1st European MBES Forum

Role of MBES in Europe

December 5th, 2002
In conjunction with the 2nd EMBEC, Vienna, Austria
www.embec.org


Forum background & objectives

Prof. Niilo Saranummi is currently chairing a working group that the European biomedical engineering societies (30+) have assigned to build a European Alliance in Medical and Biological Engineering and Science, EAMBES. A web site for it was launched in the early summer (www.eambes.org). The main objective of the group in creating this new alliance, is to bring the community (societies, industry and academic programs) together as a united single entity, capable of representing the biomedical engineering interests towards the EU Parliament and Commission e.g. in the process leading to the definition of the 7th FP. For the 6th we were too late and our interests are now "all over" the 6th FP. The group received a small project grant from the Commission to do a survey of biomedical engineering related resources in Europe. That project starts in November. Our definition of "Medical and Biological Engineering and Science" is the widest possible.

In the 2nd European Medical and Biological Engineering Conference, Vienna, December 4-8, 2002 (www.embec.org) we will organise the 1st European Medical and Biological Engineering and Science Forum. This takes place on Thursday, December 5th, 2002. The objective of the forum is to present and discuss the current European wide initiatives, namely the creation of the European Research Area, the 6th Framework Program and its new instruments, especially Networks of Excellence, and the creation of the European Higher Education Area in relation to the field represented by EAMBES.

Niilo Saranummi