality, treatment of solid wastes, green spaces, etc.) have established the need to develop training directed at environmental protection personnel working in private companies and local authorities.

In the initial phase, a survey will be conducted in four countries to identify the skills such staff should acquire. This research will be aimed at companies, local authorities, individuals, trade unions and associations, with each group interviewed stating their requirements in the relevant category. A needs analysis will be drawn up and will form the basis for an inventory of the various skills required in different environmental sectors. These skills will then be listed in three training reference documents dealing with the following main areas: treatment of solid wastes, treatment of liquid wastes, as well as the planning, management and protection of the surrounding public environment. A unifying framework linking these three reference documents will also be established. In a second phase, the partners will develop training modules for this common framework and the three specified areas.

Impact
Formalising new skills associated with developing environmental protection, as well as creating a new job description and a new programme to train \"specialists for handling environmental problems\".

Environmental training, information and resources

The developments taking place in the sales and distribution sector now require employees to have a whole range of technical skills, a fact which, in turn, emphasises the need for validation of employees' professional skills. The aim of this project is to establish a methodology and a series of tools to take account of and validate professional skills by analysing a number of specific occupations in the sector.

The principal activities and related areas applying to each of these jobs will be identified on the basis of questionnaires and personal in-company interviews. The direct beneficiaries will be self-taught employees with several years experience as well as recent graduates. The partners intend to set up a comparative framework of different systems of skills validation in the five partner countries. Companies will then have a common methodology at their disposal for validating employee qualifications and staff will be able to evaluate their levels of professional competence. As the partnership also includes public authorities and the social partners, the project results are expected to be disseminated effectively.

Impact
Improving validation practices for professional skills and contributing to employee mobility in the sales and distribution sector.

Validation of professional skills by companies in the sales and distribution sectors

OBJECTIVES
Supporting SMEs appears to be vital for the economy and jobs. Universities have a number of assets at their disposal (constant contact with emerging technologies, etc.) which could help SMEs to expand their skills and thus their competitiveness. The partnership between universities and businesses should therefore be strengthened. Supporting the innovative capacity of SMEs involves work in two areas: technical support and adaptation of employees' knowledge. The project aims to co-ordinate training experiences in the sectors of advanced electronics at a transnational level and draw conclusions in terms of methods for on-going training.

ACTIVITIES
The project will be subdivided into four phases. The first will be devoted to the implementation of the various Study Groups (methodology, training, evaluation, etc.). The phase of programming seminars for experts and distance trainers will aim to produce an initial description of the methodology. The third phase (the production phase) will aim to co-ordinate training experiences in the SME, establish initial feed-back concerning the methodology and establish the documentary base. The last phase will be devoted to final evaluation and implementation of the programme for the distribution of the results.

PRODUCTS
The development of the methodology will be accompanied by the production of a number of tools such as a CD-ROM describing training methodology, a document analysing SMEs' support needs, a CD-ROM describing the technological resource centres selected and training seminars for employees and trainers.

Transnational institute for continuing vocational training in advanced electronics, microelectronics and associated technologies sectors

OBJECTIVES
In modern-day societies, change is being seen in the area of health care. There is an ever increasing trend to move some of the examinations needed and treatment given into the home. This is made possible by the miniaturisation of biomedical instruments. In the light of this, the project seeks to provide high-level professional training which anticipates needs and actions while integrating the results of technological change. The courses aim to provide health care workers with key skills to facilitate their mobility and their attractiveness to companies, dealing with vast subjects ranging from the analysis of micro-technologies to the social and ethical repercussions which these can have.

ACTIVITIES
The programme is based on close co-operation between the research community and industry in the Biological and Medical Engineering sector. Five courses dealing with high-level technology and designed to address future trends are envisaged, delivered by European specialists. They will be subject to continuous assessment. Following assessment, the project aims to launch the transfer of experience in paper form with the targeted distribution of a summary document and the development of the consolidation programme.

PRODUCTS
- Creation of five training courses for the partners designed to find new concepts and new actions.
- Production of a summary document designed to train a target group by organising a training programme.

Biological and medical knowledge: technobiological and socio-economic change

OBJECTIVES
The transition from a production society to a multimedia society entails radical changes. To ensure a better connection between the world of work and the learning process, the principle of \"Just in Time\" training can prove useful. The project is designed to put in place a number of different types of transnational co-operation aimed at making access to on-line services easier for SMEs. It will also seek to assist the transfer of Teleworking/Telelearning, with the aim of informing decision-makers - within SMEs - about the \"Just in Time\" training system. This product will enable European businesses, 90% of which are SMEs, to close the considerable gap which exists between them and Japanese and American companies.

ACTIVITIES
The project will create a network bringing together partners with relevant experience in this field. It will also be responsible for analysis, selection and integration of elements which already exist to develop a multimedia product which favours improved integration between work and the qualification process. The product will be tested and then improved according to the feedback.

PRODUCTS
- Information and analysis of work integration and learning models in the \"Teleworking - Telelearning\" sector.
- Pedagogical tools.
- Seminars for trainers.
- Distance training tools.

Information society and learning companies - Transsectorial transfermodels for telematics based learning and working in SMEs

OBJECTIVES
At every level of SMEs, employees need to be able to adapt and respond to changes in society and in the market and to be prepared for the introduction of new types of work organisation, new technologies and quality control procedures. The project regards the management programme as a central element between the different education and training bodies and SMEs. Furthermore, the central objective of the project is to improve the ability of programme managers to get education and training programmes suited to the SMEs up and running through the development of training programmes designed for programme managers.

ACTIVITIES
The project will analyse the functions of programme management in relation to programmes adapted to SMEs. It will do the same for the skills required and will describe them. On the basis of this, the project will design, produce, test and evaluate the training of programme managers. The programme will be dispensed intensively in-house with - between the sessions - reinforcement by electronic communication. The results of the project will be distributed.

PRODUCTS
- Documents analysing and synthesising the functions and skills of programme managers.
- Training for programme managers.
- Reports on the evaluation of modules and of the seminar.

ACROSS Programme Manager - Training and development in continuing education and training

There is a need to develop and implement innovative ways of providing individuals with the \"core skills\" (i.e. communication, IT, working with others, improving own learning and performance) necessary to survive in the emerging flexible labour market. The project will explore training methods developed by providers in the arts, cultural and communications sector which provide trainees/students with \"core skills\", and the potential of this as the basis for training in other industry sectors.

The approach will encompass:
- identifying learning outcomes in training in the arts sector (and consultation across the EU);
- matching these to core skills and competences;
- identifying relevant training methodologies used by arts training providers (in 3 EU member states) to develop these learning outcomes / core skills / competences;
- developing modules based on these methodologies but applicable across other industry sectors;
- a conference to explore, test and refine the work to date;
- piloting the modules in a specific industry sector (airport security at 3 airports across the EU);
- producing a CD-Rom package based on the results of the piloting;
- and a full report.

Impact
Training developed by the arts sector may be, by definition, potentially more innovative and creative and therefore have a great potential to be effective in other sectors.

OBJECTIVES
EU legislation imposes high standards of hygiene and quality in the meat sector. In order to address these requirements, this survey, which follows on from a project on meat processing developed as part of the FORCE programme, proposes to analyse practices in this field in Europe, and to come up with recommendations concerning the development of a European training programme in hygiene and quality which takes account of each stage in the meat process.

ACTIVITIES
Analysis reports will be drawn up on each of the following four themes: conditions for animals before slaughter; slaughter and the meat production process; distribution, sales and the consumer; and finally the associated European directives. The partners will then identify the best practices in the area of quality and hygiene through a survey of experts in various fields. Finally, the results of these surveys and analyses will be integrated into a European synthesis report which will constitute a guide to good practices for the food production industry.

RESULTS
This sector research proposes to create a guide to good practices intended for those with an interest in producing quality products. It will help responsible members of parties often cut off from the production process to gain a better understanding of the relationship which exists between their actions and those of the other parties. Furthermore, the recommendations which are elicited from the report will enable those responsible for training to set the training priorities for the sector.

Anticipating training needs with respect to the requirements of quality and hygiene in the meat production industry

OBJECTIVES
This report proposes on the one hand to highlight, from a qualitative and quantitative point of view, the changing medium-term skill needs in the construction sector in Europe. The partners also wish to prepare the adaptation of actions, structures and methods of training provision in the Member States in order to improve quality and the capacity for innovation, to the benefit of employment in Europe. An emphasis will be placed on the means of reaching new groups such as young people, women, SME personnel, self-employed workers and adults without qualifications.

ACTIVITIES
The programme of work will comprise three phases. A survey of the major trends in the development of key skills in the construction sector will first be carried out. This first analysis will be looked at in greater depth on a national level through surveys conducted on the ground, on the basis of common criteria. The results obtained during the first two phases will be consolidated by identifying skills deficits in the main professions. The reports which are then produced will be distributed by the social partners to practitioners and users (training organisations, companies, workers, etc.), and to national and European decision-makers so as to give direction to policies and adapt practices.

RESULTS
- Analysis report on major trends in the construction market in Europe, the age pyramid, entry and exit flows, employment prospects and the changing structure of employment for each level of qualifications.
- Report concerning the identification of professions whose content is evolving, training to be developed as a priority, and ground-breaking experiences in the area of training methods in construction

Evaluation of future priority competence and training needs in construction

This project is concerned with the field of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and deals with the promotion and the organisation of education and training activities, including technology transfer, research and development in all fields related to GIS.

Besides the networking activities between the partners, the project includes support for placements and exchanges, the analysis of skill and training needs, awareness-raising and dissemination activities, the development of GIS databases, directories and organisation profiles, together with the design of training projects that will be also available via Internet and the world wide web. The exploitation and dissemination of all these activities/products is an integral part of the project's work programme.

Impact
The project will establish a common framework for the activities of a range of organisations concerned with geographical information in Europe. It will also have an impact on decision processes in this area.

Sectoral network for geographical information systems

The aim of this project is to develop an electronic distance-learning course for the energy and environment sector. An electronic teacher for the subject area \"Energy and the environment\" is to be offered via a forum on the Internet. This will compile appropriate courses depending on the desired learning objective (in accordance with national curricula for a particular qualification in a particular faculty).

The courses comprise texts structured in a text-book type format, exercises, as well as sets of questions for marked written work and examinations. The courses proceed from a higher school-leaving certificate level, furthering specialist technical knowledge in the energy and environment sector in a systematic way. The project content is innovative and especially interesting for CVT in SMEs. The programme is supported by a balanced and competent group of partners. Project management and the work schedule have been well organised and contain clear references to internal and external evaluation. The production of the training products in three languages will have a positive effect on the project's market prospects.

Impact
The project supports the dissemination and application of self-learning materials in the energy and environment sector. This form of vocational training will promote the development of human resources in SMEs.

Energy and environment teaching with wide-area networks

This project is based upon the recognition that there is an increase in the number of graduates seeking employment in a changing working world and that there is a significant role that SMEs have to play in contributing to both the national and European economy. Graduates offer a wide range of competences and there is a need for employers in SMEs to recognise and make use of such skills.

The partners intend to research the interface between graduation and employment, to provide information and training packs appropriate to the situation. These packs developed through transnational seminars and workshops will not only provide general information (\"Hiring the Right Graduate\", \"Employment within SMEs\") but will also address these issues with special reference to the hospitality business as an example for modification to other sectors. The team will test the validity of these materials across the European Union in order to enhance mobility and employability of the \"European graduate\".

Impact
The outputs of this project will provide awareness and understanding of what graduate skills and competences are most appropriate to SME needs. Practical recruitment information for SMEs will also be provided.

Using graduate skills: Small business growth by degree

OBJECTIVES
The objective of this project is to transfer and distribute the teaching methods and tools of vocational training developed in the framework of a PETRA project on the new technologies and advanced systems of automation for comfort and safety in the home in the year 2000. The project wishes particularly to disseminate innovations in training and improve vocational training procedures in co-operation with the universities and enterprises. It will also familiarise Italian teachers with teaching methods specific to the theme of the project and provide practical training periods on sites.

ACTIVITIES
In order to achieve their objectives, the partners will develop various modules. They will benefit from the experience of the Danish and British partners who will contribute more specifically to training trainers. The Italian enterprises and institutes of architects and engineers will also be involved in training trainers, but on a more practical level at sites and on projects. Finally, the small-scale, commercial and trade union institutions will co-operate as regards the impact on employment.

RESULTS
- Training teachers and recognising the skills they have acquired.
- Recognition of the skills acquired by students at European level and specialist training at transnational level.

Dissemination and transfer of vocational training methodologies, products, results and instruments from the PETRA project on \"New technologies and advanced automated systems for comfort and security in the habitat of the year 2000\"

This project will identify new fields of qualification requirements in the chemistry sector corresponding to the needs of the trade, especially those of small and medium-sized firms, and will develop adequate, innovative methods and subject matter for alternance training.

Initially, the qualification requirements in the chemistry sector will be identified. Specific subject knowledge and key qualifications will be included. The results will be evaluated to determine new training topics for alternance training. Possibilities regarding certification recognised throughout Europe will be examined. The overall idea is to make training transparent and to have it reciprocally recognised.

The result of the project will be the identification of the elements needed for an inter-nationally recognised curriculum which includes, not only specialist and key qualifications, but also inter-national experience and language skills. This will make available to the trade, and especially to the training institutions, training material that meets their needs. The long-term aim will be to develop a flexible system, recognised throughout Europe, of professional training in the chemistry sector.

Impact
In the long term, this project will have an effect on the vocational training system. This effect includes concrete negotiating instructions for the project partners and third parties, which will help students find better job opportunities in the European labour market, and will help firms find better trained and more mobile workers.

Needs of the chemical industry in Europe

The project aims to establish an international network of companies and research organisations for the design and testing of assessment centres for use across the EU, and to develop the software support required to ease the design and administration of such centres.

The project will train a group of experienced managers in assessment item writing, assessment centre design/implementation, and assessment. This international forum will investigate and specify (using Critical Incident Analysis) aspects of the European dimension in modern management. At the same time, software support for all personnel involved in assessment centre design and implementation will be developed. One pilot centre using individuals from throughout the EU will be run in the second year, followed by the translation of all materials, and the regional piloting of centres.

The outcomes will include publications on assessment, management development, and cross-cultural issues; software to support the design and delivery of assessment centres; guidelines on best practice in management assessment; training packages for potential assessors and companies; and a framework for the international accreditation of assessors.

Impact
The project will benefit agencies interested in the international nature of management, but will deliver a range of products and services of value to companies, business schools and training organisations.

Development of assessment centres and support tools for the transnational assessment of managerial competence

Due to the considerable resources of the North Sea, Russia and North Africa, and the emerging network of pipelines throughout Europe, there is now increased availability of natural gas in Europe. Whilst many types of expertise are needed by companies in these regions, the most important issue is safety. This is particularly true for regions where natural gas is either being brought ashore in large quantities for the first time (Western Norway) or where it is achieving greater penetration through the development of new pipeline networks (Spain and Thuringia).

The aim of this project is to develop short courses on the safe use of natural gas for industry and local/regional authorities. The courses will be targeted at three groups of users : industrial companies starting to use natural gas in regions where there is no background of such use; safety authorities responsible for developing safety standards and procedures; and young students in vocational training at all levels.

An examination will be made of the training that is already available in these specific fields. The type and content of the courses, and their organisation and structure will then be developed. Courses will be module-based and materials will be paper-based. They will also concern the safe use of gas in relation to the environment. The courses will be tested on the users, deliverers and operators in the partner regions. They will then be evaluated and, if necessary, modified.

Impact
Vocational schools will be encouraged to seek national recognition, where required, for their use of these courses.

Developments in the environmental sector have led to the appearance of many new trades. Often, there is no specific training available for these new occupational profiles. The pilot project SEQUI aims to study new emerging skills in the environment sector and bridge the gap between training supply and demand.

Current training paths dealing with quality, security and environmental management are meant for different occupational profiles such as technicians, highly specialised graduates and company managers. However, these paths have been divided into separate modules and are hard to adjust to integrated management. The pilot project modules will be designed with a view to total quality and integrated management and will facilitate the acquisition of essential multidisciplinary skills.

SEQUI will publish a book and a training model for integrated management operators. The work will be presented during a final seminar and distributed by the partners to any interested institutions in the three countries studies.

Impact
This pilot project will help plan new methodologies for analysing and anticipating the training needs, contents and tools necessary for developing profiles capable of managing change caused by technological innovations in the environment sector.

Safety, environment, quality - integration

This pilot project is concerned with the development of training methods and tools to enable companies in the audiovisual and multimedia sector to deal with changes in communication and information technologies. Workers in this creative sector need information resources to be able to research and plan their production projects quickly and efficiently. The objective of this project is, therefore, to transform the wealth of existing information and resources into a useful tool for audiovisual and multimedia workers.

The partners will develop three main products. The first will be a multimedia prototype archive building methodology, for use on the internet. This will comprise sample documents on given subjects, a cognitive map of related subjects, a motor search engine, a text analysis tool and a multilingual dictionary of key words. The second product will be a creative writing tool on CD-ROM in English and Italian. It will stimulate the user to associate ideas with texts, images and videos during the script-writing process. The third product will be a trainers manual on the topic of creative writing. It will provide specific information on the needs of audiovisual and multimedia workers.

Impact
This project will promote access to training and information support by audiovisual and multimedia workers.

Multimedia archive and a learning environment for creative writing in the audiovisual and multimedia industry

Over the past few years, effective time management planning has become even more essential. This pilot project aims to encourage dialogue between different urban sectors, like banking and enterprises, and between institutions, and Ministries and public sector companies, all of which have their undertake their own time management techniques. To be more efficient, the organisation of time within these sectors would benefit from an overall, coordinated vision.

