Publications of the Academy of Finland 2/02

National Programme for Materials and Structure Research 1994-2000.
EVALUATION REPORT

The National Programme for Materials and Structure Research has been evaluated. The programme was pioneering cooperation between the Academy of Finland and the National Technology Agency, Tekes. A total of 48 projects were funded by FIM 184 million (EUR 31.0 million) during 1994-2000. The programme was profiled towards diverse fields such as communication, energy, human health and diseases, flotation of industrial minerals and targeted wood protection. The evaluation showed that the programme has increased the fundamental knowledge in areas of great importance to society and produced new innovations as well. The evaluation panel recommends continuation of supporting interdisciplinary projects focused on selected aspects of materials science, including basic research and applied research. New developments in materials science are likely to emerge at the interface between established disciplines.