This award will enable a team of United States (US) academic researchers in the area of Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) to visit sites in Europe where such research effort is being conducted under the sponsorship of the European Strategic Programme for Research and Development in Information Technology (ESPRIT). Up to nine members will spend 8-10 days visiting the selected sites and compiling a report that describes the activities and recommends potential for US/ESPRIT collaboration. Such activity in CIM, which is the future of all manufacturing, will expose US researchers to the successful efforts of their European counterparts and define avenues for future collaboration. This will have a significant impact on the domestic research in CIM with potential benefits to the nation's industry.