TIMES will create a new occupational profile, which would be capable of developing a territorial time management plan. This will take into account the needs of all the parties involved and, for instance, trades union working practices that regulate working hours. The first step of the project will be to create an exchange and discussion group. Next, the partners will make an inventory of existing experiences in urban Europe in terms of organising time and schedules. Finally, the project will design and test a training project for managers and directors in the sector.

The results of TIMES will be made available on the Internet where there will be discussion groups, so that the results can be discussed and solutions offered.

Impact
This pilot project will create a \"schedule map\" in a cross-sectoral context and ensure the coherence of actions taken at a strictly sector-based level in terms of time management.

In the rapidly expanding graphics/media industry, competition in the international market, technological advances and the development of management tasks mean that organisations need to be flexible and have the personnel capable of operating in a changing environment. This project aims to facilitate the successful, efficient change implementation in the industry through the development and testing of an innovative human resource coaching programme.

The first stage of the project will consist of the identification of critical change factors influencing the industry at general and company level in the partner countries. Following this, programme development will be carried out using specific scanning and identification techniques. An analysis of organisational structure and function, human resources, education practices, quality systems and procedures, for example, will provide a formal framework for continuous learning. Identification of the learning experience, covering areas such as knowledge and skills needs and educational programme and material development needs, will be based on formalised procedures for determining individual company development and coaching requirements. The coaching package will include modules on coaching abilities, in-house learning, management of learning, education processes and interactive cooperation. The Programme structure will ensure that training sessions and techniques are customised for changing requirements. The project places human resources development in its natural business context and promotes learning as a continuing process, developing in response to organisational change.

Impact
The project will encourage the development of productive business structures, efficient professional coaching programmes and promote learning as a means to employee empowerment.

Coaching human resources for continuous organisational learning

Baby and childcare services are constantly developing and diversifying and a new occupational profile has emerged: the flexible early childcare worker who is capable of adapting to any and every situation possible. They have to be prepared to take care of children on their own or in groups, when they are accompanied by a family member, in different locations (such as at day-care or at home), and at different times for varying lengths of time. This pilot project aims to provide training for trainers and to determine which instruments are necessary to teach childcare workers all these skills at the beginning of their studies.

This pilot project will begin by drawing up an inventory of the actions undertaken in the three partner countries in the area of vocational training for staff working with children aged zero to three. It will also concern day-care workers, childcare assistants, baby-sitters and home-care workers. The next step will be to examine the essential skills for a trainer in the area of new babyhood services and to create a common curriculum and a methodology for training interventions using multimedia tools such as CD-ROMs. It will end by identifying available training centres in each partner country to test this type of training.

Impact
This project will help develop the position of the flexible childcare worker: one single occupational figure with a series of different skills.

Training of trainers for new early childcare workers

Aquaculture is a global industry which is growing at a rate of approximately 12-15% each year. The demand for higher yield and growth in aquaculture has catalysed a rapid evolution in intensive practices. As the sector experiences changes and advances, so a complementary demand for information of the most up-to-date RTD results, methodologies, technologies, and innovations has arisen. The current project responds to direct industry feedback and identified needs, and provides a solution to the current demand for up-to-the-minute information.

The project aims to transfer required information to a wide audience across the European aquaculture sector, particularly identifying SMEs as prime beneficiaries of the results. Other beneficiaries include university staff, trainers, research experts and students who will both participate in, and contribute to, the development of the programme.

The partners will develop seven intensive short training programmes on : the design and operation of recirculation systems; primary processing of fish products; fish farm management; marketing; fish vaccination; scallop production; and hygiene/cleaning procedures. Materials produced and results obtained from this programme will be widely disseminated across the European aquaculture sector.

Impact
The project will develop key/core competencies and multidisciplinary skills in aquaculture SMEs.

The furniture sector is currently in a state of major industrial change. There are several reasons for this : less visibility in terms of company costs, as companies only have a few weeks worth of orders in advance; changes in consumer expectations and behaviour; and fierce international competition. The only real hope is to develop and master competitive elements for the long term. This pilot project aims to train in-company mentors on how to transfer skills to employees.

There will be three stages to FORTISSIME. It will begin with an analysis of company furniture needs and existing practices, as well as mentor requirements. Prototypes of the curriculum and training modules, a glossary on the mentor's post, and a qualitative training evaluation chart will be developed. The second stage will consist of testing and evaluating the curriculum and training module prototypes in three partner enterprises. A second set of tests will be carried out on four other sites in order to finalise the self-training tools for mentors. The third stage will be to design a CD-ROM to distribute these tools.

The final products of this project will be displayed during furniture fairs and exhibition, as well as in the professional journals of the different partners.

Impact
Training schemes developed on the basis of real-life furniture company practices will be used for self-training purposes.

Training of mentors in the furniture industry

The radio market is changing. The public sector is expanding into the private commercial and the private non-commercial sectors. This means that there is a need forfacilities for introductory and continuing education and uniform qualification standards for radio journalists which go beyond the in-house training programmes of the existing public broadcasting companies.

The aim of the project is to develop training units for the radio sector that can be implemented in two fields: radio journalism and cultural journalism (community relations). The modular training program consistently emphasises the participation ofwomen in training and continuing education at all levels, as well as access to jobs, management, and sensitisation measures for the fair treatment and description of disadvantaged groups.

On the basis of the tried-and-tested training packages of AMARC-Europe, intensive, introductory, and advanced courses will be developed within the framework of the Ether-Train program. In the training units, these courses will emphasise additional subject areas corresponding to the institutional orientation. The courses end with contributions, ready for broadcasting, for reporting, feature, and commentary styles.

Impact
The application of the results of the Ether-Train program in the national and international radio sector will promote the mobility of radio journalists within and outside the sector. The application of new information technologies (World-wide Web, Internet, digital editing techniques) will, in addition, bring new impetus into the action-oriented training methods. Different training standards and certificates will be developed which will correspond to the differences in content and length of the training units with the aim of obtaining international recognition.

Europe training partnership and initiative for radio production

In Europe, nine out of ten people in the labour force are employed in companies with fewer than 10 employees. According to the European Commissioner with responsibility for SME development, there is a danger that nearly 1.5 million SMEs of this size could go bankrupt before the year 2000. The main reason for this is the problem of succession, when an enterprise's creator retires or dies. The successor, if there is one, is not necessarily equipped with the appropriate skills to ensure the continued survival and growth of the company. There is therefore a considerable need for relevant training in this area.

The specific objective of the project is to design, develop and disseminate training modules on the following topics :

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Development of Family SMEs: Technology for SME and Job Creation

Most of the tourist regions in western Europe are struggling with market saturation phenomena, falling profits, and increasing competitive pressure from long-distance tourism. This extremely consumption-oriented line of business is today confronted by an increasing environmental and quality consciousness on the part of the guests and the inhabitants of the region. There is, therefore, a need for appropriate ecological training for persons working in the tourist business, in order to bring about a radical rethinking process among workers and managers.

The aim of this project is to put into practice the results of the above demand analysis. The main findings of this analysis were a deficiency in the continuing education available to specialist and non-managerial personnel, and a failure to take into account the labour organisations specific to this business. It is essential to have different outcomes for the different target groups, who are sometimes under great pressure because of seasonal work patterns. In this pilot project, therefore, three continuing education modules, which are country-independent but designed for specific target groups, will be developed, and then tested in various countries.

Impact
The continuing education modules, offered as an additional qualification, will improve the quality of training, and make jobs in the hotel and restaurant business more \"ecological\" and attractive. Special attention will be paid here to smaller businesses, for which ecological measures in general, and continuing education in particular, represent a capacity and management problem. Those persons who up to now have been disadvantaged in (ecological) continuing education will especially benefit from the design of the modules. With regards to the extremely high proportion of women among staff with few or no qualifications, this problem will be considered separately in development and testing. For the firms, this investment will also bring advantages in business management, particularly if the specific environmental knowledge is consistently borne in mind.

Continuing training modules in support of environment-oriented management in the hotel and restaurant business

In recent years, considerable efforts have been made to raise awareness about the importance of continuing training in the European Union. These efforts have centred on the development of short courses and distance learning programmes. However, many distance learning initiatives, using software videotapes or texts, do not provide for any interaction between the learner and a trainer.

This project will address the following questions : are technological solutions the only way of ensuring that vocational training is up-to-date; and how can distance learning take more account of trainer/trainee relationships?. The partners therefore intend to examine current experimental approaches in order to make recommendations about the most effective way forward for distance training in future. More specifically, this will entail : an analysis of existing training measures and recent technological innovations; production of an inventory of continuing vocational training methods and tools; adaptation of existing training packages; and testing these in various situations in other European countries. A series of reports on the above will be the main project outcome.

Impact
The project will provide an insight into state-of-the-art training practices in Europe, and will consequently enable practitioners and users to identify more easily the most appropriate and efficient form of training.

Methods and tools to enhance continuing vocational training

Many firms complain that it is impossible to find suitable young people for vacant jobs and apprenticeships. Moreover, small and medium-sized firms do not have the proper tools to make a suitable choice when seeking young applicants. Today, it is normal for higher-level employees to seek the professional help of appropriate vocational counsellors, but this is too expensive when hiring young people.

The object of the MATCH pilot project is to create a computer-supported instrumentarium. Through this individual job requirement profiles of small and medium-sized firms can be compared with the interests and abilities of young applicants, in order to determine which job best suits which young person.

Approaches under consideration are, for example, the use of standardised interviews, the use of workplace documentation, and the development of requirement profiles for specific firms. Standardised interviews for young applicants, interest profiles, and aptitude tests willcomplete the matching components. It should even be possible for the matching instrumentarium developed to be used indepen-dently by small and medium-sized firms if necessary. This should render the selection process in the firms more objective and eliminate superficial and subjective selection procedures.

Impact
Through its specialist participating partners, the project will make a substantial contribution to improving the labour market for young people and to assisting small and medium-sized firms.

Measures to support small and medium-sized firms in the selection of young people starting work

The project is concerned with recent developments in telematic applications in the health sector. There is a need for the entire health sector to benefit from access to telematic services at European level, as well as for Europe to match the capabilities of leading competitor countries. The project will specifically focus on : training in new technology related to telematic services; transfer of new technology to healthcare providers; and national and transnational networking for more efficient and cost effective delivery of healthcare.

The above needs will be addressed through the following activities :

- identification of ways to promote health telematics technological research;
- development of a health telematics network for training and the transfer of new technology;
- development of a new multimedia based training methodology;
- development of an educational package organised in modules concerning specific teleworking skills;
- training of trainers and pilot testing of the educational package;
- networking of health institutes to promote the use of the applications developed.

The direct beneficiaries of the project will include doctors, nurses, medical scientists/technologists and health administrators.

Impact
The project will : improve the efficiency of people working in the health sector; promote the use of electronic networks; and up-date the content of university information technology curricula.

This project aims to research, develop, pilot and accredit a core training programme for medical equipment maintenance technicians who work in hospitals throughout EU member states. The main beneficiaries will be the universities/training organisations providing this training, maintenance technicians, awarding bodies providing the qualification, and the hospitals and their patients who benefit from higher standards of service.

The work will include desk research into the various training programmes that already exist and, from identification of where the shortfalls are, the development of a new training programme. The outcomes of the project will include:

- reports outlining the training needs of, and provision available for, maintenance technicians from each partner country;

- a core training programme and resources for its delivery produced in the language of each country; and

- a fully validated qualification with national recognition in each country.

Impact
The project will have an impact on the quality and consistency of training programmes provided for medical equipment maintenance technicians, and on the structures set up to research and develop new technological innovations for the delivery of training in this area.

A common core syllabus for medical equipment

In the context of the globalisation of markets and services, the retail and wholesale distribution sectors are undergoing profound change, which in turn has had an impact on the workforce in terms of their skills and training needs. This issue has been raised by the European social dialogue and in a Green Paper issued by DG XXIII of the European Commission. The aim of this pilot project is to develop up-to-date training for trainers working for national retail and wholesale social partners organisations.

The first action of the project will be to design a cultural model and methodology concerning distance learning for trade union trainers. A computer-based training package will then be developed. A network of trainers will be established with a view to piloting three courses on a distance learning basis.

Impact
The outcomes of this project will increase the efficiency of training in the European wholesale and retail distribution sectors insofar as it will reduce the time trainers need to spend on the planning of training. It will also improve trainers' management ability and negotiating skills.

Training of social partner trainers in the planning of European trade union distance learning in the retail and wholesale distribution sector

In an ever-changing market, organisations and key personnel must be provided with learning opportunities to maintain their competitiveness. This project aims to develop innovative pilot training programmes specially designed to meet these needs.

The programmes will be developed for a target population of professionals across Europe and different languages simultaneously. The applications will address three information society-related, competence development and organisational change demands : the introduction of IT in educational and training establishments from a decision making point of view; the introduction of telework and flexible work options from a work organisation point of view; and the introduction of telematic tools for managing remote teams/projects from a manager's point of view. The programmes, delivered on-line complete with guides and self-learning materials, will be supplemented with on-line help desks, interactive environments for peer-to-peer dialogue and access to a European-wide knowledge pool in the areas being studied.

The pedagogical approaches proposed for programme development - time and space independent learning opportunities, context-independent demonstrations, 24-hour support, collaborative learning - take into account busy managers' particular learning needs. In addition to project reports, products will include an adaptation guide for extension of the material to other countries and cultures, an on-line handbook and a report on the collaborative development of the learning material.

Impact
Through its innovative learning approach the project will promote changes in the design and delivery of professional learning programmes.

The aim of this project is to promote employment opportunities for graduates who are having problems finding work, through the provision of special information, training and guidance. To achieve this, it will be necessary to consider individuals' integral development needs as well as their expectations and social abilities. This is the best way of ensuring integration into the labour market and professional efficiency. The training trials will target a representative sample of individuals from the four cities involved, selected according to gender, race and ability.

The activities of the project are divided into four phases. During the first phase the partners will create the ATENEA network, agree on action strategies and carry out a field study of the target group. The second phase will involve the consultation of other information sources, and the design of the information/communication tools and trainer training material. The third phase will be devoted to the development of training content/materials and evaluation instruments. The last phase will comprise pilot training and guidance activities, a transnational seminar for exchange of experiences, a dissemination campaign and evaluation of the project. Efforts will made throughout the project to take account of the specific needs of employers.

Impact
The project will help graduates enter into the labour market and improve the range of careers information and guidance available in Europe.

Pilot project to promote young graduates' access to the labour market

Waste management has become a complex area. This necessitates the reanalysis of experience acquired in fundamental and applied research and in training and educational activities in the sector. The objective of the project, which is geared towards the management and treatment of waste, is therefore to help develop this experience within the framework of an international partnership consisting of experimental vocational training.

This is based on various tools, and includes in particular: the creation of a European work experience module on the criteria that define a quality territory; the production of a programme document containing instructions for the training of mentors and an educational programme designed for businesses, students and job-seekers; a joint assessment scheme emphasising the transferable and reproducible characteristics of training modules; and the production of a transnational guide to professional behaviour in waste management.

The results will be disseminated through the production of a best practice guide for use by those working in the industry, in national and regional development and in vocational training; the formation of a training module able to be integrated into other European training activities relating to environmental protection, and containing the analytical scheme and criteria defining a quality territory, and, finally, a database available on the Internet.

Impact
This project will enable new skills and knowledge to be gained at transnational level. It will stimulate the development of new technologies which will bring about a harmonisation in waste management at the European level.

European work experience training module on the criteria defining a quality territory

The role of public libraries in helping people facing social, physical or cultural exclusion is poorly defined. This pilot project, which brings together German, French, Italian and Hungarian partners, aims to address this weakness. BIBLEX will run over three years and consist of three phases.

The first phase will consist of a survey of the needs of library professionals and of the marginalised groups, finding individuals capable of mediating between these professionals and the marginalised groups, and exchanging experiences between the various European partners. The second phase will attempt to establish training courses and promote exchanges between training specialists and specialists in the field. It will, above all, aim to develop a new training tool and define support strategies for these new methods of combating social, physical or cultural exclusion. Finally, the third phase will be devoted to the transfer of skills between the various partners, through new training seminars and the development of systems for the geographical and institutional dissemination of the results. The latter will be published in paper and electronic formats, and educational software accessible to all the individuals involved will be produced.

Impact
This pilot project will help combat social, physical or cultural exclusion, and facilitate the transfer of new skills through the sharing of a diverse range of experiences.

Public libraries tackle marginalisation: new functions, new challenges

A major problem facing research organisations in Europe is how to link research teams and capacity to the needs of industry. Most solutions so far have been on an empirical, ad hoc basis. A more structural solution is the development of industrial liaison offices staffed by people with experience in research and procedures, and capable of identifying subjects for matching research resources with the needs of industry. Currently, however, there is no formal training for developing such professionals. This project aims to fill this gap through the development of a training package offering new qualifications to scientists and engineers seeking a career change.

Following the definition of the Industrial Liaison Officer job profile, partners will develop training package curriculum and materials. Curriculum content will include subjects on R&D and technology management, technology audits, marketing, technology transfer and brokerage, patents licensing, EU policies and innovation.

Training materials will include course materials and methodology for each subject area, specific tools for questionnaire development and data collection and processing, and a multimedia package for self and/or distance learning. Materials will be tested with scientists and engineers from participating organisations and be evaluated for further adaptation and finalising. Project results will be disseminated via the web, specialised journals, seminars and workshops.

Impact
The project will lead to the development of innovative training programmes, strengthen university/industry cooperation, and promote career development for scientists and engineers.

Industry-research liaison officers, preparation of training package and pilot application

Powder metallurgy, a multidisciplinary sector of industry with environmental and economic aspects, is in a state of rapid development in terms of its science and technology and of the advanced applications of its products. There is a growing demand for training and education opportunities and materials to keep up with these changes. The closely related requirement for university-industry interaction to provide mutual understanding and to ensure the necessary synergy in exploitation of new technology is increasingly essential.

