During the feasibility study, the ISC deliberated on the added value of the IMS
framework both within the context of the feasibility study and in the context
of a full scale program.
The IMS framework established during the feasibility study consisted of a
number of elements, aimed at facilitating international collaboration in the
domain of advanced manufacturing. These elements included:
- (i) Modalities, which contained guidelines for participation in IMS,
sharing of contributions and benefits, funding, scope of technical themes and
guidelines for Intellectual Property Rights.
- (ii) An IMS feasibility study infrastructure, which has enabled contact
making. An essential role was played by the regional secretariats in
establishing test case consortia by first collecting the expressions of
interest and second exchanging these expressions of interests amongst the
regions. Throughout the consortium and proposal making process the secretariats
provided advice to regional partners.
- (iii) Monitoring and guidance of test cases, which on the one hand
provided an international assessment process and a platform for the test case
consortia to exchange experiences and, on the other hand, a regional evaluation.
- (iv) Information dissemination activities, which offered an opportunity
for Participants and for the test case partners to present to an audience their
views on collaboration.
The added value of this framework was agreed by all
Participants in the feasibility study to be the following:
- (i) Catalytic facilitator for global manufacturing co-operation.
- (ii) Facilitator to involve large companies, small companies, academia,
public authorities and consortia with workable interrelationships.
- (iii) Facilitator to provide a framework for international intellectual
property rights.
- (iv) Facilitator to assess/select manufacturing process development
"priorities" for global co-operation, for example, clean manufacturing and
computer integrated manufacturing architecture.
- (v) Facilitator to communicate and disseminate results of significant
worldwide manufacturing process developments and improvements.
- (vi) Facilitator for global manufacturing standards.
- (vii) Facilitator to raise the professional level of manufacturing
worldwide including global political and social recognition, and improved
manufacturing process education.
- (viii) Facilitator for regional trade enhancement in the global
environment, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Some of the
added value pointed out above was fully demonstrated during the feasibility
study whilst other aspects should emerge more clearly in a full-scale program,
although they can be extrapolated from the experiences gained in the
feasibility study.
During the feasibility study, it was clearly demonstrated that the IMS
framework acted as a catalyst for global manufacturing co-operation,
facilitated the establishment of relationships amongst large companies, small
companies, academic and research institutions as well as public authorities on
a worldwide scale, provided a structure for the sharing of intellectual
property in international consortia and allowed this structure to be thoroughly
tested, and has facilitated international discussions and assessment of what
should be the priorities for global co-operation in advanced manufacturing.
Finally, during the feasibility study, the IMS framework proved its value as a
facilitator to communicate and disseminate results of significant manufacturing
process developments and improvements worldwide. Examples of this added value
are contained in the previous chapters which describe in detail the activities
of the feasibility study. It is believed that this added value would continue
to be gained in a full-scale program and that in addition, value added
concerning global standards, the professional level of manufacturing and trade
enhancement would manifest itself during the life of a full-scale program.
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gaines@cpsc.ucalgary.ca 28-Aug-94