BIULETYN INFORMACYJNY O PROGRAMACH BADAWCZYCH KOMISJI EUROPEJSKIEJ
	Nr 13/98	Redakcja Biuletynu	Październik 28, 98

III PROGRAM TEMATYCZNY

"Competitive and sustainable growth"

III Program Tematyczny zawiera 4 akcje kluczowe (oznaczone tu literą "a"), 3 akcje ogólne dla badań i rozwoju techniki ( "b") oraz 4 akcje wspierające infrastrukturę badawczą ("c").

3a1.	Innovative Products, processes and organisation
3a2.	Sustainable mobility and intermodality
3a3.	Land transport and marine technologies
3a4.	New perspectives for aeronautics
3b1.	New materials and their production and transformation
3b2.	New materials and production technologies in the steel field
3b3.	Measurements and testing
3c1.	Support activities for research infrastructures
3c2.	Virtual institutes
3c3.	European metrological infrastructure
3c4.	Reference databases

A.THE GENERAL OUTLINES, THE SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL OBJECTIVES AND THE PRIORITIES

Competitiveness and sustainability are the keys to the long-term future of the Union's economy: creation of wealth and jobs, enhancement of the quality of life, and preservation of the environment and the natural resource base. They depend on the capacity of citizens, enterprises, regions, nations and the Community to generate and use the knowledge, science and technology of tomorrow, in high-quality goods, processes and services, and in new and more efficient organisational forms. Research activities are clearly crucial in generating a more competitive technological base for European industry and in fostering the transition to a sustainable world, which will involve both a transformation of working practices and an optimised use of resources.

Competitiveness and sustainability can no longer be considered a matter for individual organisations or sectors alone. In the context of an increasingly interlinked and globalising economy a "systems approach" is necessary, in which research activities support the development of coherent, interconnected and eco-efficient industrial and social systems, responding not only to market but also to societal needs. At the heart of these systems will be efficient and quality-based production systems, embedded in agile organisations and producing high-quality eco-friendly products and services (in Europe there are more than 2 million industrial enterprises employing more than 40 million people, with 80 million working in related services). These wealth-creating activities should, in turn, be supported by key products and services, including efficient transport systems and clean and safe vehicles, promoting trade and the sustainable mobility of goods and people. Competitive and sustainable growth also depends on the development of quality materials and reliable measurement and testing methods, as well as the optimal use of specific research infrastructures, whether physical or virtual. Such a holistic approach is the best way to improve the long-term efficiency and sustainability of Europe's economic system in the face of world-wide evolving market constraints and socio-environmental responsibility.

Strategic objective of the programme

The objective of this specific programme must be to support research activities contributing to competitiveness and sustainability, particularly where these two objectives interact. In this context, industry's role will be not only to identify areas for collaboration but also to bring together and integrate projects, especially cross-sectoral projects along the value chain, so that technology uptake and innovation are more efficiently ensured across Europe. The development of new concepts such as eco-industry, intermodality, new generations of aircraft and other means of transport, and innovative approaches to the integration of new technologies will help to prepare industrial sectors for the challenges of the new millennium, and to generate a strategic vision of research in all industrial sectors throughout Europe. Research activities will focus on clearly identified needs.

Answering to socio-economic needs. By stimulating holistic approaches, by strengthening the innovative capacity of the European industrial system and by fostering the creation of businesses and services built on emerging technologies and new market opportunities, the programme will help face the major challenges of society, in particular employment. In parallel, research into sustainable mobility and environmentally friendly processes, products and services will contribute to improving quality of life.

Stimulating European added value. Activities to solve the cross-border problems arising in connection with the various key actions have a clear European dimension, as does the development of norms and standards in support of Community policies. Achieving the critical mass needed to attain concrete and tangible results in cost-intensive technologies will also necessitate mobilising national and other RTD Community resources.

Supporting European competitiveness. Europe suffers from a recognised gap compared with its major competitors, inasmuch as it is less able to translate its scientific knowledge into innovation. Not only research but also innovation in respect of new concepts of products and services, production systems and organisational concepts (e.g. eco-industries) should be fostered to boost competitiveness and productivity.

Ethical framework. Full respect of human rights and fundamental ethical principles will be ensured throughout all activities in the specific programme in accordance with Article 6 of the European Parliament and Council Decision on the 5th Framework Programme.