This pilot project will create and market a uniform body of material in modular form for open and distance learning. A range of powder metallurgy science and technology instruction material will be identified, generated, evaluated and agreed by a multinational group of universities and companies. The material will be aimed chiefly at employees in industry. It will use traditional and advanced methods/media, but will also place emphasis on learning as opposed to teaching. It will be adaptable in terms of language and culture, and will be usable in SMEs as well as in larger companies.

Impact
The project will lead to improved methods of acquiring information on powder metallurgy. It will also contribute to a better understanding of the learning process rather than simply producing ever larger quantities of unusable educational and training material.

Europe-wide provision of open and distance learning materials in powder metallurgy

The cross-border European development area is experiencing a period of redevelopment and transition following the slump in the iron and steel industry. New companies have been established, but levels of training among their staff are inadequate. This pilot project aims to train the local population in order to adapt them to new work structures based around ideas of autonomy and cooperation, and improve the handling of the disparities between production operators, specialist maintenance services and managers.

NOMI will provide for the detection of key skills for business, the development of a training methodology and the testing of training modules, geared towards the various types of staff involved in the maintenance of an industrial installation, and carried out in companies and elsewhere. It will also allow the dissemination of the products and methodology to the networks of the various partners and the training of internal and external trainers.

The training products produced will be transferred locally by Avenir-Industries and the international team of European development, and internationally by the individual networks of each partner.

Impact
This pilot project will involve businesses from diverse backgrounds in a joint project, enable the people targeted to move towards a more autonomous work relationship, and help training and research actors to bring the concept of key skills into their various training activities.

In the health care sector the emphasis on patient-centred care and calls for more accountability and professionalism in service provision have resulted in the emergence of new job profiles. To meet the challenge of change there is a need for training establishments to improve services offered to social care organisations, for service providers to develop new training strategies and for employees to have access to new skills training. This project aims to address this need through the development of training programmes designed to promote education and training in the health care sector in a life-long learning perspective.

Programme development will be in two parts. The first, targeted at educators, trainers and managers, concerns human resources management in health care and focuses on the effect of change on the employability of employees with low qualifications, methods and tools for managing change and the development of alternative learning strategies. The second centres on the development of training methods and specific training modules on subject areas such as employee motivation, skills updating and the prevention of burn-out. Modules will be designed for use in semi-autonomous, autonomous and in tutor-led group training situations and will be integrated into the existing programmes of partner training establishments.

Impact
The project will promote the development of innovative training schemes in the fight against exclusion and encourage employee mobility and flexibility in a changing professional environment.

Permanent development of accurate skills to promote adequate employment in health care

SMEs in the Canary Islands need effective support in their bid to increase productivity, reduce costs and expand their businesses. High-quality telematic services can help overcome existing communication problems between the knowledge industry and SMEs. The main objective of this project is to help SMEs access such support through telematic applications and services.

The partners will design and develop a training programme in telematic applications and business management, and set up a general counselling service for SMEs. The training programme will comprise 16 hours of training in the use of telematics, its applications and its impact on the activity of the company, and 10 hours of 'business games' which will give students practical experience with telematic tools for making contacts, conducting business, exchanging information and communicating. The counselling service will offer a range of inter-sectoral courses in accounting and finance, purchasing, production and sales, quality, marketing and sectoral issues. A CD-ROM on the above will be designed, developed and distributed to SMEs, as a single, standard training tool in various languages.

Impact
This project will provide small businesses with the essential information they need for a satisfactory introduction to telematics.

Crossing borders and transferring learning to create new enterprises, improving sme business skills through distance learning

Energy provision and consumption take on a central role in the debate on sustainable, environmentally acceptable economic development. In most cases, current energy provision does not meet the criteria for sustainable development. This central role of energy also applies in industrial management.

The aim of the project is to provide those responsible for energy and the environment in small and medium-sized firms with a tool to link economic and ecological questions, thus improving both areas.

In this project, a self-study package will be developed which can be integrated into the daily work process, thus facilitating continuous learning. Important elements of this package will be the Internet and the CD-ROM. The content of the self-study package will include: establishing a management system; description and analysis of energy use; and optimising energy use from economic and ecological viewpoints. The material will be designed to be user-friendly insofar as it is easy for workers to access it according to their preferences (in printed form or by PC).

Impact
Through energy management programs, operating and production costs will be reduced, leading to cost savings and thus directly or indirectly safeguarding jobs. With an energy management system, the firm will be able to react flexibly and quickly to changes in the price of energy. In addition, this system will lead to a broadening of knowledge on energy matters.

In Europe there has been a marked move away from the concept of a job for life. As the nature and structure of work evolves, new job profiles emerge, new skills are required. While there is universal recognition of the role played by training in re-skilling, weak points remain in the availability/accessibility of services and the target groups addressed/reached. This project aims to develop a typology of women's needs as a means to determining the relationship between guidance and counselling and active participation in the labour market.

The project will be in three stages. First a survey will be conducted among women from different backgrounds, with a wide variety of skills and at various stages of their careers in order to determine the guidance and training they would need to maximise their working potential. A formalised typology will be developed from the findings. In stage two, an in-depth analysis will be made of guidance and training services available to the groups of women identified in stage one. Stage three will consist of an evaluation of the links between guidance services and guidance users. It will include case studies highlighting areas of good practice and make recommendations on how services and needs could be better adjusted to the benefit of the labour market as a whole.

Impact
The project will provide empirical evidence which will assist in the development of a coherent European strategy for guidance and counselling.

The Role Played by Guidance Services in the Career Development of Women

Increasing awareness of the impact of industrial activity on the environment has resulted in European legislation on environmental management control. Many SMEs however do not have the resources to keep pace with developments or for implementing the requirements relevant to their activities. This project aims to assist SMEs in improving performance in this field through the development and testing of on-and off-the job courses in environmental management for hotel and catering employees, mechanics and printing shop workers in particular.

The project will develop a 150-hour programme targeted at SME employees trained to secondary school level and at students from participating vocational training schools on apprenticeships in SMEs. The emphasis will be on developing knowledge and skills in information gathering, evaluating the relevance of information, applying new knowledge to a company's activities, seeking expert advice, handling communication with outside organisations, maintaining records and contributing to company policy development.

Programme content will cover areas such as environmental issues and law, environmental management, information management, waste management, quality control and employee motivation. The programmes will be designed for tutor-led group training and provide for on-the-job trainee assignments. Materials will be case-study based and include audiovisual aids, student manuals and workbooks and teacher manuals.

Impact
The project will led to improved vocational training, enhance employment prospects and foster positive attitudes towards environmental management in SMEs.

Practical Training in Environmental Management for Internal Resources in Small Organisations

Identical jobs, with constantly increasing numbers of qualifications, contrast with different educational systems. Each of these systems contains both positive and negative features, a knowledge of which can be helpful for anyone involved in education.

This project will improve the quality and innovative nature of education in the individual countries by developing and implementing new instructional approaches, syllabuses, methods, and materials adapted to business practice, as well as by the use of existing ones. Ultimately the measures should lead to students acquiring specialist competence as well as specialist knowledge, promote their personality development, and prepare them for lifelong learning.

To achieve these higher objectives, the project will foster an understanding of the different educational systems, to identify and implement common learning objectives in selected partner country curricula. This will promote measures for the continuing education of teachers, and build up a communication structure for the long-term collaboration of the partners.

Impact
The joint development and implementation of instructional methods to strengthen the teaching of specialist, social, and personal skills will directly support industrial training measures. On the basis of the planned regional collaboration in the area of acquiring vocational qualifications, the project can make a contribution to developing greater transparency in qualification recognition throughout Europe.

Comparative Evaluation of National Curricula and Joint Implementation and Evaluation of Corresponding Learning Objectives in Action-Oriented Teaching

Pilot licenses are divided into three levels of certificates : Private Pilot License (PPL - first level); Commercial Pilot License (CPL); and Airline Traffic Pilot License (ATPL). These levels naturally overlap, and the theory syllabus for the higher levels is based on the syllabus in the lower ones. Training facilities not connected to large airlines often suffer from lack of resources, so training methods are primarily based on distant learning. There is a disturbingly high failure-rate in the students' exam results. Organisations that run these courses need to adapt, revise and develop current training material, teaching methods and syllabuses. However, many do not have the advantage of back-up from large airlines and, therefore, have marginal resources to fulfil such tasks.

This aim of this project is to deal with the above requirements by developing textbooks, a list of set reading and syllabuses adapted for the highest level of pilot training (ATPL). In addition, the project will make use of new technology by adapting Computer Based Training (CBT) to deliver the course. By using CBT, via CD-ROM, educational institutions will be able to manage more efficiently the need to adapt their training to new requirements.

Impact
The project will improve the quality of training in establishments not connected to large airlines, and will lead to improved theoretical knowledge amongst students.

Theoretical knowledge course for airline transport pilot licence

Many Euro Information Centres (EIC) have requested a precise definition of the specific skills needed by a Community information officer to act as a development agent for the internal market in order to manage their activities more effectively. The aim of this pilot project is to carry out an inquiry within the EIC network to gather all the information necessary to define this new profession.

IASMIN will begin by putting together a document listing all the characteristics required to be qualified as a Community information officer. The next step will be to draw up a list of the skills required for such occupational profiles, including Community information officer, internal market agent, environmental expert for SMEs, technological innovation development expert for SMEs and expert in harmonising and certifying industrial products. The third step will be to create a cohesive group of the different types of training for these areas of specialisation. And finally, the partners will draft a document to guarantee the recognition of these qualification in the different partner countries.

As the initiators of this pilot project, the Euro Information Centres will be responsible for distributing the final results.

Impact
IASMIN will put competent human resources at the disposal of SMEs and local authorities. These new positions will help stimulate the internal market.

The Information Officer, a Professional Figure Active in Development for SMEs and Local Authorities

People who develop, plan and organise continuing training need a systematic framework of relevant knowledge in order to be able to respond effectively to the demands of the labour market and enterprises. The objective of this project is therefore to adjust vocational training methods and content to take account of changes in work organisation, new technologies, environmental legislation, and the requirements of the single market.

More specifically, the aim of the project is to identify and define the profile of a new occupation - the social-economic trainer, to analyse and define the skills required by this position and to develop a specially tailored training programme. A pilot trial of the training programme will be carried out in the Syracuse area of Sicily. The partners will also produce a handbook on the methods and skills of socio-economic trainers. It will serve as a guide for putting into practice what has been learned during training. The handbook will be produced in paper format and on disk, for open and distance learning use.

A seminar will be organised to evaluate the project and its products, in collaboration with the social partners. An evaluation report will illustrate the results of the seminar.

Impact
The outputs of this project will enable economic trainers to design and develop training programmes that take account of the real needs of companies and their workers.

The Integrated Skills of Continuing Training Planners and Local Development Agents : Skills of the Socio-Economic Trainer

In response to the liberalisation of European public markets and of their opening up to small and medium sized enterprises, the EUROMAP training package was created to facilitate the acquisition of new core skills and to implement new strategies and training programmes. This pilot project aims to organise and manage the distribution of these new training options.

The TELEUROMAP project will begin by creating a telematic network to facilitate this distribution to enterprises and public authorities throughout Europe. An Internet site will provide information on calls for tender; will allow people to exchange experiences; and will provide easier access to numerous databases, such as the one operated by the World Bank. The next step in the project will be to implement a technical and linguistic help service for enterprises that want to participate in European public markets. Finally, a seminar for SMEs will be organised to develop and improve training activities.

These training packages will be made available on CD-ROM to SME associations and to training organisations, amongst others. All public and related private networks will be mobilised to efficiently distribute the results of TELEUROMAP.

Impact
This pilot project will help modify training systems to make them quicker, more modern and easier to use. As a result, SMEs will become more professional and more competent.

Creation of a European network for the on-line distribution of training packages for SMEs

The main objective of this project is to pilot the Open University pack 'Working as an equal partner' in Denmark and Iceland. The pack is intended to be used by workers and people with learning difficulties, studying together. In many care professions, this is seen as very innovative practice. The pack focuses on what constitutes good practice in care. The learning activities require students to try out ideas in practice. For example, students are asked to review workplace procedures to identify and deal with abuse.

Sections of the pack relating to employment will be translated into Danish and Icelandic. It will also be piloted by residential care workers, job coaches and job trainers with students with learning difficulties in the UK. Experiences in Denmark, Iceland and the United Kingdom will be contrasted in evaluation meetings. The partners will provide the Open University with feedback on the value of the pack and suggest further developments. Finally, a database and network of centres using the pack will be established.

The pack includes paper-based resources, audio tapes and two video cassettes. The videos will be provided with a Danish and Icelandic 'voice-over' and tutor study notes.

Impact
The project will encourage client-centred focus by residential care and teaching staff. It will also improve confidence, self-expression and knowledge base amongst adults with learning difficulties.

Working as Equal People - Open University K503

The background of the EPTech project is a widespread concern, expressed by authorities and the business community, that education in schools does not provide the qualifications and skills needed for technical personnel in the private and public sector. It seems that traditional methodologies of teaching are unsuitable in bringing about the flexibility and innovation that employees required to be able to respond to the rapid changes in technology and markets.

This project will, therefore, develop a transnational programme to improve the ability of technical personnel with regard to quality and innovation. Central themes are entrepreneurship, the development of project-based training, and closer cooperation with enterprises.

The partners will develop and test project-based training methodologies and tools. Guidelines for motivating and training teachers for their new and more important role will be developed, together with a common European standard for project descriptions, which can be stored in a central database available on internet. A final report containing all partner contributions and experiences will be produced and disseminated to public authorities, educational institutions and associations in all the participating countries.

Impact
In the long-term, this project will contribute to a change in technical education curricula and methodologies. This in turn will strengthen the competitive position of European companies and the employability of individuals.

Entrepreneurship and projects in technicians' training

In Hungary the developing market economy has led to the need for a labour force with relevant skills training to meet the employment requirements of increasing numbers of SMEs. Some measures to promote vocational training have been taken but, with the high rate of unemployment among young people and the low number of students in vocational education, others are required to ensure that skills supply is better adjusted to skills needs.

This project aims to develop a model for vocational training to facilitate the definition of training systems related to market needs. A comparative analysis of the structure of vocational education in European member states will assist in determining the roles and responsibilities of the different agencies, organisations and educational establishments involved in Hungary. Mechanisms for planning, analysing and forecasting skills training needs will be designed.

The project also proposes to develop and test teacher and student training programmes and evaluation methods and materials, to create an inspectorate system and to provide careers guidance for students. The model will be tested in the Csongrad region then extended country-wide through the regional authorities, with possible extension to Central-Eastern European countries.

Impact
The project will promote a model for vocational education in Central-Eastern European countries and assist in the definition of vocational training programmes relevant to needs in a developing market economy.

The role of economic chambers and their collaboration with partners of vocational training

Today, across Europe, the application of computer-based technology in vocational training is a necessity. Computer-based knowledge and skills make for efficiency at work which in industry is a condition of competitiveness. This project will assist initiatives in Hungary to ensure that skills training is relevant to needs through the development of multimedia teaching materials for use in computer technology and environmental protection studies.

The project will :

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Developing and Introducing Multimedia Teaching Materials for Vocational Training

OBJECTIVES
By the year 2000, 80 % of new jobs will be filled by women. Women have the skills of flexibility - and of co-operative rather than competitive team working, yet they often lack the confidence to return to the labour market, or if already in work, to progress beyond the lowest level. This project will give women the confidence and skills to make the best use of their talents in situations where they may face discrimination and lack of equal opportunities. The partner wish to help them gain access to management positions, in which they are under-represented, and to gain influence over the decision making processes in their workplaces. The project will involve confidence building, career and life planning, goal setting, assertiveness, stress reduction and putting oneself across positively. It will adapt and transfer existing distance learning materials, designed for non-management women, which facilitate personal and career review.

ACTIVITIES
The partners will translate, contextualise and 'culturalise' existing distance learning materials. A small group of women will be recruited in each Member State to train as trainers to deliver the supporting programme for the distance learning materials. The adapted materials will be piloted in end user sites in each of the Member States.

PRODUCTS
The project will produce a 300 page workbook of distance learning materials for participants to work through and a training manual for the trainers. The training manual will enable the trainers to run the workshop programmes and to train the helpers and familiarise themselves with the organisation in which they are running the programme.

Opening the Doors - European women's springboard development programme

There have been rapid technological and structural changes in the retail sector throughout Europe resulting in a high proportion of employees working on an atypical basis. This type of work is often dominated by female workers. Current training/employment practices are such that they do not allow either workers or employers to strategically plan career paths and development, resulting in less staff motivation, reduced levels of productivity and inequality in terms of opportunity.

The project aims to produce a manual which will serve as a career planning and development tool for workers in the retail sector. The objective is to provide them with a means by which to influence their own position in the workplace and have an input into their training needs.

Impact
The manual produced by this project will promote co-operation between employees and employers in career and personal development by involving employers in on-going consultation on - and evaluation of - training and career needs of individual employees.

A manual in career planning and development for workers in the retail sector

The transnational short courses planned in this project in the area of technology take account of the current situation in eastern Germany and are aimed at strengthening technology in newly founded SMEs, in particular, through continuing vocational training.

It is planned to run four courses lasting two days each. In line with the industrial profile of the region, the courses deal with problems regarding metal-working, motor-vehicle drive engineering, remote high-speed data networks and comprehensive management issues. Distribution of the course content which will, as a rule, be produced in German and English is planned via a web server on the Internet.

Impact
The project is well-founded and caters for the needs of the region. The procedural sequence, comprising a needs analysis, development of pilot courses, adaptation of content and production of a course programme is a logical and consistent one. The market opportunities and transferability of the project are assessed as good.

