gms | German Medical Science

The European Vision Institute EEIG (‘EVI’; http://www.europeanvisioninstitute.org) creates a new legal entity based on Community law to facilitate and encourage cross-border co-operation in Vision Research. Its major objectives are to conduct and support research, training, health information dissemination and other programs with respect to blinding eye diseases, visual disorders, mechanisms of visual function, preservation of sight and the special health problems and requirements of the blind and visually disabled. ‘EVI’ aims to foster centres in the EU in capacity building for innovative projects, to increase the flexibility, attractiveness and competitiveness of research careers, especially of young researchers. In a big step toward fulfilling this goal, ‘EVI’ successfully applied for an EU Integrated Project on retinal degeneration: ‘EVI-GENORET’, comprising 24 groups in 12 countries http://www.evi-genoret.org/. In addition, ‘EVI’ will improve and coordinate activities with patient organisations and build a pan-European platform for clinical trials. This platform has already been realized in the creation of EVI.CT.SE, a group of certified clinical trial sites across Europe http://europeanvisioninstitute.org/CT_SE/.