The key actions "innovative products, processes and organisation", "sustainable mobility and intermodality", "new perspectives for aeronautics" and "Land transport and marine technologies" are intended to combine efforts in various research areas (e.g. materials, application of information society technologies, environmentally friendly technologies, etc.) to achieve the objectives described above. This multi-sectoral dimension will also be sought in research activities related to materials, measurement and testing, and support for research infrastructures. The approach to all these activities will also pay particular attention to the "innovation" dimension and to stimulating and supporting the involvement of SMEs so as to reduce the gap between the achievement of the research results and their effective use by the economy and society.

B. LINKS AND COMPLEMENTARITY WITH OTHER PROGRAMMES

RTD activities will be integrated and coordinated as necessary, within and between the different key actions and programmes, as well as with the JRC. Appropriate links will be established between these activities. This should provide mechanisms by which industry, public authorities, users and the research community can work jointly on the resolution of common problems, particularly in fields such as intelligent production systems, microsystems, next generation of aircraft and other means of transport or traffic management.

The economic and technological challenge of deploying, adapting and integrating life sciences and technologies related to energy, the environment or the information society is crucial for promoting competitive and sustainable growth. The specific applications meeting this challenge form an integral part of the various activities of this programme and will be conducted in close coordination with the specific programmes concerned.

Coordination with the specific programme on the user-friendly information society is based on the following principle: activities related to information society technologies as such (including development and technology demonstration and assimilation activities) will be concentrated in the user-friendly information society programme, while activities linked to the deployment and integration of these technologies and their adaptation to applications relating to competitive and sustainable growth will be conducted under this programme.

Aspects related with the horizontal programmes are outlined below:

Many of the problems addressed by this programme can only be dealt with effectively in a broader international context. For this reason close coordination will be developed with the programme on confirming the international role of Community research, in particular on issues where world competition is stiff and where major geo-economic challenges are at stake. This is clearly the case for production, transport, maritime, materials and standardisation related research activities, where collaboration with international initiatives (e.g. the Intelligent Manufacturing Systems (IMS) initiative) would bring added value to European research work. Full use will be made of the possibilities offered by COST and EUREKA and by co-operation with international organisations to foster synergy between actions and projects in this programme and nationally funded research activities. In the case of co-operation with EUREKA, projects corresponding to priority themes of common interest may be deployed in the context of the key actions. Specific activities aimed at facilitating the involvement of entities in third countries and maintaining links with specialists from third countries trained in Europe will be carried out, which will also contribute to the international dimension of the programme.


In view of the increasing need to bridge the gap between research results and their potential applications, and of the large number of companies which could be interested in the potential results, particular attention should be paid to activities related to innovation and the participation of SMEs. This will be the case for all activities in this programme (e.g. cooperative research, large industrial projects, support to research infrastructures), and it will be closely coordinated with the programme on the promotion of innovation and encouragement of participation of SMEs. An innovation cell will centralise promotion activities with a view to the deployment and use of the results of this programme; it will also help ensure complementarity and an interface with the innovation activities pursued under the programme "Innovation and the participation of SMEs".


Improving the know-how, skills and qualifications of European researchers in the fields covered by the programme should considerably enhance Europe's capability to produce tangible and lasting impacts. For this reason, research activities should be developed in association with measures linked to training and socio-economic aspects, which will thus form an integral part of the programme, and of projects if appropriate.

C. KEY ACTIONS

3a1. Innovative Products, processes and organisation

Objectives and RTD priorities

The overall goal of this key action is to develop new and improved methods of design, advanced equipment and process technologies for production that improve the quality and reduce the costs of processes for services and products (aiming for a substantial improvement in these factors in the medium term), reduce overall life-cycle impacts, improve understanding of "soft technology" aspects (organisation, management, logistics, teleworking, etc.), so as to integrate them fully into relevant industrial processes, and ultimately contribute to employment growth (aiming at creating and maintaining in Europe a number of jobs comparable, in percentage terms, to those of Europe's major competitors). Implementation of the key action will focus on systemic approaches to production (products, production facilities, processes and organisation) and on clustering and integrating projects into targeted groups, which will make it easier to take account of socio-economic, ecological and competition aspects. Particular attention will be paid to the involvement of SMEs, taking account of their specific needs and their roles in the supply chain. Where appropriate, research activities will be coordinated with the activities of other programmes, and also with international initiatives (IMS, Eureka).