Transnational short courses for the transfer of research and development results in co-operation with companies and higher education institutions

The rapid development in the scope of professional optometric practice, in the technology of optical appliances and in the field of visual science requires a comprehensive training and a thorough assessment of skills. An examination of the scope of practice and level of qualifications in various European countries showed that there were widely differing standards and scope of practice for the optometric profession in member states.

The development of a European Diploma in Optometry will enable the partners in this project to improve their national qualifications in order to extend the profession's scope of practice and raise its standards. In the longer term it is anticipated that national qualifications for entry into the profession will be replaced by the one European qualification. The partners will agree on a syllabus of core knowledge and skills and a management and examinations structure, and will set examination questions, set up a database and organise a trial examination.

Impact
The project will have a major impact in a number of areas. A higher and uniform standard of practice throughout Europe will benefit patients and consumers. This will enable optometrists to become the principal providers of primary visual health care, resulting in a more cost efficient use of the healthcare budget in member states. This in turn will open up new opportunities for optometrists.

There is an increasing number of young university graduates who, a year or more after graduating, have still failed to secure any employment. There is an even greater number whose level of employment does not utilise the advanced skills and knowledge they have acquired in their university education. This project is designed to help them acquire better career management and job hunting skills so that they might make a more effective contribution to the economies of the regions involved in the project.

The Sussex region, with its transnational partners, will develop a career management programme for use by careers counselling services within their regions. The pack will include a CD-Rom and supporting workbook to provide an open and distance learning opportunity. However, the full forty-hour programme will require graduates to liaise with a qualified career counsellor for additional tutorial support and guidance. A second CD-Rom, for use in libraries and other services providing public access to a PC facility, will be available to promote the programme. The partners will co-operate in designing the programme - promoting its use within their regions - and in evaluating the outcomes.

Impact
The impact will be the re-entry into the job market of a group of qualified and able young people with greater motivation and self confidence in their abilities.

Open learning career management programme for long-term unemployed graduates

The need for this project stems from the demand from organisers of transnational placements of trainees in the health care sector for training materials where the learning of language can be integrated with cultural awareness and the personal and social development that arises from a European placement in this sector.

The partners intend to prepare a language package graded by language and skill level, specifically designed for use in the health care sector. A pilot module will be test run by students who will also take part in a work placement in the target countries. The evaluated results will be disseminated via the Internet and institutions involved in the placement, exchange and learning of less widely spoken languages. Printed manuals (course books and teacher's books) and audio cassettes will be produced in English, Norwegian, Finnish and Icelandic and a multimedia CD-Rom will also be produced in English.

Impact
This project will contribute to the area of work-mobility for young people in the health and care professions and enable them to share their current knowledge with those countries eager to learn more about British methods of training. It will also enable examples of best practice in the Nordic countries to be experienced in the UK.

Anglo-Nordic language and cultural training for placements and exchanges in the health and care sectors

The social and occupational integration of young people with autism can only be achieved if they are able to exercise their right to initial and continuing training, the right to express themselves and the right to be treated as individuals - rights which they are often refused. The aim of this project is to eliminate the unjust alienation of autistic people by dispensing with the carer-patient relationship through creating a group of \"self-advocates\" and developing therapeutic training activities aimed at bringing young autistic people from a protected work environment into an open one. Following an analysis of the training skills and needs of instructors and autistic people, the project will develop training programmes aimed at the requirements of private, public and social enterprises.

The aim of instructor-training is to create awareness among educators of the importance of knowing autistic people as individuals. In-company training courses will facilitate analysis of the needs and requirements of companies to enable training to be adapted accordingly. Before the start of the occupational integration phase for the autistic people concerned, in-company tutors will attend a training course to enable them to deal with the situation adequately. The completion of this phase could, with the assistance of instructors, lead to a number of people with autism setting up private enterprises.

Impact
Training for a target group largely excluded from vocational training schemes, i.e. young autistic people. It is intended for these young people to become better integrated as a result of enhanced training of instructors and tutors.

Training for instructors dealing with autistic people and VT for autistic people, with emphasis on the needs of private, public and social enterprises

The aim of this project is to assess the viability of introducing training certificates in a range of working contexts, at national and European level.

The specific project objectives are to:
- provide partners with common ground for discussing transparency of certification arrangements;
- identify national indicators of certification transparency and quality (information supplied by employers and institutions responsible for providing certification);
- develop a set of minimum certification transparency standards;
- produce documents and tools to propagate the tested model of transparency standards amongst training/certification providers and businesses.

Impact
The project will develop effective links between initial training, continuing training and the labour market. It will also promote certification transparency at European level in view of increased European labour market mobility.

Viability of vocational training certificates in the labour market

The partners of this project feel that there is a need to reduce the differences between competence development methods and training arrangements in their respective national systems. The objective is to promote co-operation between training organisations and companies with a view to developing 'alternate training' (alternating training and work experience) for young people in Europe.

To achieve this, they will develop a European 'alternate training model' that will be designed to encourage worker mobility and reduce social exclusion. The project also aims to develop personalised training methods. Concrete activities will include:
- a study of European alternate training systems;
- identification of key competences;
- design of curricula for alternate training trainers and planners;
- development of a placement programme and trainer training modules;
- and the production of a CD-Rom for use by trainers, mentors/tutors and apprentices.

Impact
This project will increase the effectiveness of initial vocational training with regard to the needs of the labour market.

The aim of this project is to improve vocational training and guidance policies/practices. It will develop and pilot a systematic approach to continuing training and the development of lifelong learning through self-training.

The project work is divided into the following stages:
- establishment of a telematic network between the regional and European partners;
- creation of a pilot database of successful examples and studies on employment/training counselling and guidance;
- design of a European pilot employment service centre for a training and learning network;
- design and development of a train-the-trainer strategy and tools for vocational counsellors and training specialists;
- quality and performance testing of the European pilot service centre;
- organisation of short training courses for targeted groups and implementation of an action plan for further personal and professional development;
- production of a report and the Athena '96 telematic kit, comprising a practical guide on how to set up, run and develop a European service centre, a trainer training programme and an overview of short European extra-curricular training courses.

Impact
This project will help EU member states to deal with common problems in the field of job counselling and vocational guidance.

European pilot service centre for a training and learning network

Many areas of work are increasingly influenced by new technologies. The initial education and training of people working in such areas therefore needs to be up-dated. This is the case for many women working in the budget control and auditing area. Many women are interested in teleworking both for professional and for personal/family reasons, but they need new skills to use highly computerised and automated tools. This project aims to redefine the occupational profile of employees in the above-mentioned area, taking into account the organisational and social impact of new information technologies and the need to promote equal opportunities for women by increasing access to teleworking.

A preliminary survey will be conducted to define the specific vocational needs of women employed in the budget certification and auditing area. A set of training materials will then be produced at transnational level.

Impact
This project is expected to have a significant impact on training and retraining systems in the partner countries, especially with regard to continuing training for women working in auditing or other clerical activities.

Women in teleworking - training in telework and development of female occupations in budget control and auditing

EU directive 91/391 concerns European SMEs insofar as it requires them to reorganise their safety and accident prevention systems. By developing continuing vocational training and distance learning, this project aims to help SMEs reach minimum standard safety levels.

The following activities are foreseen:
- a transnational needs analysis for up-dating SME managers concerned with safety prevention matters;
- a transnational seminar for the exchange of safety training know-how;
- the design and production of multimedia training tools;
- the opening of a world wide web site;
- pilot distance learning activities for SME managers and workers.

Impact
This project will have repercussions on European training practices insofar as its results will be widely applicable. The homogeneous nature of the training material will facilitate use in different countries. It will also help develop the social dialogue in SMEs in the member states involved.

The emergence of new professions and the need to adapt occupational profiles and skills to new labour market needs pose a considerable challenge for the vocational training world. The management and organisation of training projects has become increasingly innovative and there is an increasing need for people with the knowledge and competence to understand project design and aims, to master information technologies and manage with administrative skill. Assistant training programme managers need special professional skills, and their occupational profile needs to be further clarified. This job is currently being carried out by people who are not always suitably skilled.

The aim of this pilot project is to define the occupational profile of the \"assistant planner in vocational training\" and to develop a specific training curriculum. The partners will produce appropriate training materials, together with relevant documentation and bibliographies. The profile and training course will be published in various languages and launched at an international conference.

Impact
This project will promote vocational training programme management as an interesting career option and ultimately have an impact on the quality of training itself.

Assistant planner in vocational training

Clinical and surgical care for burns patients varies widely in the burns centres of different countries, due to the fact that experience in each institution is varied and teaching programmes are different. This project, through new connections on the Internet and the production of multimedia interactive modules, aims to promote the exchange of scientific information and standardise current knowledge through the development of common scientific terminology in the burns and plastic surgery field.

New technologies will be applied to the initial, continuing and lifelong distance training of medical and paramedical personnel, students, trainers and teachers in the field of burns care and treatment. The interactive multimedia modules produced by the partners will be disseminated on the Internet, ensuring dissemination to a wider public. The courses will be used for up-dating trainers. The modules will be transferable to other health care training areas.

Impact
This project will improve the health care management structure in each of the partner countries. A chain reaction will be triggered with regard to other hospital structures.

Realisation of a system of initial and continuing distance vocational training in the health care sector of burns patients

This project aims to mobilise resources with a view to improving vocational training provision, organisation and planning for disabled people. The objective is to create the conditions in which training activities for this target group can be judged to be a real success. The partners will focus on the following issues:
- training methodologies, learning strategies and motivation techniques for teachers and trainees;
- professional experience as an essential and dynamic means for building a career;
- socio-economic factors affecting the training process and labour market access.

The partners will design and develop integrated training activities and qualifications taking account of the above issues.

Impact
This project will improve qualification and training opportunities and will enable young disabled people to enter the labour market.

Piloting of methods to enable young disabled people to enter the labour market

This survey and analysis project concerns policies which aim to stimulate and to increase lifelong learning through enhancing the relationship between informal work-related learning and formal vocational training. There is an increasing perception of the city as a context where learning and cultural exchanges take place. In parallel there is a growing interest in surveying and analysing how lifelong learning can contribute to social and labour market integration in the context of \"learning cities\". With this in mind, this partnership will survey and analyse:
- the initiative or set of initiatives related to lifelong learning existing in European cities today;
- the policy context within which these initiatives are embedded, focusing on labour market and social integration.

Animation and dissemination activities are planned through the establishment of a city-based core structure (Learning Cities Forum). New city policies which address these issues will be analysed, documented, evaluated and disseminated in a summary form through appropriate publications.

Impact
The lifelong learning policies promoted by this project will reduce social exclusion and increase labour market opportunities for disadvantaged people.

Lifelong learning policies in European cities and new employment opportunities for disadvantaged people

EU statutes and regulations regarding environmental protection are highly developed. However, implementation still varies a great deal and remains incomplete. A large number of companies will have to apply the environmental programmes in the future if they want to remain competitive. The result of this is, particularly for SMEs, an increased demand for appropriate specialist staff. The aim of this project is to develop a modular programme for training Company Environmental Officials for companies within the EU. Having such a qualified member of staff will enable SMEs, in particular, to implement the company environmental protection measures required.

The project contains a programme for creating new qualifications and jobs. This transnational pilot project, which can be incorporated into all the vocational training systems and occupational groups that currently exist in Europe, will enable the trainees, following completion of the modules, to work as environmental experts in relevant areas of industry. This will make it possible for companies to conduct analyses and solve environmentally related problems independently. Legal issues in the area can then be dealt with, also taking operational and economic factors into consideration. Co-operation within the project between educational institutions and industry will facilitate practical testing at company level, thereby ensuring that the curriculum is suited to practical requirements. The objective of this programme is to enable people with varying educational backgrounds to enter this sector at any time by means of a vocational training programme with a modular structure using adapted teaching aids and software programs.

Impact
This project will facilitate qualification as an Environmental Official in industrial sectors.

Qualifying as a European company environmental official - a modular vocational training system

Against a background of technological and economic change, the initial vocational training system is characterised by the following structural weaknesses: although alternating vocational training systems contribute to low unemployment rates, the distinction between full-time education and the general education system results in obstacles to continuing vocational training, particularly with regard to access to university. Countries focusing primarily on occupations learned in a full-time school environment, on the other hand, have to contend with problems of integrating those who have successfully completed their courses into the employment system.

This project is aimed at young people during and after completion of their initial vocational training. Its aim is, while preserving the differences between the national education systems, to establish links between more practical, vocationally-oriented training and the more academically geared, full-time schooling system in order to compensate for the structural weaknesses referred to above through the development of a European vocationally-related upper secondary school-leaving certificate (Berufsmatura). Public and private educational service providers ensure that the subject matter is dealt with in a comprehensive manner and includes various perspectives and interests.

Impact
Creation of a European vocationally-related upper secondary school-leaving certificate \"Berufsmatura\".

European diploma for a vocationally-oriented higher school-leaving certificate (berufsmatura)

The increasing use of online services, especially the Internet, is fundamentally changing information management in firms, organisations, and institutions. In the tourist trade and the hotel and restaurant business, the presentation of products and services on the Internet is particularly establishing itself as a standard component among marketing concepts. Although an Internet presence can be created with the aid of outside services, high costs are then involved.

The aim of the project is to develop, for people working in this trade, continuing education modules and self-study materials that will enable them to develop for themselves Internet-related and general online marketing ideas, as well as Internet pages. The modules will contain technical principles, service principles, and possibilities on the Internet, and specific information for implementing their own services. Parallel to this, an Internet hand-book will be produced as a basis for qualification measures. The CD-ROM will supplement this and offer the learner illustrative examples for developing presentations with graphics and text.

Impact
INTERTOUR will increase the quantitative and qualitative use of networks and will professionalise marketing. The combination of the new media with the tourist sector will create new, future-oriented jobs, which will especially benefit structurally weak and sparsely populated regions.

Development and testing of continuing education modules and learning materials for online working for employees in regional tourist facilities

In Italy, development planning is undergoing a thorough overhaul with regard to procedures, policies and instruments, especially concerning the relationship between the central administration, regional authorities and the social partners. Relevant training is needed, especially for the social partners, who are increasingly involved in this area.

The aim of this pilot project is to analyse the role assigned to the social partners in the process of local development in the different countries concerned. The partners will investigate their role in all the phases of the process, including priority identification, negotiation, result monitoring and impact evaluation. Territorial pacts will also be considered.

Results of the project will include training products and a glossary of terminology for joint planning of development in a European context. It will be produced in English, French and Italian. Another product will be a set of guidelines for avoiding gender stereotyping.

Impact
The project will develop improved ways of carrying out negotiation processes on territorial development.

Joint planning and cooperation in development agreements

Much attention has been focused recently in organisations on the issue of establishing a clear measure of the impact of training and development programmes on organisations' Return on Investment (ROI). The human resources development field as a whole has yet to significantly assert its true added-value amongst its client-base. To achieve better status within the organisations' strategic considerations, and to encourage more investment in human resources in European businesses, a better link between the cost of education and development, and the returns on such investment needs to be established.

The main objectives of this survey and analysis project are to disprove the hypothesis that return on investment in training and development cannot be measured and to establish clear business incentives for encouraging investment in human resources. To achieve this, the project will:
- carry out research and systematic testing of the ROI hypothesis;
- document 'best theory' and best practice;
- document chosen return on investment tools and monitor the returns on real-life major investments in large organisations; and
- conduct 'hard-edged' measurements carried out against a chosen training and development programme.

The conclusions and results of the project will be disseminated in a seminal reference report 'Best of Best Practices in ROI', which will document real cases and the successes and limitations of applying measurement techniques to various training and development activities.

Impact
This project will lead to greater and more sustainable investment in long-term human resources development.

Return on investment (ROI) in large European corporate training and development programmes

EU Directive 92157, concerning health and safety in the construction sector, requires member states to introduce national legislation on the issue, especially with regard to vocational training, for people in charge of planning and directing building sites. In Italy, the directive has been translated into Legislative Decree 494196, which will have a significant impact on the Italian construction industry. Many people will have to be trained in the field of safety and quality. This project will develop such training.

The first action of the project will be a transnational enquiry into how other member states have reacted to EU health and safety directives and what they have done in the field of training, occupational development and accreditation. In a second phase, the partners will jointly develop short courses for trainers, together with multimedia supports. A last step will be the planning and production, on the internet, of a constantly up-dated magazine designed to enable trainers to exchange experience of health and safety programmes, particularly in SMEs.

Direct beneficiaries of the project will be trainers of technicians, planners and managers employed in construction sites. The indirect beneficiaries will be the technicians, planners and managers themselves, insofar as they will be up-dated with regard to safety and total quality norms.

Impact
The project will lead to the introduction of common certification procedures for health and safety training in the construction sector.

Safety at work and quality in building enterprises : vocational training for planners, executives and workers

One of the most innovative fields in the construction industry, with a very high development potential, is wood construction, which offers expanded market opportunities particularly to small and medium-sized firms. A prerequisite for this, however, is that the workers must be appropriately qualified, and that firms must attend to the quality of the products offered and their suitability for customers. The different traditions and experience in wood construction in the different countries should also be used productively.

The pilot project will concentrate on special, individual customer advising, and less on standard and quantity-oriented manufacture. Training methods emphasising personality and key qualifications will be developed; these will, among other things, help trainees to recognise and practice the new modes of working and cooperation needed for new develop-ments in wood construction and their quality-oriented marketing. The methodo-logical and didactic theme running through this will be value-creation, from forestry and the obtaining of raw material, through production and assembly, to the handing-over to the customer. The thematic core of the modules will be the customer-related, social, and qualification-related activities which accompany this process (e.g. preparation/planning, production, assembly/customer).

