What is IMS

How to Launch an
IMS Project

Project Formulation (pdf)

Community of common Interest (CCIs)

IMS Organization (pdf)

What is IMS?

Benefits for Industry

IMS is an industry-led, international research and development (R&D) program established to develop the next generation of manufacturing and processing technologies.

Companies and research institutions from Australia, Canada, the European Union and Norway, Japan, Korea, Switzerland, and the United States of America participate in this program. Other regions are encouraged to join.

The next generation of advanced manufacturing and processing technologies will be expensive to produce, and no one entity has all the expertise needed. Cooperative R&D to share costs, risks, and expertise is the order of the day.

Properly managed international cooperation in advanced manufacturing R&D, through IMS, can help improve manufacturing operations, enhance international competitiveness, and lead to technology breakthroughs via market-driven R&D.

IMS provides a support structure for conducting R&D projects within specific arrangements for the protection of intellectual property rights. Results of IMS projects are shared through a process of controlled information diffusion that protects and equitably allocates any intellectual property, both background and foreground.

With nearly 300 companies and 200 research institutions currently active in IMS research consortia, IMS is a proven program.

Let IMS work for you!

How to get involved

There are two basic ways to participate in IMS - either join an existing or developing project consortium or initiate your own project. Your IMS Regional Secretariat is ready, willing, and able to assist you with either of these options. Contact details for your Regional Secretariat are at the end of this guide.

For a comprehensive listing of endorsed IMS projects, abstracts and outlines, please refer to project section of this IMS Web site.

The IMS Web site contains the Terms of Reference for the IMS Program, the Technical Themes for IMS, and the latest news about the program. The site will also refer you to Regional Secretariat Web sites for further information on IMS in your region. To disseminate knowledge related to manufacturing science and technology and to publicize initiatives adopted within the framework of the IMS Program a web-based virtual community known as the IMS Mallhas been created, The eMall can be accessed at www.ims-emall.com

Please refer to the IMS Web site and your Regional Secretariat for more details about elements in this guide.

Why Should I Join IMS?

Benefits for Industry

IMS facilitates international partnerships and provides a platform to combine complementary skills. IMS provides access to technology that might not be available within a region and offers the possibility to address leading-edge production challenges.

Through cooperation in IMS, costs, burdens and risks related to R&D can be reduced and shared. By combining end-users of manufacturing technologies with advanced technology producers and research institutions, IMS research is industry-driven and focused on real-world issues ensuring the market relevance of technology improvements.

IMS offers technology trials on a large-scale basis, involving a global user community and ensuring general applicability of the technology developed. Inter-regional cooperation in IMS can contribute to global diffusion of manufacturing technologies, including the development of new international manufacturing standards.

For smaller businesses, IMS offers the opportunity to "go global" safely and effectively. The IMS intellectual property rights (IPR) provisions enable small businesses to cooperate effectively and on an equal footing with large firms. New market opportunities will arise through improved market intelligence. International cooperation also provides better visibility, and contacts that can lead to new opportunities for further collaboration and other, indirect benefits.

Benefits for Research Institutions and Academia

IMS offers research institutions and academia the opportunity to work alongside the world's best researchers from industry to develop jointly the next generation of technology.

The market-driven character of IMS R&D means that academics and researchers are part of an effort to transfer valuable technologies through education and training, to future generations. Participation in IMS also ensures that state-of-the-art information is broadly available for curriculum development.

Benefits for Governments

IMS can facilitate a better return of publicly funded R&D.

IMS can be an excellent vehicle for solving problems common to manufacturing industries in all Regions including environment, sustainable development, safety and quality of industrial life.

IMS contributes to the improvement of social welfare and to the healthy growth of the economies of participants through the improvement and diffusion of manufacturing technology throughout the region

IMS objectives

1. to enable greater sophistication in manufacturing operations;
2. to improve the global environment;
3. to improve the efficiency with which renewable and non-renewable resources are used;
4. to create new products and conditions which significantly improve the quality of life for users;
5. to improve the quality of the manufacturing environment;
6. to develop a recognized and respected discipline of manufacturing which will encourage the transfer of knowledge to future generations;
7. to respond effectively to the globalization of manufacturing;
8. to enlarge and open markets around the world; and,
9. the advancement of manufacturing professionalism worldwide by providing global recognition and establishing an educational discipline for manufacturing.

