Five Strategic Research Clusters (SRC) are considered, each managed by the corresponding Working Group (WG).

The COST Action will provide the essential networking activities to coordinate existing and future research in the five Strategic Research Clusters listed above. The Action will be flexible enough to accommodate newly emerging fields and if needed will create a new Strategic Research Cluster. The participating researchers will:

• Exchange research results within working groups by means of published state-of-the-art documents, research reports and seminars;
• Cooperate on common research objectives and further expand the cooperation,
• Ensure complementarities in the performed studies;
• Integrate the investigations, also from the industry partners, in a multi-disciplinary/multi-sector European context;
• Increase the frequency of research visits;
• Improve the research output and dissemination;
• Bring research results relevant for industry to market;
• Discuss and prepare future research plans and proposals (considering European and National funding).

Besides the ‘structuring’ of the content around agreed research sub-topics in each WG, the activities will be structured as well. The Milestones, as specified in part E.1, are linked to tasks and sub-tasks:

Task 1 RER: collate and Report on Existing Research:

1. the state-of-the-art will (for each SRC) summarise recently finalised research in Europe;
2. abstracts of these research projects will be added to the database of the website.

Task 2 RCRa, RCRb, RCRc: collate and Report on Current Research:

1. the state-of-the-art summarises current and new research in Europe after 1,5; 2,5 and 3,5 years. The reports will be reference documents for the Strategic Research Clusters as well as for the preparation of new research projects;
2. collaboration will be initiated between research teams on specific research sub-topics with an output of one joint scientific journal paper per SRC per year;
3. summary reports of round robin exercises: input for standardisation;
4. reports of case studies: input for the harmonisation of directives.

Task 3 CAW: launch of the COST Action Website with (public and password protected) sections for each WG:

1. each participant will have his/her profile specified on the website;
2. groups will be made to facilitate communication;
3. participants will upload reference documents, structured according to the Strategic Research Clusters: papers, test results, abstracts of research projects, reports etc.;
4. participants will maintain the agenda of events: two WGMs/year, seminars for collaboration, workshops and Short Term Scientific Missions to transfer knowledge etc.;
5. the Management Committee will announce and organise (registration etc.) the final Research Conference.

Task 4 GEP: completion of the state-of-the-art guidance/educational pack:

1. the modular (modules linked to the SRCs) guidance/educational pack will be ready for dissemination at the final Research Conference,
2. guidance/educational pack version available on the website.

Task 5 FNRa, FNRb: review of possible Funding/deadlines for New Research:

1. the report about Funding and deadlines for New Research will be presented to the Management Committee after the second and the third year;
2. 2. new collaborative research projects ideas: at least one new proposal per SRC will be submitted.