EUROVISIONNET · Visual Impairment and Degeneration: A Road-map for Vision Research within Europe

The coordination project EuroVisionNet aims to link the research activities and policies of the European vision research community and to overcome the national fragmentation, therewith intends to become an essential “instrument” for vision research in the 21st century. To reach this goal the following 4 objectives will be addressed: (1) scientific integration of European vision research; (2) collaboration between public and private sectors; (3) needs of the European vision community by means of policies and guidelines; (4) improve the communication between researchers, patients and general public.Linking the research activities in visual impairment and degeneration will be to bring together the major scientific actors in this research field from FP5 and FP6. EuroVisionNet will facilitate the exchange of information between participants coming from different disciplines and initiate a strategic discussion for future activities. Workshops on the ageing eye will be held, aiming to establish a global frame of interaction between stakeholders. Attention will be turned to the communication and collaboration between industry and vision research. To improve the contact, decision makers and R&D departments in the industry will be invited to a conference, supporting the dialogue about solutions to reduce isolation of academia from the private sector. Utilizing the leadership of Retina International, patient information will be collected, sorted, translated into national languages and published on a web-based portal. The development and establishment of this unique EuroVisionNet-portal will also be used to support the communication efforts and information exchange between clinicians, researchers involved with EuroVisionNet, industry and general public. The web-based portal will not only reflect the activities of the EuroVisonNet, but also of the whole Vision research community and will represent a crucial point of contact between science, industry and general public.