What makes ACTS unique amongst the EU's research programmes is that individual project results are brought together, and synergies are built up through an in-built concertation mechanism. This ensures that projects are made aware of each others results, and that co-operative initiatives develop naturally to address Programme objectives, and to produce coherent results supported by a broad base of expertise and participating organisations. It is the Programme results of ACTS that will make a substantial contribution to relevant standardisation, and help build guidelines for the development of longer-term policy goals covering the European communications sector. The EU actively seeks international co-operation in a number of economic sectors, amongst which communications and related Information Society issues are prominent. In the communications business, the commercial interests of equipment manufacturers, network operators and major corporate users all have an international focus.
Communications is in itself, a truly international business.
Many major obstacles of a technical, economic and political nature, have still to be overcome, before a global information society can become reality. In this context international initiatives like the G7 Pilot Projects are considered to have a very important, and catalytic role to play in developing the infrastructure necessary for an information society. In 1994, ACTS became the first EU research programme to be open to world-wide participation. In all this represents around 1,000 different organisations having a strong interest in advanced communications. International participation in ACTS has now become an active element in the relationship the Community has established with its major trading partners both bilaterally and at regional level.