The current technological level of the European jewellery industry is considered to be relatively low: there is a serious lack of specific skills on materials, scarce emphasis on the quality concept in technical processes and, above all, in certain countries, training is unsatisfactory.

Only large industrial enterprises have developed internal research and training programmes.

The European Jewellery Technology Network was incorporated in 1998 to satisfy the requirements of European Jewellery SMEs (Small and Mediumsized Enterprises) which need:

• to be updated on research results
• to attain, in the short term, improved technological development
  and also need to transfer skills from other industrial sectors.

Main objectives:

• to develop synergies among industries, SMEs,
  research centres and academic organisations.
  
  
• to facilitate the exchange of information and
  expertise among the various participants.
  
  
• to simplify the processes of transferring technologies
  towards end-users and speed up their dissemination.
  
  
• to capitalise on the research results through a strongly co-ordinated action.

The first project approved and financed by the EC is the

European Jewellery Technology Network - Thematic Network - project N° BET2-0667 EJTN-TNW - 1998-2000.

The project partners incorporated into a

European Group of Economic Interest = EEIG
(French: Groupement Européen d'Intérêt Economique = GEIE)

Projects co-ordinated by EJTN-GEIE:

JEWELMED
PROMOMED
UNDP-EJTN Business Support Project
VI-JET
SHADUF