FLARENET

Type of project: European  |  Start date: 01/09/2008  |  End date: 31/08/2011

International cooperation and re-creation of a community are the most important drivers for a coherent evolution of the Language Resources area in the next years.

FLaReNet is a European forum to facilitate interaction among Language Resources stakeholders.

The FLaReNet structure considers that Language Resources present various dimensions and must be approached from many perspectives: technical, but also organizational, economic, legal, political.

The FLaReNet Network also addresses multicultural and multilingual aspects, essential when facing access and use of digital content in today’s Europe.

The FLaReNet project followed the eContentPlus Programme Call objectives both through the organization of its work plan into thematic Working Groups, each of which focusing on specific objectives, and by bringing together, in a layered structure, leading experts and groups (national and European institutions, SMEs, large companies) for all relevant areas.

A close collaboration with the CLARIN Research Infrastructure ensured coherence of efforts related to Language Resources in Europe.

FLaReNet consolidated existing knowledge, presenting it analytically and visibly, and contributed to structuring the area of Language Resources of the future by discussing new strategies to:

• convert existing and experimental technologies related to Language Resources into useful economic and societal benefits;
• integrate so far partial solutions into broader infrastructures;
• consolidate areas mature enough for recommendation of best practices;
• anticipate the needs of new types of Language Resources.

The FLaReNet outcomes are of a directive nature, to help identifying the priority areas of Language Resources of major interest for the public that need public funding to develop or improve.

The blueprint of actions drawn up at the end of the project constituted input to policy development, both at EU and national level, for identifying new language policies that support linguistic diversity in Europe as well as strengthening the language product market, such as new products and innovative services, especially for less technologically advanced languages.