Impact
In-house learning will extend the traditional learning organisation, which is usually restricted to single persons and single firms. This will give the impetus for setting up new structures, which can be filled by the combined specialist and cross-disciplinary contents of the modules. By extending specialist knowledge and including it in key competencies, the efficiency of specialist ability and the attractiveness of the occupational field of wood construction will be increased.

Promotion of in-house learning in wood construction through inter-company learning

Nowadays, because of the multi-national nature of their guests, Hotel personnel across Europe need to demonstrate a knowledge of other cultures and languages if they are to provide the best service. International hotel chains also expect a high degree of mobility from their workers.

The most important aim of this project is to devise and coordinate an international training curriculum and a Europe-wide procedure for the reciprocal recognition of training qualifications in hotel management. A prerequisite for this is that the curricula in the EU countries will have to be modified. The subject area must be enlarged, within the framework of school education and (if applicable) in firms, to include occupationally relevant know-ledge in the areas of European law, European marketing, environmental technology, and communi-cation technology. In addition commercial management training must be intensified and occupationally relevant knowledge will have to be taught in two or three foreign languages. Graduates will receive a certificate with the additional qualification \"hotel management.\"

To try out the new concept, two periods abroad in partner countries will be carried out, each of three to six months, divided into a course of about four weeks with the instructional emphasis on language and geography and a practical training period of up to five months in a hotel. The graduates will then be awarded the \"European qualification.\" In view of the different educational systems, the new training program will be directed at higher-school graduates in Germany, but in other EU countries such as France and Italy at young adults who are working for the university entrance qualification at the same time as their vocational training.

Impact
By training highly qualified workers to meet actual needs, the diverse range of educational programs will increase the competitiveness of hotels and restaurants, improve graduates' career prospects in this country and abroad, and promote their mobility.

Hotel specialist with european qualification

The tourism sector of the European job market is hampered by a qualification gap between different countries : vocational training varies in scope, level and priorities and programmes rarely include an international dimension. However, as tourism in Europe develops, the need for employees with transnationally recognised skills increases. This project aims to develop a Hotel and Catering Course module to bridge the qualification gap and improve access to the international job market within the sector.

The partnership will define the details of the project development while each member will develop and test sub-components in the light of regional/vocational expertise. Seminars and workshops will be organised to monitor progress and produce the finalised module. This module will comprise basic components for all users and specialised components for specific target groups - cooks, waiters, receptionists - and cover areas such as international skills standards, legislation, development trends, communications, national specialities and particularities and cross-cultural understanding. The module will be designed as a stand-alone package complete with manuals, disk-based multimedia material and self-assessment tests. It will be used for distance learning, self-learning and for on-the-job training. An English-only version will be produced in this initial phase.

Impact
The project will benefit students, personnel, employees and other users in the hotel and catering sector; it will promote internationally recognised vocational training programmes, increase labour market mobility and enhance employment prospects in the international job market.

Modular vocational education - development of courses for skills integration in the European tourism industry

Recent technological developments have led to structural and organisational changes in the graphics industry. New job profiles have emerged, new skills are required and new learning strategies must be developed for companies to remain competitive.

To assist SMEs in the industry in identifying and organising learning strategies, this project aims to develop multimedia and tele-technology based materials of the following type :

- manager learning materials to enable managers to organise the strategic development of human resources and to identify appropriate learning strategies in technology-led graphics companies;
- skilled worker learning materials to give workers the opportunity to acquire new skills in quality control and graphic communication in a life-long learning perspective; and
- teacher learning materials to train teachers in consultancy/mentoring skills in distance learning situations.

The learning materials will focus on the organisational and technical development of the graphics industry and be available on CD-ROM and via the internet.

Impact
Education is increasingly seen as an on-going process in which on-the-job training has a significant part to play. This project will provide useful feedback on the methodological development of consultancy/mentoring systems for distance learning. The project will also benefit SMEs by equipping managers with tools for matching human resource management and company strategy.

Mentoring and distance learning in human resource development in the graphic industry

The objective of this pilot project is to develop a transparent certification system for all Member States of the European Union and the European Economic Area. More specifically, the partners will develop a system for issuing diplomas in various European languages, that can be used as a 'professional passport' to promote the geographical mobility of university and vocational training school graduates.

The work programme will include : design of a multilingual software application; design of standard certificates pre-printed in 12 languages on special paper protected against counterfeiting; analysis of information regarding university and vocational training study plans in each Member State participating in the project; and the production of a multilingual dictionary of professional terminology. Personalised certificates will ultimately be available in three or four EU languages.

One of the most important parts of the project will be the translation process, and this will involve European language experts and specialists from the EU Member States' educational systems.

Impact
Employers will benefit from a clearer transparency of qualifications when taking on new recruits; graduates will find it easier to obtain employment abroad; and diploma issuing authorities will have a useful new certification tool.

Transparent and multilingual certificates for degrees : terminology for vocational and academic training

This multiplier project aims to disseminate results of an earlier project for developing strategies to promote parity of esteem between vocational and general secondary education. Four strategies have already been identified: vocational enhancement, mutual enrichment, linkage, and unification. In vocational enhancement, through teaching and curriculum development, students gain qualifications for higher education previously only acquired through general/academic secondary education. Mutual enrichment proposes a wider range of options and a more stimulating learning environment through cooperation between vocational and general secondary schools. Linkage seeks equality between vocational and general education through linking to the same qualification structure. With unification, vocational and general education merge to make a uniform secondary education system.

Under this project, new partners will evaluate the strategies against their own educational systems, and present reports within a common framework. Old partners will define school and workplace based models of education and learning and make proposals, including aims, methods and activities, for developing networks to promote integrated learning within the partnership. During the second phase, partners will each disseminate information on the four strategies through workshops, the internet and the media, with a view to creating school/industry links. A third phase will involve visits by new partners to pilot schools where the strategies have been implemented. Project results will cover training networks and networking methods, and will be presented as guidelines for assessing strategies.

Impact
The project will enhance the status and quality of vocational education, and will lead to transparency of secondary education systems across Europe.

Sharpening Post-16 education strategies through horizontal and vertical networking

The central idea of this project is to understand how the on-going changes in working life affect learning, teaching and educational planning, and how these changes can be integrated into workplace learning models in commercial education. Such an understanding is a prerequisite to the development of meaningful vocational training programmes. In cooperation with industry, this project proposes to contribute to thinking on this subject.

Through questionnaires, interviews and documentation analysis, partners will seek to identify the types of challenge the development of working life have on the learning/teaching process. The information will be used to develop a 'transformational' learning approach, and to construct models for planning, organising, implementing and evaluating workplace learning. Related modules aimed at improving the guidance and counselling skills of workplace tutors and college teachers will be created. Programmes for students, teachers and tutors will be designed for use in distance learning and semi-autonomous/flexible learning situations. Evaluation will be carried out at each stage of the project through the comparison of actual and expected results, and also by third party testing of models, modules and related material.

Impact
The project will lead to closer industry/education cooperation, enhanced workplace learning schemes, and improved organisation of workplace learning as firms and educational establishments are better able to respond to changes in working life.

Workplace learning - A challenge for commercial education

For Europe to compete successfully in the global information market, opportunities must be created on using modern information and communication technology. Various initiatives have been taken to create the necessary infrastructure, and networks now exist for the delivery of teaching resources. This project, developed through the European post offices' vocational training network [POSTNET], aims to meet the training needs of specific groups of post office workers by using the existing technology to create an on-line delivery system for educational multimedia materia.

Partners will first design a set of training requirements in terms of content and procedures and the technological infrastructure required. Systems architecture will use virtual reality (VR) interfaces and telecommunications networks, thus enabling open and distance learning (ODL). Specific development packages for VR and ODL will be created for implementing the pilot scheme. Teaching material will be developed for use with the system. This will focus on ergonomic procedures in the post office business chain, and will be designed for self training and distance learning in foreign language and project work. The system will support different delivery scenarios including the use of stand-alone PCs - an important feature for post office sites without on-line connections.

Impact
This project will promote the use of new technology in the development of vocational training programmes, foster positive approaches to continuous education, and provide opportunities for raising skills levels.

Computer-based training activities related to a Post Office company network, for ergonomic quality

The role of general manager or company director in the retail-distribution sector is evolving to keep up with developments on the labour market Tutoring and training skills, in particular, are becoming increasingly necessary to deal with different target-groups such as the disabled or socially disadvantaged.

To respond to this need, the project intends to:
- set up a specific approved training programme jointly with the social partners;
- design a programme to improve managers' skills, with particular emphasis on heightening their awareness of the tutor/trainer's role;
- develop an innovative methodology to reinforce links with the social partners;
- integrate socially disadvantaged groups;
- design new tools such as a training management system to calculate and manage levels of profitability/return on investment and a trainee evaluation system,
- promote self-study;
- define, certify and validate new qualifications promoting professional development;
- increase synergy between partners.

Impact
Creation of training products aimed at general managers in retail-distribution companies to enable them to develop their tutor/trainer role so that young, disadvantaged or marginalised people can improve their chances of socio-economic integration.

Training, supporting and promoting new skills through a programme for managers/trainers/tutors in the European retail sector

Over the last decade there has been an increasing awareness throughout Europe about the inherent dangers of continuing to damage the natural environment. One current and continuing aspect of this damage is water pollution. The participating countries have identified an immediate and growing requirement for trained specialised staff in this area.

This project aims to develop an environmental training multimedia pack for investigating and treating water pollution. The main focus of the activities will be the development and production of teaching materials and a teaching module. Learning materials will use modern information technology and self-teaching methods. They will be targeted at students in all vocational schools that include the study of water pollution in their curriculum. The material will be available to any institution or industrial company that wants to use them and will be applicable throughout the EU.

Impact
The project will enable students to acquire new cross-disciplinary skills which can be applied to new job opportunities. It will improve the vocational and scientific expertise of the colleges involved.

An environmental training module for investigating and treating water pollution

The aim of the \"virtual factory\" project is to train company managers and students in the network economy, where every part of a network does those things which it can do best. It is essential that every worker has a good overview of all the functions of the factory. By simulating dataflows within the factory, the programme developed by the project will help the user fulfil all functions of the company in a safe environment.

The programme will draw on software and training material from sales, production and storage departments, as well as from subcontractors. It will be applicable in initial education, short courses and continuing education. The \"virtual factory\" will be delivered as a CD-Rom or on the Internet.

Impact
The project will provide students with a more realistic view of the real world by giving them a chance to practice all of the operations they might have to carry out in a factory. It will also give companies the possibility to develop courses to help their employees understand better the effects of their work on others within the company. The product itself will constitute a contribution to the development of lifelong learning.

Flat roofs can easily be equipped with a vegetation as roof surface. Many cities require that for better water management in order to lower drain water peaks. It is important to show and demonstrate, that such roofs can also be used for photovoltaics. The combination with green roofs creates also benefits to the photovoltaic system itself. using the substrate for the plants as weight foundation for the solar panels helps to save materials and the PV modules under all weather conditions as well as the specific needs because of the green roof. the proposed Solgreen-System allows an easy use of conventional grass cutting machines.
Planned photovoltaic peak power : 300 kWp Estimated annual energy production : 270000 kWh

SOLGREEN MESSE BASEL - PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER PLANT IN COMBINATION WITH \"GREEN ROOFS \"

The aim of the project is to demonstrate that harnessing an extra saline geothermal field for a municipal district heating system by using a central heat exchange facility is technically and economically feasible. The geothermal water is not potable and highly corrosive due to its chemical composition. Water from the well will be piped via a 5.5 km long pre-insulated pipeline to a central heat exchange facility.The heat exchange plant will transfer heat from the saline primary fluid to water enclosed in a closed circuit distribution system. Individual heat exchangers will provide each home with potable tap water by heating freshwater.
Further aims are to replace fossil fuel currently used for space heating, enhance reliability of energy delivery and decrease electrical transmission losses.

\"SALINE GEOHEAT\" - \"EXTRACTION OF EXTRA SALINE GEOTHERMAL WATER FOR STYKKISHOLMUR DISTRICT HEATING\"

MISTRAL-MAR aims to create new technologies and business processes allowing up to tenfold up-scaling of current recirculation fish farming methods. The project will create an environmentally friendly and cost competitive alternative to alternative and more conventional cage rearing.
The project's technical objectives are the construction of a full scale state of the art fish farm is located in Northern-Iceland, one of Europe's most peripheral regions. The farm will develop new methods in rearing, handling, grading and harvesting of fish.
The non-technical objectives of MISTRAL-MAR include:
-To prepare an operation manual for the recycling system and other staff training material for the fish farm. This material will be used to increase the knowledge level of local labour force on the subject of large scale rearing.
-To construct a comprehensive information technology management system for large scale fish farms that incorporates inter alia quality controls, monitoring of farm, commercial and marketing information.
- Drawing plans for the fish farm and new rearing technologies
- Transfer of biological know-how into the fish farm to define criteria for the growth and well being of the fish, find out optimal fish density in tanks and effects of feeding and external environment on product quality.
- Transfer of know-how ot define the hydrodynamics in annual raceway units and the water treatment units
-Development of technology implementation plan that will combine the commercial interests of the consortium and will be used as a basis for a final business plan.
- Networking in the in the international venture capital society and introduction of a business plan to investors (directly and by participating in Investment forums)
- Analyse the socio-economic impact of a large scale, technically advanced fish farm in a peripheral region with non-diversified economy, relying on traditional sectors of income.
- Dissemination of project results through publications, media, and conferences.

Cost efficient mass production in a closed system for marine aquaculture - design, construction, and management from tank to market
E-FORUM intends to design an on-line provision that will promote networking of digital content companies and Venture Capital finance providers, both formal and informal ones. This will be a virtual placement forum (E-FORUM) on the Internet in which promising content-based companies can present their operations or business ideas and venture capital providers their particular interests or needs. The work will consist of three phases, the consortium will review current provision of venture capital and the digital content sector. It will produce a review of supply and demand of funds as well as a precise identification of user needs, this will allow the development of a model for an on-line provision. Then, a demonstrator version will be built and will undergo trials in each of the partner countries. It will also incorporate, where found to be needed an on-line investment and an on-line business support. The work of this preparatory action will be published through a project web site and by presentations at one national conference per partner country. As the final task of the project, the consortium will review the long-term potential of E-FORUM including its sustainability, its usefulness and its potential impact on the funding available for digital content projects.
An electronic forum for digital Content companies

ECON-GI will study the possibilities of making available digital geographic data of the public sector by the development and testing of new partnerships between public administration and private commercial companies. This preparatory action comprises two main research areas:
Area 1: Finding ways to support public data owners establishing their own decentralised meta information systems. This includes the following main tasks:
- Testing and pilot-wise implementation of simple documentation tools for digital geographic data. In order to publish the metadata after a compatible data model, a concept for the setting up of an own web portal for each data owner need to be elaborated.
- Assessing the different possibilities of commercial use of the strategy, inclusion of (commercial) third party assistance in the establishment and maintenance of the decentralised meta information system.
Area 2: Bringing together, processing and making accessible the different geo-meta bases for the user Community in Saar-Lor-Lux; conception of a meta search engine or a web crawler which aims at analysing geo metadata bases, finding ways to create multilingual meta information systems, assessment of different concepts for the economic management of the search engine and other developed services.

Economic Approaches Unlocking Geographic Information in the Public Sector in Saar-Lor-Lux

One of pillars in the preparatory action ODA is that the solution must give the customer -citizen- a total overview of public knowledge and possibilities within nearly all public services. The objective is to offer the customers several possibilities of communication (the solution may be prepared for the use of Internet-phone, call-centre-solutions).
Therefore, the aim of ODA is to join the best suppliers in their field to make a strong solution of self-service access to public information of all sorts- positively on market conditions as realistic and broad as possible on industrial standards-.
The ODA preparatory action will demonstrate the impacts and consequences of a strong solution of digital case handling both inside and outside the company/community- combined with the right knowledge of rules, legislation etc. at the right time at the right place as structured e-content (the demands for reorganisation of the public sector and administration, new models and price-structure for suppliers of e-content - new opportunities for private consultants of public services and for suppliers of digital products for decentralised collection and exchange of public information and data of citizens and companies).

Deamidation and transamidation activities of tTG are measured and the influence of tTG autoantibodies is determined. Gluten-tTG complexes are applied to investigate the role of cognate T/B cell interaction for the formation of tTG autoantibodies. An in vitro murine system, a murine adoptive transfer model and an in vitro human system will be used.
The Role Tissue Transglutaminase in Inducing Gluten T Cell Response and Autoantibody Formation in Coeliac Disease

The HeliNet project aims at designing an integrated network based on HALE (High Altitude Long Endurance) unmanned solar platforms. The main features of this infrastructure are its reconfigurability, flexibility, quick deployment, zero environmental and human impact. The HeliNet permits the exploitation of the stratospheric segment, and is suitable for several cost effective and interoperable applications in various strategic fields such as localisation, environmental surveillance, provision of telecommunication services. The project addresses all aspects of the HeliNet design. A stratospheric aerodynamic HALE platform, named HELIPLAT, is designed (included the solar and fuel cell energy subsystem), and a scaled size prototype is manufactured in order to perform static tests. The network design is carried out, considering various geographical coverage areas; a common communication interface is addressed, in order to guarantee the flexibility of HeliNet as for possible applications. Finally, the study of 3 pilot applications is performed, in the fields of localisation (including the possible integration with the Galileo system), environmental data processing and transmission, provision of broadband services. The project is carried out by a transnational and multi-sectoral partnership of research departments at universities and companies.

Objectives:
The objective of the HeliNet project is to create an integrated infrastructure based on HALE unmanned aerodynamic solar platforms. HeliNet contributes to ensure Europe a full role in the economic exploitation of the stratospheric segment and in the development of standards for the related applications. It contributes to EC scientific and technological development through the know-how, which is going to be acquired during the project; it also benefits EC social objectives through the developed applications, as well as EC innovation and added value.

