INFO2000 - 29 projects to receive further funding
The INFO2000 programme was launched in 1996 with the aim of stimulating the development of a European multimedia content industry and encouraging the use of multimedia content in the emerging Information Society. As a result of the first call for proposals under this programme, 29 multimedia content projects have now been selected to receive further EU funding following the completion of an initial "definition phase". The selection of projects under the INFO2000 programme is carried out in two stages. A number of projects are selected to undergo a preliminary six-month definition phase, following which a further selection is made of projects which will receive support for more advanced work (implementation phase). As a result of the call for proposals launched on 21 June 1996, 80 proposals were selected for initial EU support. The definition phase for these projects commenced on 1 January 1997. From these 80 projects, 74 proposals were submitted and presented to the Commission for evaluation as potential "implementation phase" projects in July 1997. The total recommended funding for the 29 projects selected following the evaluation process is ECU 10.7 million. The projects are divided as follows among the four sectors set out in the original call: - Economic exploitation of Europe's cultural heritage (13 projects); - Business service for firms, in particular SMEs (7 projects); - Geographic information (5 projects); - Scientific, technical and medical information (4 projects). Examples of projects to be supported include (one from each sector): - The CHAMPOLLION (Cultural Heritage and Multilingual Programme of Long-Standing Legacy in Open Networks) project aims to further the accessibility of collections of Egyptian objects in European museums for scholars, students and the interested public in different European languages; - The KIDS'TV-MINE (KIDS'TV Multimedia Information Network) project is going to develop a multimedia based information and electronic commerce system of pan-European dimensions for the children's television industry; - The ARCTIC2 (Polar Perspectives) project is a multimedia project with a global multidisciplinary content which will present the importance of polar issues to our future; - The BREAKIT Project (Breast cancer pathology information kit using on-line and off-line information technologies) will address the continuing education and quick reference needs present in the medical community while dealing with breast cancer pathology, the early detection and classification for an effective and successful treatment and follow-up.