The Network of Excellence for Innovative Production Machines and Systems (I*PROMS) is funded under the EU Sixth Framework Programme over a period of five years. It aims to address many of the challenges facing the manufacturing sector in the 21st century. It will focus research on intelligent and adaptive production machines and systems to realise its vision of the knowledge-based ‘Autonomous Factory’ for delivering increased competitiveness for manufacturing in 2020. Ultimately, this will help I*PROMS establish itself as the European Union's authoritative research body for the area of Production Machines and Systems.

• mission of I*PROMS
• manufacturing challenges in 2020
• technology areas and paradigms
• joint programme of activities
• research clusters