Generally, collaboration between projects needs to be initiated from the bottom up rather than imposed top down and should avoid taking little more than a superficial approach. However, there is scope for definition of a top-down vision and framework with appropriate operational guidelines. Not least, resources need to be made available for such activities, both within the projects and at the programme management level. While initiatives can generally be considered to be the responsibility of project participants, there is a role for project officers, and perhaps for coordinators acting on their behalf, to encourage the setting up of clusters of projects with suitable common applications, technologies or common cross-programme themes. These clusters will provide environments for information exchange which are more effective than concertation meetings alone, although these will generally provide the initial opportunities for seeking the wider benefits.
Clusters also provide better mechanisms for wider dissemination of programme results.
Finally, clusters should be considered to be living organisms which projects can join and leave at the appropriate time. Return to contents list 4. The IST programme includes provision for a number of types of support measures. The dissemination and awareness actions will enhance awareness of RTD activities and enhance the exploitation of their results, with the provision of wider access to existing trials and demonstrations. The project clusters seek to ensure a close co-ordination and complementarity of work performed in the different projects in order to maximise their joint impact, especially concerning standardisation, best practice and the exploitation of results.