Guiding Philosophies

Within the context of the overall IMS Objectives listed above, the IMS Program has identified four guiding philosophies to focus IMS efforts in the next few years. These guiding philosophies are fully in accord with IMS Program objectives and technical themes. They will be reviewed periodically by the ISC as appropriate. The four IMS guiding philosophies are:

• Enable industry to contribute to global wealth creation by addressing the value of information and knowledge and by exploiting emerging and converging technologies.
• Address synchronicity between technology and human needs taking into account, the changing nature of the workforce and workplace, and contributing to the development and certification of skills.
• Be agents for global equity and raised living standards worldwide through appropriate sharing of knowledge and diffusion of manufacturing knowledge.
• Enhance sustainability and resource efficiency in worldwide delivery of products and associates through process improvements, adding greater intangible value, logistical efficiency/business re- organization.

IMS Technical Themes

The IMS technical themes are the broad framework within which IMS projects operate. All IMS projects must address one or more of the following five technical themes:

1. Total Product Life Cycle

Ten IMS Priority R&D Areas

Within the context of the IMS technical themes, several areas for special emphasis have been identified as priority areas within the IMS Program. These priorities, which cut across the IMS technical themes listed above, are:

1. Sustainable Design, Products and Manufacturing Processes
2. Sustainable Workplace
3. Knowledge-Based Value Creation In e-Manufacturing
4. The Smart Organization
5. Dynamic Collaborative Value-Creating Networks
6. Extended Enterprise, Supply Chain Management
7. Mobile and Ubiquitous e-Business and e-Work
8. Modeling And Simulation, Virtual Engineering, Digital Factories
9. Manufacturing On Demand (e-Manufacturing)
10. Development and Industrial Applications of Nano-Technologies and Bio- technologies

Principles of IMS

Industry-Led and Market-Driven Research and Development

IMS project participants choose freely the subject of their cooperation within the five areas above and choose the partners with whom to cooperate. This bottom-up principle ensures that IMS projects are industrially relevant, timely and motivated by sound business interests. Prospective IMS partners are encouraged to join project consortia for approved on-going projects, to join those developing new IMS projects, and/or to propose the formation of a new IMS project team in a new subject area.

International Cooperation and Effort

Each IMS project must include R&D elements being performed by project partners in at least three of the regions participating in the IMS Program.

Equitable and Balanced Benefits to All Participants

The guiding principle is that benefits from and contributions to the cooperation in IMS must be equitable and balanced, both among the participating regions and within each IMS project.

Added Value

IMS projects must add economic and socio-economic value improving quality of life.

Organization of IMS

The International IMS Steering Committee (ISC)

The IMS initiative is overseen by an industry-led steering committee. Its members are drawn from eminent representatives from both industry and academia in each region. Government observers and the knowledgeable personalities in manufacturing, also participate.

The main responsibility of the ISC is to provide overall guidance, to set strategic priorities for the IMS Program and to oversee program implementation.

The Inter-Regional Secretariat (IRS)

The Inter-Regional Secretariat (IRS) has the responsibility to support the ISC in the day-to-day operations of the IMS Program. The IRS provides administrative support for IMS.

The IRS is responsible for coordinating proposal review, liaising with endorsed projects and disseminating project information. The IRS is also responsible for international marketing.

The IRS facilitates cooperation among Regional Secretariats, maintains the IMS Web page, IMS e-Mall and acts as a repository of information on IMS. It has a special role in interfacing with prospective new participants.

Regional Secretariats

For the implementation of IMS at the regional level, all participants have set up Regional Secretariats. Their responsibility is the day-to-day operations of IMS in the regions, including regional marketing and promotion of IMS, prospective partner searches in the regions, and logistics support for the development of IMS projects.

Regional Secretariats are typically the point of entry for entities interested in participating in the IMS Program. Interested entities are encouraged to contact their Regional Secretariat early on in the process of deciding whether to participate in any IMS project.

Regional Secretariats provide various support services to industry and research partners in IMS projects at all stages including; partner searches in the development phase, reviews and approvals of abstracts, proposals, and consortium agreements, and information on government funding support in the region for IMS R&D expenditures.

Highlights of the IMS Endorsement Process

General

An IMS project addresses joint R&D work by large and small companies, universities and research organizations.

The subject of the research must comply with the IMS technical themes and must have industrial relevance as well as scientific and technical merit. The IMS project should add economic and socio-economic value and contribute to the quality of life.

Contributions to and benefits from the project should be equitable and balanced.

IMS Project Structure

Partners of a project must sign a consortium cooperation agreement (CCA) that complies with the intellectual property rights (IPR) provisions of IMS.

Each IMS project must include partners from at least three IMS regions. Regions currently participating in IMS are Australia, Canada, the European Union and Norway, Japan, Korea, Switzerland, and the United States of America.