The project objective is to address all the design aspects, namely:
a) Design of a HALE platform (HELIPLAT) and manufacturing of a scaled size technological demonstrator, fully representative of the HELIPLAT, to be subject to static tests;
b) study of three pilot applications (Localisation, Environmental data processing and transmission, Broadband services). Key features of the project are: reduced cost with respect to satellite systems, with consequent possible revenues from third countries - flexibility (easily reprogrammed in case of emergency), no atmospheric and electromagnetic pollution, and development of innovative technologies.

Work description:
The HeliNet project is intended to show the feasibility of a stratospheric network with the characteristics described above. Three main tasks are considered:
1) The design of the HELIPLAT is addressed, including wing and tail areas and spans, electric power, engine and propeller efficiency, solar cells, fuel cells and electrolyse efficiency and mass, total mass, operations and safety requirements. All structural aspects are studied, such as the design of low-weight advanced composite primary structures, leading to the complete platform CAM layout. Manufacturing and test of critical components, realisation of a scaled size demonstrator fully representative of the HELIPLAT and static tests are performed. As for the avionics, the TT&C Subsystem units are defined. The link budget is evaluated for the nominal attitude and for the acquisition phase;
2) The design of the telecommunication network topology, architecture, protocols, and common communication core interface (CCCI) towards the applications is performed;
3) A system of vehicle localisation based on GPS/GNSS/Galileo is integrated in a general HeliNet-based transmission system. As the system does not demand a terrestrial infrastructure it is particularly tailored for applications such as emergency, failure or lack of terrestrial structures, and critical morphology of the territory. The feasibility of HeliNet integration within GPS/GNSS2 is studied. Semi-passive (DOA) positioning systems are developed as a backup for GPS/GNSS2. Algorithms for on- board processing of environmental data exploiting the particular features of stratospheric platforms are studied and ported on a suitable optical payload for tests. The provision of broadband services based on HeliNet is analysed, and the design of critical parts is addressed.

Milestones:
- Aerodynamic and structural design of the HELIPLAT;
- Energy subsystem: solar and fuel cell, control unit;
- Avionics subsystem definition;
- Manufacturing of scaled size technological demonstrator and static tests;
- Design of the HeliNet topology, architecture, protocols, and CCCI;
- Pilot application: localisation based on GPS/GNSS/ Galileo and integration of HeliNet with Galileo;
- Pilot application: algorithms for on board processing of environmental data;
- Pilot application: provision of broadband services based on HeliNet and design of critical parts.

NETwork of Stratospheric Platforms for Traffic Monitoring, Environmental Surveillance and Broadband Services
Proposal for the Establishment of an Opet in the Slovak Republic

The network will:
- Establish a State of the Art analysis of scientific and technological subjects dealing with the overall gas chain.

This analysis will:
1) position natural gas on the world energy scene;
2) look at the different S&T initiatives that might be underway in different Member States and;
3) position the European Supply Industries on the world market vis à vis the US and Asian competition.

Produce a Vision Master-Plan to devise a co-ordinated strategy for future research activities and/or deployment of existing technologies, regarding but not limited to:
1) exploration performance, re-injection, long term CO2 sequestration, methane storage;
2) dehydration, de-acidificaiton, gas contaminants removal;
3) gas conversion (LNG, GTL, power generation and chemical conversion);
4) pipelines, non conventional transportation (hydrates, CNG);
5) underground storage, gas utilisation.

Environmental Friendly Natural Gas Technologies
HTW Gasification for the 400 Mwe IGCC Power Plant at Vresova C, R - A first CCT - Step towards Eastern Europe

General:
To contribute to Energy Technologies market development in Andean Community (AC) area, through advise, information and collaboration with market actors related to dissemination, use and exploitation of non nuclear energy RTD results.

Specific:
(1) Proponent organisation in order to accomplish with its objectives;
(2) Evaluation of needs and advising to market actors in order to remove market development barriers;
(3) To act as Focal Point for European collaborations with regional and international initiatives in Andean Community countries;
(4) To provide information and documentation about non nuclear energy RTD topics from 5th Framework Programme;
(5) To promote non nuclear RTD results from 5th Framework Programme;
(6) To give assistance to development agents and RTD suppliers of energy technologies; advising them in order to open and exploit Andean region market, in co-operation with regional and international organisations world-wide.

Opet Associate Candidature for the Andean Community (Area)

1. Providing the energy sector with information on the possibilities in FP5 and to disseminate information in Latvian R&D programmes and to assist internationalise Latvian RéD activities;
2. To facilitate contracts between Latvian applicants and applicants from other European countries in the context to preparing proposals for the FP5 in the fields of rational use of energy and renewable energy sources and to co-operate with FP5 Latvian Contact Point and the FEMIRC in Latvia;
3. Enhancement of sustainable building principles for the long term, of the penetration of efficient bioenergy and fossil fuel technologies as well as utilisation of energy efficiency measures in industry and buildings through collaboration with Baltic region and other European countries to reduce emission effecting on local regional and global level.

The main objective of OPET-ISRAEL will be to assist the energy community in Israel and main actors in the energy market in the use, exploitation and realization of technological solutions and results from non nuclear energy research with the aim to promote the use of clean and efficient energy technologies. Further objectives of OPETI WILL be:
- assesment of present and future needs of market actors and identification of clean and efficient energy technologies for their day to day operation;
- dissimination of results of research projects and demonstration projects emerging from the RTD process;
- To be a focal point for European collaboration and promoting Israeli participant in FP5.

Establishment For Opet-Israel As Part Of The Network Of Organisations For Promotion Of Energy Technologies

Original research objectives:
a. for the EVN Data Processor at Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe (JIVE), development of a post-correlation integrator subsystem involving high-speed readout electronics to allow the full design capabilities of the data processor for multiple field centre correlation, pulsar gating and high spectral resolution to be exploited.
b. development of radio astronomical receivers (detectors) which can operate in an increasingly hostile radio frequency interference (RFI) environment.
c. development of new experimental techniques to take advantage of new and unique hardware capabilities of the data processor at JIVE.
d. a study of optical fibre data transfer between the radio telescopes and data processor, with the eventual goal of replacing tape recorders.

Expected deliverables:
1. A prototype post-correlator integrator for the EVN MkIV data processor.
2. A prototype receiver in the frequency range 250 - 1200 MHz which is less sensitive to RFI than current devices.
3. Demonstration of Cluster-Cluster, multiple field centre, pulsar gating and high spectral resolution techniques can be used in conjunction with the new correlator.
4. A feasibility study of the use of optical fibres in a VLBI network.

Enhancing the European VLBI Network of Radio Telescopes

The project aims to set up the research methodology to discover virulent strains of entomopathogenic fungi in order to develop mycopesticides for locust control.

The project includes complex investigations consisting of laboratory and semi-field testing. The experimental work to be performed will allow the selection of virulent strains of Metarhizium sp., and determine the influence of ecological factors (temperature, humidity and pH) on the pathogenicity and viability of fungi, establishment of median lethal concentration of formulation as well as the mechanism of fungi activity on the locusts. The stability of strains will be investigated, and the ecological relationships in the soil. Preliminary investigations of mass production technologies will be conducted. Registration procedures for biopesticides in NIS states will be reviewed.

Realization of this project will allow the creation of innovative biopesticides based on the native virulent strains of entomopathogenic fungi Metarhizium anisopliae for locust and grasshopper control, safe for the environment.

Developing mycopesticides for locust control

To identify complimentary advantages and successful experiences gained from an international consortium of five bio-technology incubators thus enabling the design of a toolkit for best incubation practice that will subsequently be applicable to incubators in other fields of technology.

Description of the Work:

Biolink aims to enhance start-up creation and development in Europe by designing a Toolkit that will provide users with the information to employ the most effective and efficient practices during the start-up incubation process. It will achieve this by forming an international consortium of five biotechnology incubators, each of which implements different incubation methods.
Both the complementary advantages and the individual experiences of the five incubation processes, along with two successful incubator models from the US, will be analysed with the objective of defining a co-incubation scheme so that start-ups can benefit from the combined expertise of different incubators.

Testing the incubation scheme:
The co-incubation scheme will be tested on a total of 10-15 start-up companies (2-3 from each participating region) including 2-3 start-ups from a developing region in order to determine their effectiveness in the facilitation of start-up creation and the nurturing of developing areas.
Five professional seminars will be organised so as to facilitate an environment where experiences can be exchanged and best practices can be identified. The aim of these seminars is to pool together the knowledge, tools and procedures from all the participants and to extract from this what are considered to be the best practices. The aim of this is to establish a uniform protocol for the incubation process in the field of biotechnology, a toolkit for best incubation practice (BIP-Toolkit).

Based on the level of success in identifying the best practices in biotechnology incubators, it is hoped that it will be possible to adapt this to form a generic BIP-Toolkit, applicable to other fields of technology and other regions. This generic BIP-Toolkit could include guidelines and practical means for integrating regional/national advantages of different incubators into an improved single incubation model.
Dissemination of results at the end of the project will involve an end of project conference, widespread distribution of the final report and the creation of a website providing ongoing support.

Milestones and expected results:

- Identification of specific definitions of the co-incubation model as well as impact indicators and selection criteria and the production of a detailed work-plan;
- Selection of start-ups for participation in implementation;
- Publication of a final report detailing the BIP-Toolkit and the applicability and transferability of co-incubation and BIP-Toolkit to other contexts;
- Evaluation of the success of the project and dissemination of conclusions.

A methodology for the creation of effective seed and venture capital sources for the high-tech industry in Latvia, Estonia and the Slovak Republic by implementing the proven success factors of the Yozma and Technological Incubator Programmes.

Description of the project:
Ester is the natural continuation of the IFISE project that validated the Yozma and Technological Incubator Programmes aimed at nurturing a venture capital industry and establishing technological incubators. Principles of these programmes will be transferred and implemented in three Newly Associated Countries (NACs):
- Latvia;
- Estonia;
- Slovak Republic.

The aim is to plan for efficient public programmes that will create seed and venture capital sources for new high tech enterprises in the NACs. It is hoped that the project will result in the preparation, submission and promotion of official proposals for the creation of seed and venture capital sources within the NACs, to the regional, national and European institutions.

Focus will be on the problems specific to the transition economies. An adaptation methodology, aiding the transition of the Israeli programmes to the context of the newly associated countries, will be applied to obstacles such as the relative lack of entrepreneurial culture and the low level of existing scientific infrastructures.

Completion of the project should provide identification of those sectors within the NACs that have the potential produce high concentrations of entrepreneurial activity. Analysis of these sectors will then be undertaken in the hope of understanding the particular characteristics and needs of each sector and of identifying the barriers that financial operators may face in investing in innovative start-ups.

Milestones and expected results:
%- Identification of sectors with potential entrepreneur concentrations and of barriers in the business and legal environment of the three regions;
- Completion of field surveys analysing the needs and perspectives of all market actors in relation to the Israeli incubators strategy in former planned economies;
- Completion of the planning phase, submission of formal proposals and widespread dissemination of results.

To create a successful homogeneous methodology of establishing regional programmes to stimulate the promotion of profitable start-ups in five regions of Newly Associated Countries (NACs) through integration with four EU Member State countries that will offer validation and transfer expertise.

Description of the work:

The Promotor+ project aims to improve the performance of the start-up market in NACs by promoting co-operation between companies and organisations from 4 Member States, (Spain, Germany, Austria and Greece) and the start-up community in 5 regions in the NACs, (Poland, Latvia, Bulgaria and Slovenia). This collaboration will enable the exchange and subsequent improvement of existing methodologies.
As well as creating conditions for an overall framework for a start-up industry, it is hoped that co-operation between NACs and Member States will introduce ways to set up specific mechanisms such as financing solutions, and to encourage the development of university start-ups, corporate spin-offs and regional clusters.

The collaboration within the framework of Promotor+ will involve an initial assessment of the methodologies proposed by the Member States (the donor) and how transferable they are to the NAC (the recipient). If methodologies are found to be suitable, then the aim is for them to be customised so that they can operate effectively in their new environment. Finally, regional work-plans are to be developed to facilitate the scheme's implementation.
The involvement of the regional authorities of the NACs will be crucial to the success of the project. Their responsibilities will include organising the call for proposals, business plan competition, and launching start-ups, monitoring the early stages of business life and assessing the functionality of support mechanisms.
The project will equip regional and public innovation actors with functional mechanisms, with knowledge and with tools to continue the scheme and work towards compatible standards like those in the PAXIS network regions.

To ensure that results of Promotor+ and the key practices derived from the project are well promoted and are delivered to all the relevant parties, dissemination will be carried out on several levels.

This will include:
- Distribution of results through information seminars;
- Marketing and PR activities to create awareness;
- Exploitation of promotional synergies from co-ordination with similar initiatives;
- Using political contacts to enhance the profile of the project.

Milestones and expected results:
- Expertise resulting from collaboration to be streamlined into coherent potential and a manual detailing the methodology of Promotor+ to be produced and distribute to all relevant parties;
- Specific regional work-plans developed from Promotor+ manual;
- Launch of 5 start-up companies in each region to be monitored during the initial stages of development;
- Disseminatory information seminars in each of the 5 regions;
- Publication of a final report detailing the principal tangible conclusions of the project.
Link:
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To assist the creation and consolidation of innovative start-ups by integrating and formalising new practices, supplying support services and providing training.

Description of the work:
Start-ups face several problems, even when they are successful in their commencement. Only a small number of innovating start-ups survive and grow after the first three to five years. There are also many troubles that hinder the rising of new companies from good innovative ideas of entrepreneurs, including lack of access to finance, lack of skills, obstacles to sales activities and administrative burdens.

The Tractor project, which is to be implemented in regions within Spain, Sweden, France and Slovenia aims to integrate and formalise the new practices resulting from the creation and development of new innovative enterprises across Europe. The principal objectives are to increase the existing start-up creation rate, thus reducing the gap between Europe and the United States. The success rate of start-ups by the end of the project is targeted at being between 40% and 60%, which would mean making considerable increases from the current rate, which is between 10% and 30%.

Principally, the scheme will function via 'action programmes' that will provide guiding materials, e-learning facilities and procedures and remote assisted support. The project co-ordinators will collect feedback from the regions involved and this will allow analysis of the action programmes and validation by using pre-defined impact indicators. The aim is for the validation process to lead to the formalisation of new best practices that can then be implemented throughout Europe.
The main target group of Tractor will be those start-ups of 3-5 years of age as they are in the highest risk category. Support will be offered in relation to the implementation of business excellence and technology, legal and financial consultancy, marketing and market research and leadership and knowledge management.
The new practices guidelines and procedures will be distributed by 'innovation nets' via PAXIS networks on the Internet.

Milestones and expected results:
- Recognised practices for the creation of new start-ups distributed among the consortium regions and integrated in to a model based on complementarity and subsidiarity;
- Tractor scheme implemented and validated in 4 European regions;
- Active start-up support mechanisms;
- New practices and collated results made available via the Internet.

To transfer proven and successful university based start-up support schemes to innovative actions in Newly Associated Countries (NACs).

Description of the work:
Innovation and start-up creation in Newly Associated Countries is restricted due to the paucity of support services and the lack of an established infrastructure. This means that there is less co-ordination and co-operation between innovators within NACs and therefore less opportunity to share best practices.

The project aims to transfer existing university based start-up support schemes, having proven their excellence in regional, national and European evaluations, to NACs. Transact will have a strengthening impact on the economic potential and competitiveness amongst the NAC regions, with an aim to improving conditions for the creation and development of new companies.

Initially, analysis by independent experts will determine separately the effectiveness of each support scheme and the special needs / preconditions of the NAC partners. EU and NAC partners, aided by the decision-makers of partner NACs, will then evaluate the transferability of these support models/approaches/instruments to the previously identified special conditions of the NACs. Once the analysis has been completed an assessment will be made on the compatibility between EU support schemes and NAC start-up ventures.

Open Space Conferences
For effective decisions to be made, participants will attend Open Space Conferences (OSCs) which will act as collaborative planning instruments. All the relevant parties will come together in one place, making planning, sharing of knowledge and selection of partners and tools much easier. The initial OSC will act as an introductory forum in which all participants will convene to discuss the conclusions of the evaluation process. At the conference, each NAC partner will be required to select the appropriate instruments, and the experts that will provide experience and assistance needed for their implementation.
To communicate the further needs of the start-up support schemes and to develop an implementation strategy, the individual partners will carry out supplementary open space conferences.

The ultimate aim for the Transact project is to define a detailed transfer methodology for each individual participating NAC university. The methodologies will be recorded and, after the completion of the project, will be applicable to future start-up ventures.
It is necessary therefore, for the results of the Transact project to be disseminated to parties other than the participating universities in the NACs. The results, in the form of case studies, will be made available to all universities and research institutes within the NACs.

Milestones and expected results:
- Production of a report detailing the methodologies and the effectiveness of existing start-up support models;
- Open Space Conference where NAC partners select the appropriate tools and experts;
- Specialised Open Space Conferences held by individual partners leading to a detailed implementation strategy;
- Undertake feasibility studies for the proposals of each NAC university.

The project StartUp to Europe is based on a co-operation contract between the 3 Business and Innovation Centres existing since 1992 and extended in 1999. The clients of the project partners, the innovative start-ups are forced to the development of the European market due to their specialization. The Euro-regions are a very good area to create pilot activities. To supply innovative start ups and to provide them an infrastructure adapted to their needs is one of the aims of the project. Others are education and training facilities and to transfer know how in realizing innovative contacts within the European Union. Principal purpose of the project StartUp to Europe is the mechanism of a transnational start up network for the realization of co-operations between innovative start ups in the Euro-region Lorraine, Luxembourg and Rhineland-Palatinate. As an expected result, 18 transnational co-operations between start-ups should be initiated. The experiences of the project are summarized in a manual and published European-wide.

