Connective tissue cancers and more specifically sarcomas, GIST, aggressive fibromatosis and hamartomas, are uncommon cancers with an incidence below 2/100 000/year in the EU affecting children, young adults and adults. At a national level, the limited num ber of cases (about 7-10 000 in Europe each year) does notallow Europe to have a critical mass of researchers and the supporting environment to progress in disease understanding and management and have access to new drugs and treatments. Europe has prove n with research made on GIST or through the EORTC-STBSG group that gathering workforces can achieve significant progress. CONTICANET will create the critical mass of key stakeholders to overcome the current difficulties in terms of lack of data and data fragmentation, mobility of researchers, heterogeneity of methodologies and legislations. CONTICANET will 1) start by providing the required environment for developing joint research activities through the development of standard operating procedures, di stributed databases, tissue banks and harmonisation of research projects, then 2) provide the infrastructure to test several drug candidates and perform European wide clinical trials while implementing a federated research policy to 3) further lead to an integrated sustainable structure a European research foundation able to support integrated research actions and make available new treatments. Involving 20 partners major comprehensive cancer centres, academia and private companies over 5 years, CONTICAN ET will gather the critical mass of resources and knowledge in the understanding, diagnosis and management of connective tissue cancers, opening new therapeutic options. CONTICANET will spread excellence in several directions: enlarging the network with ot her academic and private organisations; developing relationship with EMEA, health authorities and insurances; supporting and collaborating with patients through advocacy groups or cancer leagues.