Objective The aim of the EUROLINK project is to develop pilot demonstrations and test models for the networking of small business and research institutions located in Lithuania, Slovenia, Italy and the United Kingdom.The aim of EUROLINK will be to literally "kick-start" SME's awareness and take-up of EDI. This will be achieved through four inter-related actions. Firstly, the establishment of two regional awareness and information centers. Secondly, the creation of a pilot project using EDI for SMEs and research institutions operated by a local research institutions. Thirdly, the identification of interconnectivity platforms of EDI use between SMEs and research institutions in Italy, United Kingdom, Slovenia and Lithuania. Fourthly, by undertaking a vigorous program of advertising and promotion of benefits of EDI amongst target groups. Eurolink will pioneer and evaluate technologies and working practices and propose new conclusions and policy suggestions for the future development of small business and research institutions networking. EDI can bring significant advantages to small business and research institutions by strengthening their competitive positions through the development of economies of scale EDI help to reduce transaction costs both internally and externally, enable business to exchange valuable technical and commercial information and know-how, help to establish access to reliable and trustworthy contacts and provide opportunities for new markets and transborder trading. The project will be comprehensively reported. At its conclusion, a consolidated report will be produced for the wide dissemination of its findings. This report will contain detailed recommendations and practical guidelines designed to provide the basis of a framework for the future successful development SMEs and research institutions EDI. Under EUROLINK, we will encourage SMEs and research institutions to use EDI technologies for transnational networking by showing the companies how they can profit from EDI technologies. The EDI awareness centers will be based in Lithuania and Slovenia, regions with a large population of SMEs and research institutions which have no access to information on EDI. They will be targeted to Lithuanian and Slovenian SMEs and research institutions working in differentbusiness. They will be based in an appropriate building in or near local research institutions offices where they can be visited by SMEs and interested organizations. All centers will be linked by modem. By the end of the project, the Centers will be self-sustaining: they will sell marketing and technological information to SMEs and research institutions using EDI and they will perform consulting services to SMEs and research institutions in order to make them use EDI as a cost-effective substitute of traditional communication methods. The use of EDI on a transborder basis will be demonstrated in trials involving Centers in SLOVENIA and in Lithuania. These will involve clusters of businesses in specific industry sectors or frame of reference groupings and the development of appropriate interconnective platforms. The findings will be reported in a publically available report. We will identify IT standards to be recommended to both EDI awareness centers and SMEs in order to facilitate communications within each country and on a transborder basis.We will perform the project in conformance with ISO 9001 norms. Programme(s) IC-PECO/COPERNICUS - Scientific and technological cooperation between the European Community and European non-member countries, 1992- Topic(s) Data not available Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme CSC - Cost-sharing contracts Coordinator Studio Maltempi Srl EU contribution No data Address Via Fornaci 1 06034 Foligno Perugia Italy See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data Participants (4) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all Cornwall Information Exchange Ltd United Kingdom EU contribution No data Address See on map Total cost No data Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering Slovenia EU contribution No data Address See on map Total cost No data Joint Stock Company Strauda Lithuania EU contribution No data Address See on map Total cost No data Kaunas University of Technology Lithuania EU contribution No data Address See on map Total cost No data