SUMMARY: Advances in information and communication technologies (ICT) should assist with the coordination of “virtual enterprises” – the type of arrangement often formed to execute large-scale engineering and construction projects. However, a range of legal issues is emerging which threaten to reduce the benefits available from such technologies, in particular, the lack of a solid contractual basis to govern the electronic exchange of information. This paper presents a view on these issues, including the application of ICTs to construction and typical contractual relationships within the industry, before introducing the eLEGAL project. eLEGAL (IST-199920570) is a European cooperative research and development project, which is focusing on legal conditions and contracts regarding the use of ICT in project business. It aims to define a framework for specifying legal conditions and contracts to enable a legally admissible use of ICT in project business, leading to more trust and hence, improved business relationships. The organisation of the project and the planned deliverables are described, followed by brief results from the project’s review of current contractual practices and legal frameworks and their relevance to ICTs.
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