The Fraunhofer-Institute for Production Systems and Design Technology (Fraunhofer-IPK), Berlin, Germany, is a research institute and is a part of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft (FhG) for the promotion of applied research. The FhG presently consists of about 50 institutes throughout Germany and is a non-profit organisation. The Fraunhofer IPK (about 110 scientist staff members) is located in Berlin and works in the fields of Automation and Robotics, Corporate Management, Product Manufacturing, Security and Testing Systems, and Virtual Product Development.

The institute is mainly concerned with increasing the productivity of industrial processes. This implies a wide range of activities from improving certain functions of machines up to designing complex production systems and planning whole factories. Moreover the IPK carries out intensive work in the areas of reorganisation of factory structures, business process optimisation, personnel training, and quality management. Also, the IPK has been increasingly successful in transferring know-how from production technology to the fields of traffic, safety and environmental technology. A special concern of the IPK is providing small and medium-sized companies with innovative technologies.

FIDIA is one of the European leaders in manufacturing Numerical Controls and High Speed Milling Machines for dies and moulds making. The company has also developed and offers CAM modules suitable in particular for on line generation of part programs (HIMILL).
FIDIA research activities are mainly focused on:
High speed milling and high accuracy roughing, semifinishing and superfinishing of free form surfaces; mechanics and structures for high speed and high accuracy and compensation of static and quasi-static errors; CAM and simulation systems, integrated NC systems, scanning and digitising; open and distributed NCs; monitoring of the milling process and sensor interfacing.
As a Machine Tool Builder, Fidia research expertise, relative to the design of milling machine tools, fits with the APM cluster. As a Numerical Control manufacturer it is relative to the realization of open and distributed NCs, able to interface sensors for monitoring and error compensation, and so it fits with the PAC cluster.

The Machining Team, managed by Ing. Mauro Comoglio, is the Fiat research group in the machining field. There are four main research branches: machine tool design, process design, development of material/coating for cutting tools, materials machinability. The team has worked on more than 30 European funded research projects (Alticut, Alumopla, Amadeus, Autofett, CD Treatments, CNC, Coming Dry, Dico, Dualco, Ecosystems, Engy, FGMSIATOOL, Incosynt, Mactest, MEA-PPNCD, Nacodry, Nanogrind, Sammi, Testify, Ulmat, Ultraflex), problem solving activities for Fiat Group and also for private customers external to Fiat Group. An Advanced Machining Laboratory is equipped with an advanced linear driven machine center (Renault Automation - Comau) for the development of high speed and dry machining of light alloys (titanium, aluminum and magnesium) and difficult to cut materials (innovative cast irons, superalloys, composite materials), and a CRF machine tool developed for the dies and moulds industry. The methodological approach is based on an integrated approach: on line wear/power/temperature monitoring, SEM/metallographic analysis of cutting tool and worked material, correlation between cutting tool properties/cutting performance, set up of cutting parameters and lubrication condition (oil, emulsion, MQL, dry), CAD/CAE/CAM design and FEM simulation/design, set up and testing of innovative cutting process.

Set up in 1965 under initiative of mechanical companies and their professional organisation, the purpose of CETIM is to conduct studies and research for the French mechanical industry. Its extended scope of competencies covers the various requirements of that industry in terms of design, production, maintenance, control and measurement, environment administration and management. CETIM has a strong awarness of the need of engineering industry. In close cooperation with CETIM, the Federation of the mechanical engineering industries (FIM) seized the appropriateness of the publication in 2006, by the French Ministry for Industry, the study "key technologies for industry by 2010". CETIM is a key partner of the FP6 Network of Excellence, I*PROMS and is involved in 300 on going Research & Development projects including 12 new European contracts in 2006.

The Production Systems Engineering Research Centre (CESP) is the main research centre in the Production Engineering and Systems Department of the Engineering School of Minho University. This research centre has actually 24 affiliated members consisting of 14 doctors and 10 PhD students. Apart from those affiliated members the centre also includes other 15 external researches, PhD and MSc students. The CESP human resources that we are directly assigning to I*PROMS are five researchers with PhD degrees as well as four PhD students. However, other members of CESP will participate in I*PROMS activities and contribute with the related research.

The CESP research centre is organised through four research groups, that cover four main scientific research areas: Industrial Management and Systems, Human Engineering, Economics Engineering, and Numeric Computation. The labs that are related to those scientific research areas are: LASAP (Automatic Production Systems Lab), Ergonomics Lab, CAD/CAPP/CAM Systems Lab, and Economics Engineering Lab. There are two new labs in the process of creation: LABVE (Lab for Virtual Enterprises and LABESP (Lab for Production Systems Engineering).