Project intends to develop specific package of services focused to innovative companies with cross-boarder ambitions.
The classical set-of services as business planning, financial planning, logistical support, networking, marketing support will be added by specific tools for companies aiming to develop their activities in this tri-lateral boarder region.
The set of package will be form to a virtual incubator and will be placed on web page, but sustainable part of services to innovative companies will be provided by experts in three participating institutions.

Specific results expected at the end of the project lifetime:
Following results and outcomes are expected at the end of the project;
- Sustainable package of services for innovative companies with cross-boarder ambitions;
- This package tested on 15 companies from the region (5 from each country);
- Methodology for multiplication of this experience in other countries with following specific features;
- multilateral region;
- region with the boarder of EU members and newly associated countries;
- region of certain capacity for innovation development.

Innovative start-up support in trilateral region Slovakia-Austria-Hungary
Notification of basic support for technology work amendment n? 4 13th meeting of the EFDA steering committee on 11/10/2001 (ref. Ta-tw2-g01) and 16th meeting of the EFDA steering committee on 11-12/4/2002
Tritium breeding & materials tw3-ttbb-006/d1: magnetic field effects on t release from ceramics

To utilise the Minimal Control Synthesis (MCS) algorithm to enhance the performance of shaking tables and reaction walls, thereby making them more valuable in the experimental aspects of earthquake engineering research. For shaking tables, this meant, in particular, to study the possibility of:

1. Sub-structuring on shaking tables;
2. Multiple-support input using several shaking tables;
3. Study of the non-linear behaviour of test pieces;
4. Control of spurious shaking table motions. For reaction-walls, there were four particular objectives:
5. To produce a pseudodynamic (PSD) algorithm which provided continuous, rather than intermittent, loading;
6. Development of the sub-structuring concept to components performed at full or large scale;
7. A servo-control system which maintains very accurate displacement and velocity control at high loading rates;
8. Computation facilities structured to control several actuators continuously.

A further objective related to shaking tables was to achieve maximum utilisation of the data obtained from expensive, non-linear, tests by use of systems identification algorithms

Expected deliverables

For all the objectives listed above, an expected deliverable was computer software for the particular purpose specified. In the majority of cases, a deliverable was a physical test piece constructed to corroborate the software for either the shaking table or the reaction wall. Thus, for example in 2, above, the deliverable was a model of a 3-pier irregular highway bridge. Overall, the expected deliverable was a group of European experimental facilities which could perform at the international level achieved in Japan and the U.S.A.

Further Developments in Dynamic Control of Earthquake Engineering Facilities
Demonstration Of An Integrated Bio-refinery/bio-electricity Generating Station Of 20mw Capacity - Target Action B - Bio-electricity
Promotion Of Modern, Clean Energy And Transport Technologies And Policies In Latin America & The Caribbean

The strategic objectives of ECOSPLAN are to carry out joint EU-China strategic planning of the Beijing Digital Olympics Programme (DOP) towards a successful organisation of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and a long-term and strong EU-China industry co-operation in the IST field. The main activities of ECOSPLAN include:
- Establishing the EU-China Olympic Cities Forum to strengthen exchange of experience and know-how related to development of the DOP;
- Developing the strategic plan framework for the DOP and specifying the strategies and visions for the various sub-plans;
- Defining a long-term strategy for speeding up the building of Digital Beijing;
- Defining the technological platform for the DOP with a number of integrated and complementary information systems and services that comply with good international practices and embody Chinese characteristics;
- Disseminating and exploiting ECOSPLAN results.

Through the planned activities ECOSPLAN is clearly complementary to the initiative of the ongoing EU-China Working Group on Digital Olympics aiming to foster EU-China co-operation in the DOP. and it is expected to make significant contributions to the general and strategic objectives of the IST Priority, and particularly to the objectives of the Action Line 2.3.6 General Accompanying Actions. In fact, the joint EU-China strategic planning of the DOP is an effective approach to ensure a strong participation of European industry in this important international business case and to support a rapid adoption and transfer of a number of European IST technologies for applications in China for strong mutual interest and benefit. ECOSPLAN will thus provide a sound basis for a long-term and strong co-operation between the European and Chinese IST communities. It will in turn greatly increase competitiveness of European IST industry and strengthen the European leadership in a number of IST technological fields.

EU-China Co-operation for Strategic Planning of Beijing Digital Olympics Programme

Enaction is a form of interaction realized in the form of sensory-motor responses and acquired by the act of \"doing\". It is a form of cognition inherently tied to actions, capable of directly conveying a non-symbolic form of knowledge. The objective of the ENACTIVE Network of Excellence is to join excellent researchers to define and develop reliable solutions for enactive interaction and overcome the two main bottlenecks of present Interface Technologies:
- The need of increasing of artificial systems reactivity to reach the same level of human action-perception abilities in complex tasks;
- The link of physical sensory-motor events (enactive experiences) with the symbolic information and knowledge technologies.

The Enactive interaction paradigm proposes a closed genuine link between actions and perceptions and may help overcoming barriers such as language differences as well as produce new means of study, creation and knowledge transmission among many others. Core research activities, coordinated at European level, include R&D on enactive devices and interfaces, computer models and metaphors, human and behavioural studies, multisensory data rendering, and new trends in computer architecture, interfaces technologies and standards.

The ultimate Network vision is to design a new kind of computerized machines, called Sensible Machines, adapted to our sensory-motor intelligence. Beside Thinking Machines, considered as machines based on language technologies that can perform reasoning, and beside Communicating Machines, intended as machines based on wireless communications and network technologies that allow humans to communicate between themselves, the Sensible Machine plays the role of a third complementary means. It will be a generic interface between the human senses and the external universe, that completes our computerized environments with the aim of rendering them more efficient and human oriented.

TC-STAR is envisioned as a long-term effort focused on advanced research in all core technologies for speech-to-speech translation (SST): speech recognition, speech translation and speech synthesis. The objectives of the project are extremely ambitious: making a breakthrough in SST research to significantly reduce the gap between human and machine performance. The focus will be on the development of new, possibly revolutionary, algorithms and methods, integrating relevant human knowledge, which is available at translation time into a data-driven framework.

TC-STAR is planned for a duration of six years. The first three years will target a selection of unconstrained conversational speech domains - i.e. broadcast news and speeches - and a few languages: native and non native European English, European Spanish and Chinese. The second three years, will target more complex unconstrained conversational speech domains and European languages.

Key actions will be:
(i) the implementation of an evaluation infrastructure,
(ii) the creation of a technological infrastructure, and
(iii) the support of knowledge dissemination.

Technology and Corpora for Speech to Speech Translation
In Cognitive Science, an affordance is a resource or support that the environment offers an agent for action, which the agent can directly perceive and employ. Only rarely has this concept been used in Robotics and AI, although it offers an original perspective on coupling perception, action and reasoning, differing from standard hybrid robot control architectures. Perceiving affordances in the environment means perception as filtered through the individual capabilities for physical action and through the current goals or intentions, thereby coupling perception and action deep down in the control and providing an action-oriented interpretation of percepts in real time. Moreover, affordances provide on a high granularity level a basis for human-robot interaction and for learning or adapting context-dependent, goal-directed action.The MACS project aims at developing affordance-based control as a new architecture paradigm for embedded cognitive systems. To this end, standard control architectures have to be completely redesigned to employ affordances effectively and efficiently in all modules of an affordance-based system. Accordingly, major lines of work in MACS address in the context of affordance-based control the topics of architecture, perception, representation, and learning. An autonomous mobile robot serves as an integrated demonstrator, which uses vision and 3D geometry sensing (3D laser scanner) as its main sensors and has locomotion and a simple manipulation device (2 DOF arm with a magnetic gripper) as bases for physical action. In the course of the project, the physical robot demonstrator as well as its simulation will serve as an environment for integrating incremental versions of the software modules under development, providing a permanently available workbench for testing and evaluating versions of the architecture and of its modules.
Multi-sensory Autonomous Cognitive Systems Interacting with Dynamic Environments for Perceiving and Learning Affordances
The aim of this project is to improve lightweight near-to-the-eye displays and tiled stereoscopic large size displays. The improvements on the hardware level consist in developing a unique stereoscopic head mounted display (HMD) using emerging display technology such as OLEDs. For tiled stereoscopic large screen displays improved calibration techniques will be developed to ease and accelerate their use. On the software level improvements comprise the fidelity of the content to be displayed (rendering quality), the interfacing between the user and the displays through innovative 2D/3D interaction techniques for mixed realities and advanced tracking systems. The achievements of IMPROVE are integrated into a collaborative mixed reality product development environment, showcased and evaluated in two application scenarios: collaborative product design in the car industry and architectural design.
Improving Display and Rendering Technology for Virtual Environments
Our society is strongly and increasingly communication-oriented. Focusing on sound and speech, many people experience severe limitations in their activities, caused either by hearing loss or by poor environmental conditions. In most cases these conditions only just meet the needs for adult native-language, and normal hearing people, but fall short for vulnerable groups like elderly, hard of hearing, young children, and second-language users. The HEARCOM project aims at full participation in the modern communication society by reducing the limitations in auditory communication. The focus of HEARCOM is on:-The identification and characterization of auditory communication limitations .The identification, modelling, and evaluation of ambient conditions that limit auditive communication in everyday situations.-The development of standardized testing and evaluation procedures for hearing impaired persons.-The development of rehabilitation and signal enhancement techniques that compensate adverse ambient conditions and personal disabilities. The development of innovative assistive personal communication technology based on wireless communication links and assistive applications integrated in mainstream technologies. The development of Internet services that assist individuals and professionals in the improvement and compensation of communication problems. The consortium consists of universities, clinics, research institutes, user organisations and manufacturers in the field of speech and hearing, telecommunications, and Internet. The project will relate to the mechanisms that influence communication problems as well as the development of methods for screening, rehabilitation, and evaluation. These methods are developed for major European language areas with the goal to create a common European approach. Internet services will play a central role in providing information, procedures, and methods such that everybody can participate in the communication society.
Recent improvements in graphics hardware and CPU power have allowed computer games to implement more and more realistic computer graphics techniques. This encounter between a massive consumer market and the computer graphics technology is significantly boosting both fields. Computer graphics play a key role in providing computer games with the ever-increasing realism demanded by game players. Visibility, geometry, and lighting are some of the main areas involved in the development of a computer game. Hence, this project aims at developing new tools that will dramatically increase the realism and visual quality of computer games in these areas. New methods for computing visibility, both in a pre-processing step and on the fly, will be developed. They will be mainly used in highly dynamic and interactive outdoor scenes. In the domain of geometry, new specially fitted multiresolution models for complex geometries, such as plants and trees, will be created. To improve lighting simulation in digital games, real-time realistic global illumination effects will be provided. The tools will be developed around the software that sits at the core of a computer game, the 3D engine. To achieve its goals, the consortium brings together European computer graphics research groups and game companies. As computer games techniques are very close to the ones used in the fields of Virtual Reality and simulation, two companies from these sectors also take part in the project. The modules developed by the research groups will be validated and tested by the game companies, and integrated into their in-house rendering systems to provide demonstrators showing the viability of the developed methods.
Advanced Tools for Developing Highly Realistic Computer Games
WS-Talk addresses an interface layer that combines natural language processing capabilities with well-established web service standards, to provide a simple and flexible way to maintain populations of web services. We want to help users and developers to create re-usable and flexible components. In turn, this will facilitate construction of ad-hoc micro applications (or rapid prototypes). We propose a web service wrapper that enhances XML-based interfaces with features for free-text interchange. Through its structured as well as natural- language interface, WS-Talk services can be implemented by both the software developers and the technology end-users. WS-Talk enables far more domain-related, rather than technology-related, competence to be availed of directly in the design of web services-based applications. The idea of this project was also born out of the current web service standard specification mess that hampers the evolution of this, in principal, promising technology. WS-Talk fosters broad take-up of web service technology and awareness of its potential among SME technology providers and technology consumers. The resulting wrapper, WS-Talk, helps to establish interoperable web services across platforms. Much in the vision of JXTA a web service announces its service context through advertisements in domain talk defined by its user community. The non-standardised part reflects the enterprise talk, the well-established way for an enterprise to describe its business processes. To ensure that the advertisements are machine- processable we apply robust text mining methods that map advertisement content into a suitable controlled vocabulary. Our approach fosters quick ad-hoc solutions for a small network of peer-organisations. The advertisements cooperate with the transport level of well-established web service standards.
Web services communicating in the language of their user community
Production industry is facing increased challenges in delivering highest quality in short time at competitive prices. As the dimensions or crucial features of products and parts become smaller reaching down to the micrometer range, the effort and connected costs to characterise and evaluate the product's properties accordingly are increasing dramatically. Especially for the characterisation/inspection of complex geometries or critical features located inside the materials, non destructive imaging technologies are of great advantage. Unfortunately, conventional available non destructive imaging and evaluation methods are either very costly and/or rather slow(e.g X-ray computer tomography) or they do not fulfil the requirements (like standard ultrasonics) for advanced applications e.g. for high resolution inspection of microparts. This project aims to solve these problems by developing a novel, fast, compact, user-friendly, cost effective(affordable by SMEs) tomographic characterisation tool for industrial applications, based on optical coherence tomography (OCT). The OCT method has been originally developed for medical diagnostics and is intensively pursued for medical purposes, but not for industrial applications with the effect that there are currently no industrial OCT-scanners commercially available. In this project, a competent all European consortium, with 10 partners from 5 European countries, covering the set requirements for the development and application of OCT could be established. The consortium includes SMEs as technology providers, supported by the RTD performers, and SMEs as technology users who will directly test and evaluate the novel method to shorten process development times and to control their products in the production process. An additionally established industry supporter group, and the technology user SMEs in the project are already defining a future market for a fast and effective exploitation.
In Process Control with Optical Coherence Tomography
Carbon nanotubes have many unique and extreme physical properties for this reason they will playa key role in the next future of society. Many governments all over the world are investing great resources in nanotechnologies research activities. The reason is the great performances of nanostructure materials and the large variety of applications of these technologies. The objective of this proposal is to realize a new machinery based on a cheap technological procedure, the Channel Spark Ablation (CSA), to produce high quality single walled carbon nanotubes which should yield the same quality as laser ablation, but at much lower costs. The nanotubes produced by this equipment will be used as passive electronic elements into innovative solar cells and dye sensitised solar cells. The major innovation of the proposal IS the idea to adopt an innovative technology to provide single-walled nanotubes at first on the kilogram scale and ultimately on a tonne scale. The CSA is a system based on the pulsed electron-beam generation from the glow-discharge plasma environment. The applicability of the CSA to nanotubes preparation relies on the high effective temperatures that can be reached at the target surface and on its similarities to Pulsed Laser Ablation. It is clear that the development of sophisticated equipment and its further adjustment required for different materials utilisation can not be tackled by an only company. The contribution of the RTD performers will be essential to avail the indispensable know-how and resources to overcome the theoretical and technical problems and so to get the final positive result. The economical reason of the trans-national cooperation is given by the great industrial interest, all over the Europe, for this new, promising technique for nanotubes mass production. Actually the most important limitation of the nanostructure materials is due to the high production cost mainly due to high energy consumption and low process productivity
Development of a new machinery for nanotubes mass production based on the channel Spark Ablation technique
The technological objectives of our work is to produce a compression bandage capable of exerting the correct treatment pressure over a wide extension range, combined with a EMS system that has the ability to: Deliver 340 volts at a current of 1.8 milliamps to the wound area to stimulate the calf muscle and promote blood flow for the duration of the treatment. Exert a treatment pressure of 40 mmHg +/- 5mmHg regardless of the skill of the person applying the bandage and the dimensions of the patient's leg. The economic objective of our work is to enable the partners and the estimated 10 licences to: Substitute into at least 5% of the current European market of Â� 2 Bn p.a. for traditional treatment of chronic ulcers and 1 % of the remaining global market of Â� 4 Bn p.a. by 2010. Generate Â� 2 Bn p.a. of healthcare savings in Europe (Chronic ulcers cost the EU health authorities over Â� 8 bn pa in patient care, therefore a 30% reduction in healing time (time being the most costly element of treatment) would generate healthcare savings in the EU of over Â�2 bn pa.) The work programme to deliver the technological objectives consist of work packages to enhance scientific understanding of electrical muscle stimulation and modification of SEBS polymer chemistry to enable the extrusion of fibres with a plateau on the stress strain curve. Flexible electrodes will be created that can be woven into a compression bandage and in conjunction with a saline based hydrogel formulation can deliver EMS to the wound area. The proposed solution will stimulate the calf muscle pump to promote blood flow. A compact lithium ion battery pack and control unit will be created to deliver EMS in a controlled manner to the patient for a duration of 7 days. The project results will be formulated into a protectable form and patent protection will be applied for on the formulation of the water soluble polymer and the chip over moulding aspects of the process. The knowledge from the RTD performers will be transferred to the SME participants through case study products and the creation of a generic design guide for product design and manufacturing process operation. The benefits of the developed technology and knowledge will be broadcast beyond the consortium to potential industrial user communities such as electronics firms and pharmaceutical packaging firms.
A Cost Effective Treatment For Venous Leg Ulcers
In Europe this year 100,000 women will die of Breast Cancer. It is the largest single cause of death in women across the entire 35- 65 age group. The exact progress of the growth of a tumour is difficult to map; tumours don't really follow growth guidelines. What we do know is that once a tumour in the breast has grown to 2cm diameter there is already a 40-50% chance that secondary cancers exist. To set this in context, breast cancer accounts for 31 deaths in 100,000 women every year. This also equates to 31 deaths out of 75 sufferers or a little over 40% of diagnosed breast cancer resulting in mortality. Dividing those figures into pre and post secondary cancer the figures are stark. Breast cancers that are detected prior to any secondary presence result in 20% mortality whereas in cases where secondary cancers are present the result is 65% mortality. Of the 100,000 women who will die of breast cancer this year about 70,000 will die from cancer that was not detected until secondary tumours (metastases) were present. Had they been diagnosed earlier, pre-metastases, nearly 50,000 of them would have lived. Diagnosis is key. The purpose of the MUST project is to create a three dimensional scanning system which: Is a patient friendly scanning system available at the point of care, does not require a significant fixed installation, that is fully affordable by the most modest of facilities with a target price of Â�10k, is highly portable, has great ease of use and gives immediate results for further decision making. The MUST three dimensional ultrasound scanning solution will not replace the CAT and MRI scanner, but it will replace certain of their functions in relation to surface of near surface tumour recognition, thereby greatly reducing the time to diagnosis and the cost of diagnosis and increasing the availability of high quality scanning. The MUST development has the potential to put future generation imaging technology into the hands of the people that need it anywhere in Europe, by removing the need for infrastructure reliance, providing ease of operability and doing it at a price level that will be widely accessible and acceptable.
Multidimensional Ultrasonic Scanning Technology to reduce cancer death rate through fast and accurate diagnosis
The COCON project is targeting the creation of a new and more economic production technology for Coated Conductors. By producing Coated Conductors, the high temperature superconductor (HTS) Yttrium-Barium-Copper-Oxide (YBCO) is deposited on a buffer layer and a metal substrate tape. High Temperature Superconductors (HTS) are seen as one of the key technologies in the near future. By cooling below the critical temperature with liquid nitrogen the electrical resistance disappears in HTS materials. To enable a broad market introduction in electrical applications superconducting tapes and wires have to be available at a competitive cost/performance level. The second generation of HTS tapes so called Coated Conductor are considered to have the potential to meet customer's requirements. To meet especially the required cost level the consortium is focussed to the development of chemica1 coating techniques like chemical solution dipping (CSD) and ink jet printing. The project consortium consists of SME's with special know-how in design and manufacture of HTS wires, design of HTS-tape architecture, construction and production of manufacturing lines, manufacturing and characterization of chemical coating solutions and layers made thereof. The RTD partners involved have the skills to design, model and test the new production technology for Coated Conductors. They also have the knowledge to analyse and to solve material problems. The projects objectives will be addressed by a new economic manufacturing process for Coated Conductors in a length of more than 100 m.
Coated Conductor by economic processsing route

