The core objective of the 3DLife project is to create sufficient momentum by helping an existing large number of researchers and resources to integrate realistic, efficient and, to some extent, autonomic media communication and interaction over the Internet, and thus influence the long-term European research agenda in several important aspects of Media Internet.

The project's Work Programme is structured into four Joint Programmes (JPs) each of which consists of one or more Work Packages (WPs):

1. JP on Management and Auditing (JMA). An envelope activity, dedicated to management and quality assurance.
2. JP on Integration and Sustainability (JIS). Entails activities that draw on long-term integration of people and research.
3. JP on Cooperative Research (JCR). Addresses the central research directions to be integrated towards Media Internet technology.
4. JP on Spreading Excellence (JSE). Dissemination activities.

The project's management structure consists of three interconnected entities: the Management Centre that coordinates and administers, the Network Steering Board (NSB) that consists of seven senior NoE members - one for each core partner - and is chaired by the project coordinator, and the VCE Task Force that consists of the WP leaders and is intended to be the first Executive Committee of the VCE.

In addition, three external boards provide advice and ensure that high quality standards are achieved: the Pan-European Advisory Board, the Industrial Advisory Board, and the Board of Scientific Advisors.

It is widely argued that the next generation of Media Internet services will become the cornerstone of Information Society in our century. Its impact on the entertainment industry is already clear. However its impact is expected to be much broader changing the way society delivers key services such as health care, learning and commerce. Since the 3DLife project comprehensively addresses several challenges of Media Internet, its impact is expected to be vast in several aspects of modern life including, industrial, academic and societal.

Key factors making the 3DLife consortium capable of executing the planned tasks and reaching the posed objectives are reflected in the scientific quality of the partners and the diverse yet complementary research background they bring to the project. Those factors are:

1. Technical excellence.
2. Complementarity and synergetic expertise of research groups.
3. Critical mass of equipment and research facilities.