Project web portal provides gateway to renewable resources and materials sector
Six European partners have teamed up to create a new innovative web portal, INFORRM, highlighting best practices in European renewable resources and materials (RRMs). The web portal is part of the work stream of the industry network for renewable resources and materials project (INFORRM), funded under the Quality of Life programme of the Fifth Framework Programme (FP5). The impetus of establishing a web portal came from the need to gather information relating to RRMs from a host of information stored in disparate databases. Using 'data mining', which sorts through data to identify patterns and establish relationships, researchers can now effectively search for information on plant derived materials according to geographical location, competence or business type. The web portal also hosts an increasing number of examples of how RRM concepts have been developed into marketable products, ranging from biodegradable packaging in the UK to vegetable oil-based bitumen solvent for road construction in France. Highlighting the success stories of the RRM sector in such a way is expected to encourage further investment and continued progress towards developing sustainable materials and chemical products for the future.