ESPRIT CIM achievements and perspectives

Key to the maintenance of efficiency and competitiveness of European manufacturing industry is the application of information technology. The ESPRIT programme is mobilising the resources of European IT vendors and users to face up to the competitive challenge of North America and the Far East in basic IT developments and in applications, including computer integrated manufacturing. The principal thrusts of the ESPRIT CIM programme are advancements in selected CIM technologies, including manufacturing control, and the encouragement of an open market approach to integration by the development of CIM open system architectures and standards for communication.