Efficient design and manufacturing. The aim is to improve competitiveness through increased industrial added value, quality and responsiveness to market, reduced time-to-market and material intensity in product/service combinations.

RTD priorities: technologies for integrated product-service design and development, multi-technology integrated products (including production equipment and facilities) and related manufacturing processes; advanced production and construction techniques and equipment for higher process accuracy and reliability; manufacturing technologies and equipment for optimal use of resources and for product miniaturisation, including the manufacture and assembly of microsystems; methods to overcome the barriers between designers and consumers.


Intelligent production. The aim is to optimise the level of performance of all elements of the industrial environment through the deployment, integration and application of information society technologies in production systems.

RTD priorities: intelligent and reconfigurable production systems, machinery, and equipment; on-line control using advanced sensors; extended life and optimal use of production facilities; intelligent operation and maintenance systems, including self-repair; application of advanced technologies for flexible and interoperable supply/production/distribution systems and networks, including the integration of developments in the field of electronic commerce.


Eco-efficient processes. The goal is to minimise "full life-cycle" impacts on the environment, taking account of all essential elements of the industrial system ranging from extraction through production to waste management, with emphasis on resource intensive processes.

RTD priorities: clean and eco-efficient processing technologies; research aimed at mastering basic phenomena such as synthesis, catalysis, separation and reaction mechanisms, process modelling and simulation; impact monitoring and assessment of risks; in situ and on-line recovery of waste; novel processes for treatment, reuse and safe disposal of waste and for upgrading, reusing or dismantling products and production systems.


Organisation of production and work. The goal is to move towards high performance industrial systems, agile customer-driven networked industrial enterprises, including SMEs, with multi-skilled highly motivated labour force, working in efficient and pleasant workplaces and taking into consideration the diversity and specificity of European society and manufacturing tradition.

RTD priorities: study of human, organisational, socio-economic and regulatory determinants for a smooth transition of enterprises towards efficient and sustainable production and consumption; new decision-making tools and new approaches to the management of change and human resources; studies on the impact and acceptance of new business ideas and new industrial production patterns, compatible with the concept of sustainability.

3a2. Sustainable mobility and intermodality

Objectives and RTD priorities The overall aim of this key action is to achieve a better long-term reconciliation of the growing demand for mobility with the need to respect environmental, social, economic and safety constraints. It will help to break the link between economic growth and increased traffic volumes; reduce the negative impact of transport modes; and encourage their more sustainable use. Particular attention will be paid to intermodality and how best to integrate the respective strengths of the various modes of transport in order to provide user-oriented door-to-door services for both passengers and freight. This should result in a better management of mobility.

Modal and intermodal transport management systems. The aim is to develop, validate, demonstrate and facilitate the deployment of rational, high-performance transport management systems for air, sea, inland waterway, rail, road and urban transport, both on a modal basis and for integrated intermodal transport, interfacing inter alia with the possibilities offered by the programme for a user-friendly information society, including the application and validation of related information and related integrated systems to facilitate their deployement.

RTD priorities: development, validation and demonstration of modal and intermodal traffic and transport management systems, including operational, regulatory, administrative and structural solutions for their deployment, and pricing systems; integration of information and data exchange systems across modes including real time user information, electronic documentation and user services with transport management and logistics; second generation satellite navigation and positioning systems; improvements to satellite-supported haulage; integration of services such as traffic management, vehicle and freight unit identification, location and guidance, pricing, freight planning, travel information and passenger services within the transport system.


Infrastructures and their interfaces with transport means and systems. The goal is to enhance interconnectivity and interoperability and to promote intermodality in the transport system, through integration of all its components across the modes at the levels of infrastructure, transfer points, transport means, equipment, operations, services and the regulatory framework.

RTD priorities: more efficient use and reduced operating, development and maintenance costs of existing infrastructure; effective interchanges; interconnection between trans-European, regional and local networks; innovative infrastructure concepts and operations; relationship between transport, land use, regional planning, environment and health; reduced congestion, energy consumption, pollution, and infrastructure degradation; integration of vehicles and public transport in the transport system; innovative concepts for sustainable mobility in urban and rural areas and for inter-urban traffic; safety, including for the transport of dangerous goods; accessibility, safety, security and comfort of transport, including for people with special needs; human factors such as human/machine interface, human behaviour, user and operator acceptance of new "intelligent" systems, optimal training methods and use of simulators.


