Network of Excellence in Intelligent Control and Integrated Manufacturing Systems

Most complex systems are of a distributed nature and are characterized by interaction of many agents trying to solve various problems simultaneously. However, there has been considereable progress in theoretical and applied research in the general area of Systems Theory and Controls (STC) and many isolated "islands of excellence" have been established both in academic and industrial environments. Two important technical issues of STC is intelligence and integration. The NOE will pull together and emhance the human and material resources of the leading research and academic institutions and related industries. The long term technological goal is to develop and contribute the necessary tools so that an Adaptive Intelligent Factory (ADIF) can be realized the distinct feature of which would be the effective linkage of intelligence and integration. The project is supported by the ESPRIT III program for "Network of Excellence". The network of nodes consist of 30 universities and industries.