The EC-funded BIOINFOMED Study (EC-IST 2001-35024) has recently carried out a prospective analysis of the relationships and synergy between Bioinformatics (Bl) and Medical Informatics (Ml).There is a great potential for synergy between both disciplines with a view on continuity and individualisation of healthcare, so that the benefits of the human genome elucidation can reach the population, but that a collaborative effort between the two disciplines is needed to bridge the current gap between them. Biomedical Informatics (BMI) is the emerging discipline that aims to put these two worlds together so that the discovery and creation of novel diagnostic and therapeutic methods is fostered. The INFOBIOMED network aims to set a durable structure for the described collaborative approach at a European level, mobilising the critical mass of resources necessary for enabling the collaborative approach that supports the consolidation of BMI as a crucial scientific discipline for future healthcare. The specific objectives of INFOBIOMED are:

1. To enable systematic progress in clinical and genetic data interoperability and integration;
2. To advance the exchange and interfacing of methods, tools and technologies used in both Mland Bl;
3. To enable pilot applications in particular fields that demonstrate the benefits of a synergetic approach in BMI;
4. To create a European BMI community that extends beyond the proposed core network to serveas an open forum for dialogue between the actors involved;
5. To widely spread the knowledge acquired and developed in the framework of the network to the scientific community, healthcare professionals, citizens, industry, authorities and other stakeholders;
6. To enable a robust framework for education in BMI, as well as training and mobility of involved researchers that allows for the creation of a solid European BMI research capacity;
7. To create a long-lasting, self-sustainable structure in the European BMI field.