Socio-economic scenarios for the mobility of people and goods. The aim is to develop strategies and tools for managing the impact of economic and social developments, including deregulation and liberalisation of transport services and globalisation of economic and commercial activities, on mobility demand and transport policies.

RTD priorities: scenarios on travel supply and demand and policy options for mobility demand, market organisation and accessibility; legal, institutional, organisational and financing aspects of transport systems and infrastructures; understanding of the role and constraints of logistics with a view to optimisation; benchmarking tools; methods for enforcement of regulations; methodologies to measure costs and benefits, safety, performance and impacts of different transport systems, networks and their operations; assessment of new technologies and concepts, including their impact on employment, users, the environment, work organisation, social conditions, and safety and security.

3a3. Land transport and marine technologies

Objectives and RTD priorities

The aim is to meet the technological challenges needed to develop and validate the next generation of vehicles, vessels, offshore structures and intelligent and efficient interfaces for logistic infrastructures, and to develop offshore and submarine technologies permitting the sustainable exploitation of marine resources. Vehicles must be capable of meeting all public demands for sustainable mobility and improved safety, while reducing the environmental impact and reinforcing Europe's economic strength. The activities under this key action will be closely coordinated with the activities on land and maritime transport under the key actions on "Sustainable mobility and intermodality" and "Systems and services for the citizen".

Critical technologies for road and rail vehicles. The aim is the acquisition of technologies to support the improvement of transport vehicles and major infrastructure components. Such technologies must be economical, safe, intelligent, clean, efficient, reliable and responsive to new social and economic needs and the expectations of Europeans.

RTD priorities: Technologies for on-board and fixed propulsion systems characterised by high efficiency, environmental friendliness and cost effectiveness; for noise, vibration and electro-magnetic reduction; light-weight components and structures; application of microtechnologies and sensor technologies for advanced components and systems; technologies for improved safety.


Innovative road and rail vehicle concepts. The aim is the development and demonstration of new vehicle concepts using new construction techniques and materials and fulfilling all functional, technological, social and economic constraints. This should contribute to the development of improved transport systems, with increased efficiency and comfort, enhanced safety and environmental friendliness, and improving availability, maintainability, manufacturability and recyclability of vehicles. Priority will be given to concepts for the long-distance transport of passengers or goods, with the key action on "The city of tomorrow and the cultural heritage" dealing with the technologies and demonstrations relating to urban transport.

RTD priorities: Integration of new systems, structures, and power trains supported by parallel research into specific technologies for vehicle design, engineering and manufacturing operations; integration of on-board systems for intelligent and safe vehicles; integration of technologies for cost-effective vehicle design, manufacturing and use, within a whole life-cycle approach.


Human-vehicle interaction. The aim is to develop cost-effective routes for the upgrading and industrial deployment of on-board components and systems, to be translated into enhanced operability of the various land transport means, proving their flexibility, reconfigurability, robustness, and breadth of applicability. The work will focus on the incorporation of human-vehicle interaction systems within the overall production chain and vehicle concept.

RTD priorities: Methodologies supporting the incorporation of human-vehicle interaction elements within the overall vehicle design and prototyping processes; effective architecture for intelligent vehicle monitoring using fault-tolerant, modular, plug-in technologies; ergonomic vehicle design; cognitive engineering technologies for effective driver-vehicle or occupant-vehicle interaction; technologies for improved cabin environment.


Advanced technologies for the development of ships and offshore platforms. The aim is the validation and demonstration of advanced technologies for the development of vessels and offshore structures complying with safety, efficiency and environmental friendliness principles. The acquisition and integration of critical technologies meeting these three objectives will cover all aspects of design, production, operation and decommissioning or dismantling.

RTD priorities: Development of critical technologies for vessels, systems and sub-systems, covering safety concepts, environmental protection, efficiency, production, dismantling and recycling. Research will also cover the development of the new generation of on-board systems, application of new materials, structures and components, and new, optimised and alternative power train concepts.


