BioMatNet Item: FAIR-CT96-1904 - NF-2000: Non-Food Agro-Industrial Dissemination (NF-AIRID) Through Paper and Electronic Means

FAIR-CT96-1904
NF-2000: Non-Food Agro-Industrial Dissemination (NF-AIRID) Through Paper and Electronic Means

Contacts
Website: www.nf-2000.org
Further Information

	Type of Project	Shared Cost
	Contract No	FAIR-CT96-1904
	Total Cost	400 000 ECU
	EC Contribution	400 000 ECU
	Start Date	01/12/1996
	Duration	36 Months

The Non-Food Agro-Industrial Research CD-ROM was produced as part of this project

Non-food agro-industrial research information dissemination through paper and electronic means

Introduction
This project (now known as NF-2000) continues activities initiated during a two year project "Non-Food Agro-Industrial Research Dissemination (NF-AIRID) Network" ( AIR3-CT94-2299), which started in January 1995. The main purpose of NF-2000 is to bring the results of research in the area of Non-Food to the attention of potential end users, SMEs in particular. This is done by a network of organisations based throughout Europe, which collect, and disseminate to a target audience, information available from European Commission (EC) funded programmes and other sources relating to non-food uses of agricultural crops and forest products. Information is collected from the EC, or sent in by National Representatives to CPL, and converted to a common format as an 'Information Item'. These Items are distributed by post or by e-mail, consolidated in a database, periodically published on CD-ROM and in book form, as well as being placed on a World Wide Web site on the Internet: http://www.nf-2000.org
The information is sent to SMEs and other commercial organisations that can use the results to establish new business based on agricultural raw materials. These include the chemical (bulk, fine and pharmaceutical), bioenergy, biopolymer, biocomposites, coatings, ink, fertilisers, feed, fabric and paper industries, as well as common interest groups (trade associations, farmers' unions, etc), government departments and policy-makers. The information is also made available to universities, research institutes and companies seeking partners for participation in future shared cost activities funded by the EC and to the scientific and technical media. The project objectives and products (books, CD-ROMs, on-line database) are presented at conferences, meetings and exhibitions.

Objectives

Help bring the results of the AIR and FAIR non-food programme to the attention of potential users
Strengthen the technical and industrial capabilities of participants in future programmes
Help avoid duplication between national funded work and EC funded activities
Help identify areas where research is needed, or where further research might be unnecessary
Collect and collate relevant information and disseminate it in the form of paper Items through National Representatives and via e-mail on the Internet
Maintain a computer-based database of the collected information and disseminate it on-line through a WWW site on the Internet as well as publishing it periodically on CD-ROM
Provide the EC with information concerning the types of organisations registering to receive information (Registrants) and their activities and interests (raw materials, products and technologies)
Establish methods to ensure the continuation of the network after completion of the contract

Results to Date

The Final Annual Progress Report is available as a separate Item.

Contacts

EC Scientific Officer

Ciarán MANGAN / European Commission - DG Research Quality of Life Programme - Unit B1.2 / BELGIUM

NF-2000 Coordinator

Jim COOMBS / CPL Scientific Publishing Services Ltd CPL Press / UNITED KINGDOM

NF-2000 Nat Rep