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FAIR-CT96-1904
NF-2000: Non-Food Agro-Industrial Dissemination (NF-AIRID) Through Paper and Electronic Means - Final Report |
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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 |
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Introduction
This project represented a continuation of the previous activity funded under the AIR programme, in which final results from the ECLAIR programme and initial results from the AIR programme were disseminated as A4 summary sheets by post. Towards the end of this activity ( AIR3-CT94-2299) a small website was created that created a favourable response. Hence, the current activity was proposed, both as a means of continuing the dissemination work and as a means of evaluating the relative cost/benefits of electronic dissemination as compared to the use of conventional postal systems.
Objectives
The main objective is to collect, collate, format and disseminate information relevant to the non-food agro-industrial research and demonstration activities supported by the European Commission (EC), as well as that from other sources relating to non-food uses of agricultural crops and forest products. This information is disseminated to the target audience (those to whom it would be of particular benefit, especially SMEs) in the form of items, in order to bring the results of non-food projects from EC-funded programmes to the attention of potential users as well as to attract new participants to future programmes (Fifth Framework). The activity also aimed to contribute to a strengthening of the technical and industrial content of EU projects and help avoid duplication between national funded and EC funded activities, as well as helping identify areas where research is needed and encouraging the formation of new partnerships between agriculture and industry, as well as between research groups for future projects. In addition the project aimed to provide feedback to the Commission concerning the types of organisations involved in non-food, their activities and interests.
Activities
These objectives are achieved through the collaboration, within a Concerted Action, of a network of National Representatives from Member States, based throughout the European Union, plus observers from Hungary and Poland, through an annual workshop, plus on-going interaction, mainly by email. Three annual project meetings were held (Newbury, UK; Berlin, Germany and Gmunden, Austria), at which aspects of project management and information were discussed. The work consisted of information collection, collation and dissemination in the form of items (covering specific projects or relevant activities). This information, that has been incorporated into a central database maintained by the co-ordinator, has been widely disseminated through postal services, by fax, by email and by incorporation into a website (www.nf-2000.org). In addition the information was issued as an up-dated CD-ROM each year. The activity was presented at numerous national and international meetings throughout Europe (including Member States, Norway, Poland and Hungary). Eight copies of a newsletter were produced in addition to a number of publications, including a brochure on Renewable Bioproducts and a book of project summaries from the AIR programme. Assistance was provided to the Commission in producing three catalogues covering FAIR activities in the areas of Renewable Bioproducts (Green Chemical and Polymer Chain), Biomass & Bioenergy and the Forest/Wood Chain. Information concerning the Fifth Framework Programme Area 5.2 was disseminated to a targeted audience using the website, newsletters and direct emailing. An introduction to NF-2000 was made available as a screen show, presented on the website in French, German, Greek, Italian, Hungarian, Polish and Spanish. A mechanism whereby researchers could obtain materials and/or identify collaborators was established. Statistics were collected and collated on interests, activities, raw materials, processes, products and organisation status (University, Institute, Government, Commercial, SME, etc), and the relative costs of postal and electronic dissemination.
The co-ordinator collaborated with and/or supplied specific information to a number of other Networks (ACTIN, IENICA, EECI, CTVO-NET, ICBT, etc), government departments and common-interest organisations (farmers unions, trade associations, etc), as well as all FAIR co-ordinators, participating in and/or publicising their activities and establishing links. Articles have been included in a number of journals, trade magazines and newsletters, while links were established to and/or from some 450 other websites.