Use of the sea and inland waterways to transport goods and passengers. The aim is to develop and validate innovative vessel concepts with maximised performances, guided by economics while fulfilling customers requirements. This will also include new technological solutions for cargo handling, fast intermodal facilities, for port, inland waterways and marine infrastructures.

RTD priorities: Integration of technologies, of advanced equipment and systems for innovative vessel concepts; integration of technologies for efficient, safe and environmentally friendly transhipment facilities and operations; research to support concurrent development of technical standards, guided by life cycle approaches and performance based criteria.


Technologies for the rational and sustainable management of the sea. The aim is the development of technologies intended for the study and observation of the seas and the sustainable exploitation of the energy and mineral resources of the sea, including offshore and submarine technologies, unmanned vehicles and submarine acoustics, promoted by a coherent approach to the exploitation of the sea as a source of minerals and energy, improvement of coastal zone management and minimisation of the environmental impact of sea-based activities.

RTD priorities: application of innovative technologies to monitor and forecast the state of the sea, the environment and the sea floor, especially in the deep sea, including remote-controlled vehicles; safe and efficient submarine technologies for sensing, control, and data transfer in order to improve accessibility to and the exploitation of marine mineral resources, including offshore structures and floating production units.

Specific coordination activities with other key actions and with EUREKA are planned in order to maximise the effectiveness of Community research.

3a4. New perspectives for aeronautics

Objectives and RTD priorities

The overall goal of this key action is to facilitate the development of aircraft and their subsystems and components in order to foster the competitiveness of the European industry while assuring the sustainable growth of air transportation. The medium-term targets of the RTD effort, including large-scale validation activities, are to substantially reduce development time and costs of new aircraft; improve efficiency (fuel consumption and maintenance costs) and reduce environmental impacts (pollutant emissions and perceived external noise) and accident rates (by at least the same factor as the growth of traffic volume). In technological terms particular emphasis will be placed on integration for subsonic aircraft and the use of enabling technologies for the second generation of supersonic aircraft.

Acquisition of critical technologies. The aim is to contribute to the long-term competitiveness of the European aeronautics industry from a strategic perspective by stimulating the development of enabling technologies and a new generation of aircraft concepts, including aircraft more respectful of the environment.

RTD priorities: innovative approaches and evolutionary advances in aerodynamics, structures and application of new materials, propulsion, noise, equipment and systems, advanced sensors and avionics; development of multi-disciplinary technologies, such as aeroelasticity, flight mechanics and airframe-propulsion integration; methods and processes for aircraft design and manufacture.


Technology integration for new-generation aircraft. The aim is to facilitate the introduction and combination of the newest technologies and to demonstrate their economic and operational feasibility for new aeronautic products over their long life time. This will involve a multi-disciplinary approach, including technology integrator platforms at the required scale, focusing on lower design, production and operational costs, reduction of consumption, aircraft performance, and environmental aspects.

RTD priorities: advanced design tools and concurrent engineering for reconfigurable, flexible, distributed and multi-site production systems; advanced developments in propulsion, structural and aerodynamic efficiency and systems performance and integration; airframe, engine and systems technologies and operational procedures to reduce significantly emissions and engine noise, and improve cabin environment.


Operational efficiency and safety. The aim, with the integration of on-board systems, is to help alleviate congestion in airports, increase air traffic management (ATM) system capacity, and improve the safety performance of aviation, to accommodate the threefold increase in air traffic which is expected over the next 15 years. This work will be closely coordinated with the air-transport-related activities carried out under the key actions "Sustainable Mobility and Intermodality" and "Systems and Services for the Citizen". Particular attention will be paid to the development of on-board technologies and their incorporation into vehicles in an operational setting.

RTD priorities: validation and integration of on-board systems for improving the operational capabilities of aircraft and supporting their integration within the future ATM system; maintenance techniques and condition monitoring for improved aircraft reliability and dispatch availability; technologies and methodologies, including the study of human-factor aspects and flight simulation, for more effective accident prevention and improved aircraft design for passenger survivability.

D. RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES OF A GENERIC NATURE

These activities, with potential multi-sectoral applications, will help the development of European technological capacity and stimulate the flow of ideas, knowledge and applications to complement and support the key actions.

