Workshop Offers U.S. Industry Access to International R&D Collaborations

Companies interested in participating in international advanced manufacturing research and development can learn about new collaboration opportunities offered by the Intelligent Manufacturing Systems (IMS) program at a special workshop hosted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) on Feb. 26 in Gaithersburg, Md.

The IMS, an industry-led international research and development program, includes more than 300 companies and 200 research institutions from the European Union, Japan, Korea, Switzerland and the United States. The goal of IMS R&D efforts is to reduce participant research and development costs, to share risks, to create and expand international networks and markets, and to discover global solutions to manufacturing challenges.

The United States IMS region, hosted by NIST, is especially interested in increasing American participation in programs relevant to lifecycle sustainability, energy efficiency to reduce manufacturing cost and global warming impact, open manufacturing standards that enhance global innovation, key next-generation manufacturing technologies such as model-based enterprises, nanotechnology and smart materials, as well as education programs designed for information-based knowledge workers,.

Representatives of the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Commerce, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the European and Swiss IMS delegations, as well as Fortune 100 companies and major consortia are expected to participate in the meeting.

Due to space limitations, participation is limited. Prospective workshop attendees should contact Clarence Johnson at (301) 975-3562 or ceejay [at] nist.gov (ceejay[at]nist[dot]gov). For more information on the workshop see [link removed]. Information on the Intelligent Manufacturing Systems initiative can be found at www.ims.org.