In its quest to improve well-being and safety in buildings, CSTB plies four complementary trades: research, advanced engineering, quality assessment and the dissemination of knowledge. In combination with its fields of expertise, they allow CSTB to adopt a global approach to buildings which includes their urban environment, services and the new information and communication technologies. CSTB collaborates with contracting authorities, architects, research offices, manufacturers and entrepreneurs, and helps the French public authorities to define technical regulations and ensure the quality of buildings. CSTB is a State-owned industrial and commercial corporative, placed under the administrative supervision of the French Ministry of Housing. It is one of Europe's leading research and evaluation centres. Its experts include specialists in construction materials and techniques, facilities, safety, thermal engineering, acoustics, aerodynamics, lighting, the environment, health, new information and communication technologies, not to mention economics and sociology. These complementary skills allow it to deal with the most complex construction problems from a multidisciplinary standpoint.