3b1. New materials and their production and transformation

Objectives and RTD activities

Efforts will be made to support and network RTD projects leading to the optimisation of collaboration, information exchange, and Community added value. These networks will form the backbone of the structure of the research activities. They will also play an important role in stimulating international collaboration between Member States and with third countries (e.g. CEECs, United States, China) and developing foresight, socio-economic and strategic studies and impact and risk assessment.

Materials with a wide range of applications. The aim is to promote research on the most promising avenues for improving the functionality and performance of existing materials, and the development of new materials with distinctly new or radically improved characteristics.

RTD priorities: innovative approaches such as nanostructured materials, supramolecular chemistry, colloidal systems and biomimetic chemistry; new and improved structural and light materials, in particular for construction, transport and high-temperature applications; functional materials, in particular opto-electronics and sensor-related materials, whose properties allow reliable operation; new and improved biomaterials such as implants and hybrid tissues; research improving understanding of deterioration and failure mechanisms.


Materials production and transformation processes. Research will focus on technologies which can ensure quality (especially in the context of the trend towards shorter production cycles), reliability and cost-effectiveness of materials to allow optimum exploitation.

RTD priorities: materials production technologies for high-value-added sectors, especially fine chemistry, minerals, metals, polymers, composites, and ceramics; micro- and nanopowder processing technologies; surface, coating and interfacial technologies for advanced materials and functional applications.


Sustainable use of materials. Research will focus on the environmental and safety impact of new materials and the reuse of materials, with the aim of increasing the flow of secondary raw materials with reliable material properties, reducing life-cycle impacts and overcoming barriers with customers.

RTD priorities: research supporting the development of materials which are easy to recycle; recycling processes guaranteeing reliable properties and cost-effectiveness of recycled materials; finding uses for waste; research supporting new applications of renewable raw materials, for example for the production of organic chemicals.

3b2. New materials and production technologies in the steel field

Objectives and RTD activities

In view of the expiry of the ECSC Treaty in 2002, and the conclusions of the Amsterdam European Council (June 1997), there is an urgent need to speed up the progressive insertion of coal and steel research into the framework programme. The objective is to reduce costs, improve user satisfaction, and increase value added, to the benefit of both the iron and steel industry and suppliers, end users and other research partners.

Steel research will be focused on the development of flexible, compact and safe production lines, cleaner processes, innovative steel products, and improved recycling.

RTD priorities: coke production for metal-working industries, research to reduce the costs and improve the quality of coke, to improve production of reducing gases, reduce emissions, and improve the safety and health of workers in industrial installations; iron and steel making technologies for flexible and cost-effective production; technologies to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emission, improve steel cleanliness, and increase recycling rates; casting, rolling and downstream treatment, reduction of weight, and coating and surface techniques; development of improved and high-strength steel grades for higher performance and use in extreme conditions; cost-effective application of by-products.

3b3. Measurements and testing

Objectives and RTD activities

Prenormative research and technical support for standardisation. Research will focus on the development and validation of measurement and testing methods, and the production of scientific and metrological data needed to define performance and safety criteria for products and services. The goal will be to strengthen Europe's overall competitive position and to promote the implementation of the key actions and of Community policies.

RTD priorities: development of new standards and improvement of existing standards over the range of industrial requirements; support for the development of performance standards and directives to facilitate trade, to protect consumers and the work environment and to favour mutual recognition agreements.


The fight against fraud. Research will focus on developing measurement and testing systems to detect and prevent fraud, in order to better protect the economic interests of enterprises and society and the health of consumers. The long-term aim will be to keep know-how and technology ahead of the defrauder

RTD priorities: techniques to combat counterfeited or falsely labelled industrial and agricultural products; avoidance of circumvention of trade regulations and Community legislation, including customs tariffs, quotas, and waste disposal; new methods for the detection of drugs and doping, detecting false banknotes and value certificates; identification of the provenance of cultural artefacts.


Improvement of quality. Research will support the development of generic measurement and testing methods, instruments and measuring systems, including software, and this will also strengthen the SME-intensive instrumentation sector. Research will focus further on the development of quality assessment systems for private and public enterprises and on identifying measurable attributes that customers perceive to be present in quality products and services. Research needed to remove technical barriers to trade within Europe and with third countries will also be included. The activities are to be developed in conjunction with the relevant activities in the other programmes.

