WP-0: COORDINATE (Coordinating the consortium) This Workpackage forms the organizational basis for an appropriate, effective and efficient management of the project in terms of contractual, administrative and technical matters, as well as for a full interactive involvement of primarily the programme owners and programme managers. WP-I: SHARE = Sharing knowledge and experience. This Workpackage focuses on sharing knowledge and exchanging experiences between the Competence Research Centre Programmes regarding their characteristics as well as those of the funded Competence Research Centres, thereby creating an environment of mutual understanding and open communication. WP-II: PREPARE = Preparing strategic Issues related to the elaboration of selected joint transnational activities. This Workpackage will discuss, select and agree on a number of joint transnational activities to be designed and implemented in the further parts of the project. These pilot activities will be decided on after analysing a selection of technical topics around general issues of weaknesses, barriers and collaboration needs that will be presented in a strategy paper. Some additional products will also be produced containing common procedures to be applied in the pilot activities. WP-III: DESIGN = Detailed designing of the implementation of selected joint transnational activities. This Workpackage will further elaborate on the selected joint transnational activities of WP-II resulting in a full description of the work programmes for each pilot activity that will be implemented hereafter. WP-IV: TRY = Performing of joint transnational pilot activities. This Workpackage will test the implementation of the joint transnational pilot activities and demonstrate the synergistic effects of collaborating Competence Research Centre Programmes. A careful and systematic monitoring and analysing of progress of all actions will result in a full evaluation report that will be critically reviewed and discussed by the programme owners and programme managers. WP-V: GO = Elaborating of proposals for continued strategic co-operation. This Workpackage will develop detailed proposals with respect to structuring continued co-operation at both medium and long term. The respective action plan and institutional framework comprising programme owners and programme managers must pave the road for a sustainable co-operation.