Results
Throughout the three year duration of the project the number of people using the NF-2000 network as a source of information increased steadily. The users may be divided into three groups. The first group consists of the postal registrants, many of whom continued their interest first recorded under the previous NF-AIRID activity. At the end of the current activity a small increase in this group was discernible. A few individuals changed interest, some joined and some transferred to the electronic group. The second group consists of European electronic registrants, where an ongoing increase was seen over the three years, ending with over 3000 individuals on the email list. The third group consists of non-European Union users of the website from many countries, including the following: Arab Emirates, Argentina, Australia, Bulgaria, Botswana, Belarus, Brazil, Botswana, Canada, Chile, China, Columbia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Estonia, Guatemala, Guyana, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, India, Iran, Iceland, Jordan, Japan, S. Korea, Latvia, Lebanon, Malta, Mexico, Malaysia, Mauritius, Moldavia, Mongolia, Morocco, Namibia, Nepal, New Zealand, Oman, Peru, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovak republic, Slovenia, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Taiwan, Ukraine, Uruguay, USA, Venezuela, Yugoslavia.
By the end of the project around 4500 people had registered (2000 postal, 2500 electronic) with the network, although the need to do so was removed at the end of year 2. This 'opening-up' led to a massive increase in use of the website, such that by the end of the project some 8000 individual log-ins resulted in downloading of 100,000 items of information per month. This interest was created by information about the project created by the distribution of 10,000 posters, 20,000 leaflets and 2500 CD-ROMs as well as exhibiting at national and international workshops, meetings, conferences and exhibitions. These included invitations to present the network at the FP5 launch meeting (February 1999) and at an Ag Fiber meeting in the USA (August 1999). Contact was also established with the major organisations providing internet search engines, while the extent of coding on the website was increased, so that the NF-2000 site would become more visible to those seeking information on the basis of keyword searches
During the first year the availability of items was indicated to registrants by means of a 'tick and return' form distributed by post. In the second and third year this information was made available through eight issues of a newsletter. During these two years the database was developed on-line with the newsletter and items posted on a website. The database was designed with a search engine such that items could variously be found on the basis of the EC or other programme, the crops or trees used as raw materials, the product chain involved or (in the case of EC projects) the number and/or title, or by embedded word search.
Commission staff supplied most of the information, largely in the form of contractor's project summary reports in hard copy. Further information was supplied by National Representative, Registrants and other contacts, in hard copy or by e-mail (either directly or by completion of the form supplied on the web-site). This form could also be used to add information to the partners database that forms part of the master database. Information on disk or via e-mail was used directly, whilst paper reports were scanned using character recognition software. When first produced items were placed in a clearly identifiable new section. When a new set of items was produced (roughly every three months), the old items were transferred to groups (classified as above), containing project details, abstract, contacts, progress reports and final reports. Over 80 percent of the items were derived from the ECLAIR, AIR, FAIR, JOULE and THERMIE projects as managed by DG XII, DG VI and DG XVII. In addition, at the request of the Commission, the results of an evaluation of the ECLAIR programme ( FAIR-4822), was also added. In total 600 items were produced. Other information included in the database related to organisation profiles and contact details, as well as a specific section (added in year 3), covering the Fifth Framework Programme.
The network also developed a service in the third year, available either by post or through the internet, whereby individuals could lodge requests for samples of research materials, seeds or specific information or indicate their research interests and seek partners for future research projects. A particular effort was made to complete items covering the final reports from the renewable bioproducts activities supported under the AIR programme. These were brought together in the form of a printed book of around 300 pages ( EUR 19307).
Conclusions
By the end of the project the NF-2000 website had become established as a major resource, on a global basis, for those seeking information relating to non-food use of crops.
One of the key objectives was to evaluate the relative merit of the alternative dissemination routes: postal, fax, e-mail, on-line (web site) and CD-ROM. The overwhelming conclusion was that the use of the internet (email and website) enabled rapid, global dissemination of information at a fraction of the cost of postal systems. As the capabilities of the internet increased and facilities became more common and less costly (including the growth of free services) requests for postal information dwindled to almost zero, while electronic use rose to over 100,000 items downloaded per month with (in addition) the co-ordinator receiving ten or more emails requesting registration or more specific information each day.
A final questionnaire has been distributed concerning possible methods for future funding of the website. However, results were not available at the time the report was written.
Contacts
EC Scientific Officer
NF-2000 Coordinator
NF-2000 Nat Rep
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