RTD priorities: calibration and transfer standards, feasibility studies for certified reference materials and banks of reference substances to assure reliability and traceability of measurements; instruments for high-performance measurements; robust and portable instruments for in situ and reference measurements, models and software tools for the validation of measurement methods; tools to support mutual recognition agreements, for improving quality within enterprises, including SMEs, and for measuring customer satisfaction; methodologies to support certification and accreditation in metrologically less developed fields.

E. SUPPORT FOR RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURES

Industrial research in Europe is widely recognised for its excellence, with well-established strongholds at national level. To bring competitive advantages, scientific and technological RTD results must, however, be converted into successful applications. Apart from the development of exploitation-oriented projects, there is a real need to share facilities effectively and to exchange data and experience more efficiently, for example for testing new machines, vehicles, or processes. In addition, research constantly generates new data and in increasing quantities. Collecting and organising such data at European level will benefit industry and the whole user community. Not only will research efficiency be improved by reducing duplication but, more importantly, focusing the whole fabric of research infrastructure in Europe on common goals will enable a strategic approach to be put in place.

Objective and activities

Action is needed to encourage the optimum utilisation of existing research infrastructures and large installations in very close relation to the key actions. Pooling of resources and transnational access, in particular for research manufacturing centres, transport test facilities, high-power wind tunnels, industrial design computing centres, or materials and structures test facilities, are needed to better exploit new techniques based on fixed major equipment and associated instrumentation. Integration of the existing facilities must be accomplished as far as possible to avoid duplication of work, increase complementarity and ensure interoperability of data exchanges. As the stages of development of the various national institutions vary across the Community, there is also a need to reinforce collaboration, in areas such as conformity assessments, training activities and transfer of know-how. In summary, support for research infrastructures is aimed at

(i) the optimum utilisation of geographically dispersed medium- and large-scale research facilities,

(ii) the rapid transfer of existing and complementary RTD results to industrial applications, and

(iii) the improvement and interoperability of common protocols and data exchanges.

3c1. The support activities for research infrastructures are aimed at improving the information flow towards European researchers and at facilitating access to facilities to which researchers would not normally have access. This will also encourage and facilitate the improvement of existing and the promotion of new research capabilities in response to emerging needs.
Support activities will stimulate access to facilities related to the various key actions, in particular to computing centres for industrial research, transport test facilities and high-power wind tunnels.

3c2. The setting up of virtual institutes will promote the coordination and the pooling of resources between research centres and organisations to achieve synergy and reap wider benefits around the objectives of the key actions and generic technologies. This activity will facilitate the creation of virtual facilities generating sufficient critical mass for research into higher performance techniques, instrumentation and technologies. Community support will be limited in time.
Support activities would be meant as an incentive to speed up cooperation and the use of information and communications technologies for geographically dispersed facilities leading to improved transfer and exploitation of results, in particular for SMEs, in the field of materials, production technologies, and measurement and testing.

3c3. Support for European metrological infrastructure will reinforce cohesion between Member States and third countries. This will benefit mutual recognition and conformity agreements. Particular attention will be paid to the impact of these agreements on SMEs.
Community funding will be directed towards intercomparisons and inter-laboratory performance analyses, support for interoperable database structures, the production of certified reference materials and the improved use by SMEs in particular of the implementation of the abovementioned agreements and the ISO 9000, ISO 14000 and EN 45000 standards.

3c4. Reference databases have been identified as one of the means of strengthening the European research fabric. Efforts will focus on ensuring that the data generated are of acceptable quality and comparability and on bringing together sectorial and local activities in support of European research. Such activities will preserve the property rights of individual organisations.
,i> Support activities, in particular for materials and aeronautics research, will help to catalogue and compare RTD actions at national and international level and the output of different research facilities.

F. INDICATIVE BREAKDOWN OF THE AMOUNT

Type of activity	Total
a)  Key actions	74,3%
1) Innovative products, processes and organisation	24,2%
2) Sustainable mobility and intermodality	13,8%
3) Land transport and marine technologies	5,2%
4) New perspectives for aeronautics	31,1%
b)  Research and technological development activities of a generic nature	24,2%
c)  Support for research infrastructures	1,5%
TOTAL	2895 MECU

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