Executive Summary

This report covers the background and objectives of the program, summarizes the results achieved during the IMS Feasibility Study, and makes recommendations for a full- scale, 10- year IMS program with the possibility of extending the life of the program after appropriate review.

The IMS program is in response to common problems in the manufacturing sector of industrialized nations. It addresses such challenges as: greater sophistication in manufacturing operations; improved global environment; enhancement of the discipline of manufacturing; and provision of an opportunity for organisations of all sizes to respond to the globalisation of manufacturing, facilitating the process of standardisation.

1 Background

The Feasibility Study began in 1992. It operated under Terms of Reference which emphasised that all contributions to, and benefits from, cooperation would be equitable and balanced. The study consisted of two distinct parts, first the development and evaluation of a framework and modalities for international cooperation, and second the execution of five test case projects and one study project aimed at gaining practical experience of collaboration. All projects which served as test cases had at least three Participant regions represented, and all projects were industry- led with guidelines for proper intellectual property rights protection.

2 Feasibility study

The test cases were industrially relevant and attracted world- class companies, small and medium sized enterprises, laboratories, and universities. The IMS Feasibility Study was a catalyst to the forming of effective business- university networks.

3 Results

The experience gained by the 140 partners involve din the test case projects was invaluable. Cultural, language and technical barriers were rapidly overcome. International collaboration provided added value which outweighed additional overheads incurred through collaboration on this scale. The high overheads should be seen in the context of a start-up exercise and could be reduced in a steady-state, particularly through the use of electronic communications.

Important products of the feasibility study were sound recommendations for the subsequent full- scale IMS program, particularly recommendations for Terms of Reference for a full-scale program and landmark intellectual property rights provisions.

4 Recommendations

• i. The ISC recommends the launch of a 10-year full-scale program in international collaboration in advanced manufacturing, with a review in the seventh year for a possible renewal. The objectives of the program would be:
  • A. to enable greater sophistication in manufacturing operations;
  • B. to improve the global environment;
  • C. to improve the efficiency with which renewable and non-renewable resources are used;
  • D. to create new products and conditions which significantly improve the quality of life for users;
  • E. to improve the quality of the manufacturing environment;
  • F. to develop a recognized and respected discipline of manufacturing which will encourage the transfer of knowledge to future generations;
  • G. to respond effectively to the globalization of manufacturing;
  • H. to enlarge and open markets around the world; and
  • I. the advancement of manufacturing professionalism worldwide by providing global recognition and establishing an educational discipline for manufacturing.
• ii. A full-scale IMS program should therefore be a catalytic agent for global cooperation in manufacturing, addressing not only the advancement of the state of the art in manufacturing but also the raising of existing levels of technology in many companies, including small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
• iii. Terms of Reference and a framework in which to conduct the full-scale program need to be agreed upon between regions. The ISC recommends that the guiding principles embodied in the Terms of Reference for the feasibility study should be retained. These are:
  • A. contributions to, and benefits from, such cooperation are equitable and balanced;
  • B. collaborative projects must have industrial relevance;
  • C. collaborative projects are carried out by inter-regional, geographically distributed consortia;
  • D. collaborative projects can occur throughout the full innovation cycle;
  • E. results of collaborative projects are shared through a process of controlled information diffusion that protects and equitably allocates any intellectual property rights created or furnished during cooperation; and
  • F. IMS project activities under government sponsorship or utilizing government resources should not involve competitive research and development.
• iv. The ISC recommends that the initial Participants in a full-scale IMS program would be the Participants who were involved in the IMS feasibility study. Additional Participants could be considered on a case-by-case basis. It should be ensured that any eligible party (industry, academia or research center) which is interested in participating and has the resources to do so can take part in the full-scale IMS program.
• v. The ISC recommends that a management structure consisting of a single international management committee, regional secretariats and a small interregional secretariat should be established. The infrastructure in each region to facilitate international collaboration should be strengthened. Each region will be responsible for supporting the costs of its own participation.
• vi. The ISC supports the approach of defining broad themes for collaboration, but within these themes to select sharply-focused industry-led projects. The ISC recommends that a full-scale IMS program should cover the full innovation cycle, and allow for projects in manufacturing which fall within any phase of the product life cycle.
• vii. The ISC recommends the IPR provision, given in Appendix of Part III, as a minimal set of rules to which consortia should adhere. The ISC acknowledges the importance of IPR issues and confirms that only projects conforming with the IPR provisions should be supported. Explanatory notes of IPR provisions should be provided to potential bidders.