Each consortium must appoint an international coordinating partner (ICP). The ICP must be an industrial company with the necessary resources to lead the project to its completion. The ICP must also demonstrate the capacity to manage the inter-regional IMS project.

1. The Outline Proposal (Optional)

The outline proposal is a 2-3 page technical description of a possible IMS project. There is no fixed format requirement, nor is there a formal review process for outlines. Outline proposals can be submitted through Regional Secretariats at any time.

Upon receipt of an outline proposal, the Regional Secretariat will discuss the proposed project with the proponent. The outline proposal can then be sent forward to the Inter-Regional Secretariat for circulation to the other Regional Secretariats for their information, comments, and for their assistance in the facilitation of consortia formation as appropriate.

Outlines can be effective to search for interested partners in other regions and to float project ideas as they are being refined

2. The Abstract Proposal

Abstract proposals must be written in a standardized format and may be submitted at any time to the Regional Secretariat of the international coordinating partner. An abstract is about two pages long and contains information on the objectives and industrial relevance. It also gives an overview of the planned work including cost estimates, duration. It identifies the participating partners and the ICP. Finally, a brief explanation is given as to why inter-regional cooperation is required to achieve the objectives of the project.

As part of the endorsement process, technical evaluation committees in each IMS region may review abstracts before submission.

For detailed descriptions of abstract format, please contact your Regional Secretariat.

3. The Full Proposal

Full proposals must be written in a standardized format explaining all technical aspects of the proposed R&D and outlining the management structure for the project. A full proposal is 20 pages in length, not including the consortium cooperation agreement (CCA). A feasibility phase may be incorporated should proponents so wish (see "How to Launch" guide for details).

Each full proposal must include a signed CCA or signed letters of intent to the effect that all the partners will sign the CCA upon endorsement of the proposal. All abstracts and proposals are reviewed by all the participants, for general compliance with IMS guidelines.

Abstracts and/or full proposals are checked for eligibility and assessed by each region according to the IMS criteria for endorsement. Such criteria include

• Equitable and balanced contributions and benefits for all project partners,
• Clear and realistic objectives and relevance for industry,
• Value at the inter-regional level and
• Compliance with the IMS intellectual property provisions.

Full proposals are considered for endorsement as they are received.

The IMS project endorsement decision can be expected within 7-8 weeks from receipt of the full proposal by the IRS.

For detailed descriptions of Project proposal format, scheduling, endorsement criteria, please refer to the How to Launch guide and/or contact your Regional Secretariat.

Undertaking the Joint Research and Development Project

After endorsement, the consortium will finalize its work-program and then begin the research. The duration of an IMS project varies, typically, from two to four years.

Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)

The intellectual property rights, including patents and other rights, of participants in IMS projects are subject to the following provisions.

Ownership:

Access to prior, existing IPRs must be cleared through negotiations with the existing owners, whether such owners are participating in a research project or are third parties (background technology).

Newly created IPRs arising from IMS research are to be shared freely among the research partners (foreground technology), no matter which partner generates such rights.

Research partners may freely disclose the foreground rights they generate themselves, individually or jointly, to others.

Participants may disclose or transfer access to another party's foreground technology, generated separately by other partners in a project only with the permission of such other party or partners, or as part of necessary confidential production arrangements.

In all cases, access to background technology must be cleared by negotiations with the participant/party owning such rights.

Research partners may transfer the privilege of using the foreground rights they generate to assignees who assume their obligations under the research agreement.

Owners of background technology are expected to grant licenses on reasonable terms allowing access to such technology to permit commercial exploitation by the partners of the results of joint research.

Any participant generating IPRs as part of a research project must notify the other participants of the details of such rights.

Publication:

Non-confidential information arising from research projects is to be made available to all participants in a research consortium during the research period, and to the public at the conclusion of the project.

Proposed publications involving confidential information owned by other participants are to be discussed and negotiated between the parties before being released to the public.

Licenses:

While all participants (and their affiliates) may normally use without charge the foreground rights arising from a research project, in certain cases royalty arrangements may be negotiated to remunerate non-profit participants in projects (e.g. universities) who have helped generate or provide specific foreground technology.

Exact Obligations:

The precise terms of arrangements to be accepted by participants in IMS projects are defined in the Appendix III.2 to the IMS Terms of Reference. All participants will be expected to obtain legal advice in order to ensure that the benefits and obligations they are assuming are fully understood.

Clarence Johnson
NIST
100 Bureau Drive, Stop 8260
Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899-8260
USA
Telephone: +1-301-975-3562
E-mail: ceejay@nist.gov

Date created: August 2, 2005
Last updated: Sep. 02, 2005