5th RTD Framework Programme

Trade barriers have largely been removed, not only in Europe but also world wide. Manufacturers are finding that their distinguishable markets are swiftly evolving into a single, global market place.

Companies no longer wish to cover all aspects of production; they increasingly focus on their core business, decentralising other tasks using business units, which operate more or less independently.

Production is increasingly organised in networks of suppliers, manufacturers and users, evolving towards service companies.

Extended/networked/virtual enterprises are becoming extremely important organisational concepts.

Objectives of the project:

• To create an European forum for the development, dissemination and exchange of scientific and technological knowlegde and ideas encompassing the major aspects involved in an extended enterprise,
• To increase synergy among national, EU, pan-European (HEUREKA etc.) projects,
• To provide inputs and recommendations to RTD programme partners on opportunities for improving synergy and co-ordination of funding activities, on strategic research needs (impact on FP6), as well as on medium/long term research issues ,
• To nurture new projects in this area, whose goals are coherent with an integrated view of he extended enterprise.

The network will act as a forum to support open discussion among technical experts from different but still related disciplines: product development process, manufacturing, logistics, knowledge management, optimisation, supply chain management, statistical analysis, design, consumer relationships, organisation etc.

The network will integrate:

• The experience gained inside each project participants
• The international expert knowledge and expertise
• The state of the art

into a "green book" which will be used as a support for new initiatives and a valuable additional input for policy making.