Digitization of Scientific and Cultural heritage of Federal Scientific Establishments

Overview
On 30 April 2004 the Belgian Council of Ministers approved the implementation of a medium-term digitization plan (10 years) of the scientific and cultural heritage of the Federal Scientific Establishments under the Ministry of Scientific Research and the Royal Belgian Film (Digitization of Scientific and Cultural heritage of Federal Scientific Establishments) (Digitalisation du patrimoine scientifique et culturel des établissements scientifiques fédéraux). This plan was based on the baseline scenario identified by the study of Bureau van Dijk and aimed to establish the basis for a coherent policy, taking into account from the outset a comprehensive and consolidated view of the needs and constraints of each institution.

The objective was to digitize all prioritized collections by institutions and an overall budget of about 150 million.

In November 2005, the Plan was initiated by financing the first phase (2005-2008) to carry out one-time nine priority projects among the 60 priority projects of the basic scenario of the study Bureau van Dijk.

Initially, this first phase was to be completed in late 2008 but due to delays in the progress of work, was extended until the end of 2009. To ensure the bridge with the second phase (PPP) it was subsequently extended until the end of 2010 and through 2011.