The number of vending machines in Europe has grown by 20% from 9 million in 1997 to an estimated 10million in 2002. They now constitute an integral feature of most work places with more than 80% of the work force drinking out of automated vending system at anyone point in the day. An estimated 120,000 man-days, are lost annually to stomach bugs caused by water borne bacteria growing in the remote parts (not easily cleaned portions) of the vending machine and dispensed through the drinks costing businesses an estimated at Â�1.2bn pa. Similarly the quality of the drink is not assured because the mixing is subject to operator error in settings or malicious attempt to maximise profit by over diluting the drinks. This leads to lack of protection for the drink brand leading to loss of business. Furthermore, the estimated 10 Million machines consume a staggering 4800 Terra Watts of energy per annum at the cost of Â�4328bn because they operate on a thermostat-controlled compressor driven refrigeration cycle. Therefore there is a need for a new enabling technology that will allow vending machine builders to provide a new generation of vending and dispensing machines able to;
1. Ensure that the multiplication of pathogens do not occur within the machine and in particular on the nozzle and other key components;
2. Ensure product quality in terms of an on-line, real-time verified quality measurement and control;
3. Enable a significant reduction in power consumption. Therefore our idea is to develop an active controlled vending machine incorporating a novel-mixing chamber that will ensure a consistently accurate quality drink is dispensed, while incorporating a sterilisation unit to prevent microbial growth. The cooling or heating energy will be supplied be supplied by a refrigeration cycle with energy savings of up to 25% on the traditional refrigeration cycle. The proposed technology will generate a market of Â�976M while creating 6500 jobs

New generation automated fruit juice vending machine to reduce food poisoning of the children and the working population

Large above ground storage tanks filled with hazardous liquids such as oil, oil derived products, chemicals and food processing liquids are in widespread use in Europe and indeed throughout the World. Leakage from corroded storage tanks, especially their floors, is a major environmental, economic and safety hazard. External inspection of these storage tanks is inadequate because current methods can only inspect up to 1m into the tank. Thus the current inspection methods for the inspection of these tanks have the following major limitations:
(1) Require the tank to be emptied and cleaned before internal inspection can take place. A process, which takes up to 80% of the costs of the inspection itself.
(2) The hazardous liquids have to be transported and stored in alternative tanks. This takes up expensive additional storage facilities so causing weeks of lost production.
(3) Exposure of workers to chemicals and dangerous fumes during inspection and cleaning tasks. Also the process of emptying and cleaning releases large volumes of dangerous vapour into the surrounding atmosphere.
(4) The huge expense involved in tank inspection and the older age of the storage tanks in Eastern Europe countries is causing huge leakages into the environment. To overcome the above drawbacks of the current inspection practices, the consortium proposes to develop new and novel ultrasonic guided wave (UGW) techniques, sensors and systems for finding defects and corrosion in internal tank floor plates, without the need to empty and clean the storage tank. By placing the UGW sensors outside the tank; the proposed method will be able to detect corrosion and other defects on tank floors without the need to empty and clean the tank and without the need for operator entry inside the tank. By developing this technology; the consortium SMEs will access the 800 million Euro per annum, above ground oil storage tank inspection budget of World Oil & gas, chemical and electricity plant operator companies, 4 years after project completion

Condition monitoring of large oil and chemical storage tanks u
Each year 2,8 million patients are infected while receiving treatment in European hospitals, these are referred to as nosocomial infections. These nosocomial infections cause patients to incur other illnesses and making treatment more complex. To the patient, hospital infections means a prolonged stay and more suffering at the hospital, and may also lead to permanent health damage or death. While statistics indicate many major causes of death are now decreasing, hospital infection deaths have doubled in 40 years. It is estimated that at least 10.000 people die from hospital infections in EU annually. International studies show that high intensity surveillance and infection control program can reduce the prevalence of hospital infections. Hence; high intensity surveillance and infection control programme with high focus on hand sanitation represents a potential for a 30% reduction in hospital infections. The Community Network for the epidemiological surveillance and control of communicable diseases, established by the European Parliament and Council Decision 2119/98/EC is an example of the EU focus on hospital infections. Our project also contributes to the basis for EU objectives and actions with respect to combating hospital infections (Article 152 -ex Article 129).Despite there are no commercial Automatic Hand Sanitizers the market is estimated the potential annual global market for sale of apparatus' and sanitizing liquids at Â� 1,6Bn giving an EU market of Â�783m pa. Assuming a modest market penetration of 3% in EU and 2% globally and also including the health care sector outside the Hospital market segment, the potential market for the AHS is Â�310m pa. The objective of this project is to develop an Automatic Hand Sanitizer (AHS) that disinfects hands of nurses, doctors, staff, patients and visitors in Hospitals within 5 seconds, cost efficiently ensuring repeatable, reliable and high-quality hand disinfection, independent of the users behaviour, encouraging frequent use also through a user friendly design and tagging system. To create the technological capability the following generation of scientific knowledge and development routes will be undertaken: The acquisition of a deeper scientific understanding in order to establish the relationships between the applied volume of disinfectant liquid on human hands and disinfection efficiency. The creation of an Innovative Hand Sensor System in order to confirm the sufficient spreading of fingers and removal of rings or jewellery to achieve 100 % disinfection of full hand area. The novel application of RF Tag technology in order to obtain a tag unit for the user to verify fulfilled disinfection routine and identify to the user the need for re-disinfection. The development of an integrated system using low power electronics.
Preventing 10.000 European hospital deaths by securing efficient hand disinfection
Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) and Floating Storage and Offloading (FSO) vessels are increasingly being used for production and storage for oil from offshore fields. A typical FPSO contains 20 km of internal safety critical welds that require detailed offshore inspection on a 5-year cycle. These welds are prone to fatigue cracking due to the drastic increase in loading; as the majority of FPSOs in the world are converted sea vessels, which are now carrying heavy oil that exceeds their original design loads. The FPSOs are currently carrying up to 1 million tonnes of oil per day. Over 2.5 billion tonnes of oil is used around the world every year, and 3 million tonnes is discharged every year into the oceans as a result of oil tanker and FPSO failures. Current methods of inspection of these welds have major drawbacks, as they require the FPSOs to be dry docked, emptied and cleaned with consequent disruption to production and emptying and cleaning the FPSO. The scientific and technical objectives are: To overcome the above limitations by developing an amphibious autonomous robotic vehicle, which will enter the various tanks inside the FPSO, inspect for its structural integrity without having to empty and clean the FPSO. The economic objectives are a significant cost reduction in the inspection of FPSOs (of the order of 293 million Euros worldwide, 4 years after project end) from the elimination of the need to empty, clean and defume the FPSOs before inspection can take place. The wider societal objectives are an elimination of dangerous labour intensive and monotonous inspection tasks. The environmental objectives are a 5% reduction in oil leaks from storage vessels due to corrosion and/or cracking of the structural components.
Non-Intrusive In-service Inspection Robotic System for Condition Monitoring of Welds inside Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) Vessels
Ozone is the second most powerful oxidant after fluorine. It is widely used to supplement or replace chlorine in a variety of processes including water treatment, treatment and improvement of the quality of indoor air, plant growth, preservation of fruits and vegetables, etching and cleaning semiconductors, textiles, paper, etc. In addition, ozone leaves no residue after disinfection, as opposed to chlorine that leaves toxic and environmental and human harmful substances. Current commercial methods for obtaining ozone are mainly based on the generation of a plasma corona through which air is driven, yielding a little ozone concentration of around 3%wt in the resulting gas stream. Other methods for producing ozone are UV bombarding of oxygen -yielding around 0,1 %wt of ozone-, and electrochemical ozone generators -producing higher concentrations, but with the penalty of an enormous power consumption related to the evolution of by-product hydrogen in the electrolysis of water. The proposed system is based on an electrochemical cell, which produces a mixture of oxygen and ozone in an adjustable ratio, and a hydrogen peroxide stream. The final device should meet the following operational targets: Development of a noiseless electrochemical ozone generator using purified water and electrical energy to produce an adjustable ozone/oxygen stream (with up to 18%wt of ozone) and an ozone production rate of up to 20 g/h. To maximise energy efficiency, with an electrical power requirement of less than 2 kW, by depolarising the cell with oxygen at the cathode and thus producing hydrogen peroxide. Costs of manufacture to enable a market price between 8k and lOk. The resulting device must be compact, versatile, and easy to maintain to facilitate its use in the many applications where ozone and hydrogen peroxide are required. The social impact of this proposed project will lie in the integration of a group of European SMEs into a consortium, whose aim will be to work towards the development of novel technologies such as advanced polymer engineering, nanoparticle deposition, multiphase reactions, etc. All the partners will be actively involved by providing expertise, hardware, test installations and a market where to distribute this innovation.
Highly effective and low cost ozone compact electrochemical generator for environmentally friendly disinfecting
CADPIPE project will create the most simplified, high quality 3D CAD data optimizer and development tool for native design data to be transformed as real time rendering purposes. At this moment for example the Visualization business starts normally with a native heavy 2D or 3D CAD file, made for design or production purposes. The whole production chain up to, visually good looking, light 3D files is very expensive and time-consuming hand work. When having the data converted for transfer, a problem of data reducing and poor visual quality and the problem in adding animations and extra visual properties still exists. CADPIPE project is targeting to an, as automatic as possible, production chain for at least three most common native CAD program file formats. The production pipes ends each up to most standard, visually powerful file format ready to shoot by some 3D engine. The CADPIPE project aims to build solutions for: -Decreasing the amount of different working environments to CAD, 3D visualization and real-time rendering environment. There will be no longer need to use separate format conversion tools between CAD and 3D visualization tool as well as visualization tool and the real-time rendering system. -Smoother data conversion pipeline that allows more accurate information preservation within the pipeline. -The possibility to add basic interactive and physical behaviour properties to the models in the 3D visualization phase. -More efficient real-time rendering performance for the data as it can be prepared in the modelling or visualization tool to suit the needs for real-time rendering.
The issue of road and tunnel safety is of major importance throughout the EU. In 2002, 29,649 people died in transport accidents across the EU and 1,270,703 were injured, many of them seriously. The social and economic impact of these figures is considerable. A major safety problem is that of emergency phone installation, particularly in enclosed environments, such as road tunnels. This proposal aims to develop the SafePhone system with an \"intelligent enclosure\". This will be powered by a piezoelectric device, which simultaneously monitors the condition of the enclosure and illuminates it via a network of fibre optics. The enclosure will therefore be capable of alerting a remote central control point of any impact damage and guiding stranded motorists to it in low light conditions. The SafePhone product will also offer considerably safer working conditions for the maintenance staff on the EU's major auto routes and motorways by focusing maintenance effort only on those phones which have alerted the central control function as being in need of repair, thus also reducing maintenance effort and costs, and reducing the exposure of maintenance staff to danger from traffic. The product addresses latest EU directives on transport safety and, in particular integrates well with the Safe Tunnel Project. The product will also comply with EU directives on waste management and health and safety at work directives. The Consortium of SME's which is proposing this project for EU funding assistance all have considerable experience in the appropriate areas of component manufacture, installation expertise and system integration supported by the brand equity and marketing muscle of a L.E. end-user customer to make this project capable of implementation. In addition to the prime sector of transportation, there are other markets available to the SafePhone product such as Petrochemicals, Construction, Food Processing and Offshore.
The development of an intelligent, self physical condition monitoring, illuminated telephone.
Resolution and recovery of the matters that cause oxigen demand in the liming operations.
The project is aimed at the study and optimisation of 2-D photonic crystal devices and structures developed by the host
Fabrication and characterization of bidimensional photonic crystal devices
Assisting the Japanese ASTRO-Finfra-red space telescope mission by working with the Japanese to produce galaxy evolution models that will be used to plan the observing strategy of the sky survey. Producing galaxy simulations and predictions that will enable the efficient screening of the detected sources
Case studies and surveys will be conducted in European and Japanese companies aiming to identify whether the implementation of ISO 14001 and EMAS can result in better environmental performance.
Emas and iso 14001 implementation in european and japanese companies: assessing the potential of these standards as an effective instrument to environmental policy making
Studying Biological invasions as a process accelerated by human activity. Modelling and predicting the expansions will help in weighting the chances of an introduced organism becoming invasive
Pedictive medeling of introduced-birds invasion dynamics in japan: implications in native biodiversity
Combined transport communication systems II

This proposal aims to support the collaboration of world-class researchers to study endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), with the broad aim of supporting the development of dynamic world-class human resources in the European research system. The proposal consists of a scientific project and scientific and complimentary training. The scientific project aims to develop a polar organic pollutant integrative sampler (POPIS) for assessing the bio availability of polar EDCs in fish.
The specific objectives are:
- To develop a novel POPIS device suitable for concentrating polar and most potent EDCs.
- To refine and apply sampling and analytical methods to target EDCs in water and sewage samples.
- To perform laboratory experiments to determine the relationship between the levels of EDCs in POPIS and those in water, sediment and fish under controlled conditions.
- To conduct site trials to assess the performance of POPIS in simulating bioaccumulation of EDCs in fish.
- To develop and validate a multi-compartment model for simulating and predicting POPIS performance.
The fellow will receive scientific training to acquire further practical skills in environmental investigations and data analysis;
to design, conduct and report on cutting edge research on EDCs;
and to strengthen collaboration with European scientists. Complementary training will involve the fellow learning and practicing transferable skills. The proposal objectives will be achieved through careful planning and management of the fellowship. The proposed scientific project is timely and appropriate methodology has been established. Novel and state-of-the-art techniques will be used. The supervisors and the fellow have relevant expertises. Regular progress meetings will be held to ensure progress. The fellow is expected to become an independent researcher by the end of this fellowship.

Polar organic pollutant integrative sampler for assessing bioavailibility
DETERMINATION OF CHLORINATED DIBENZO-P-DIOXINS AND -FURANES \"DIOXINS\"
REFERENCE MATERIALS FOR MICROBIOLOGICAL TESTING OF FOOD AND FEED
DEVELOPMENT OF A METHOD FOR THE DETERMINATION OF DRY GLUTEN IN DURUM WHEAT
BETA-AGONISTS IN CATTLE AND PIG TISSUES AND URINE RMs
COLLABORATIVE STUDY ON HEPATITIS B VACCINES
REFERENCE MATERIALS FOR THE ANALYSIS OF SEA WATER AND ESTUARINE WATER
REFERENCE MATERIAL FOR THE ANALYSIS OF WHITE CLOVER
IMPROVEMENT OF THE STATE OF THE ART IN NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS
INTERCOMPARISON OF ORIFICE PLATE DISCHARGE COEFFICIENTS
DEVELOPMENT OF NOBLE METAL THERMOCOUPLES
Thermal conductivity of industrial refractories
Pure oxygenated-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
Reference material for the determination of trace elements in lichen
Second phase of the programme of actions for the conservation of the Iberian imperial eagle
Natural habitats and flora species of Portugal
Re-establishing lichen and coastal heaths in the Anholt Desert
Conservation of the Iberian Linx in Portugal
National Environmental Action Plan - Environmental Policy Support to Algeria
Strengthening of Environmental Management Unit in Ismailia (Egypt)
Environmental Impact Assessment Unit (phase II) Morocco