Each electronic catalogue will contain all the items needed for the selection of a given product in a given resource centre. Links will also be made to other scientific databases. Ultimately the project will succeed when it has a user community consistently satisfied with the results of their searching strategies and the delivered products. The biotechnology world needs to be able to purchase reliable biologicals. Previous experience indicates that at least part of the costs of linking and disseminating catalogue databases can be recovered from the sale of the products they cover.
Biotechnology is one of the key, expanding, high-tech areas of important economical impact.
Biotechnology has an increasing social and ethical impact on our lives. Biotechnology relies upon using safe, reliable, cultures and related resources. The economic impacts will be positive as they will keep expenditures for resources inside Europe, and thus support the national services already in place. The project will widen the market for resources by advertising the availability of resources to new markets and advertise local services to scientists who will not only, hopefully, purchase cultures form the centre but also then deposit their cultures and other materials.