"The KNOWNET project examines the potential of current social networking technology via an immersive 3D medium, to support sustained knowledge sharing and generation across a multi-level supply chain in the insurance market. The concept of collaborative networking is particularly timely in an industry that seeks to strengthen the inter-organizational ties between insurers, suppliers and external agencies, for improving processes, accelerating innovation, fostering creativity, sharing experiences, and generating ideas amongst the supplier network.The aims and objectives of KNOWNET therefore are to develop, build and test an interactive Supplier social network framework (SSN), designed to support innovation and leaning where both explicit and tacit knowledge and experience of suppliers and their employees can be shared. The SSN will consist of a set of web based tools, applications and exercises supporting the formation of communities of inquiry and promoting learning through social interaction. Given that the idea of interactive SSN’s is relatively novel and a comparatively unexplored area in the field of SCM, the project seeks to measure participants attitudes and behaviours surrounding the concept of virtual supplier communities, the creating and sustaining of personal relationships, commitment and trust between parties for the exchange of knowledge. The SSN will be trialled across two European countries’ domestic supply chains in the insurance sector.An academic industry collaboration would provide the type of expertise in learning via ‘social networks currently not available within the Insurance sector. The emphasis of KNOWNET will therefore be on stimulating inter-sectoral mobility and increasing knowledge sharing through joint research partnerships in long term co-operative programmes between insurance supply chain organizations and academia across the EU."