Effective end-to-end management of dynamic manufacturing networks is consistently touted as a top priority for manufacturing enterprises that strive to improve their efficiency, adaptability and sustainability of their production systems. Moreover, it is a crucial prerequisite for the emerging powerful new model of production based on community, collaboration, self-organisation and openness rather than on hierarchy and centralised control.

IMAGINE addresses the need of modern manufacturing enterprises for a novel end-to-end management of dynamic manufacturing networks and will develop a multi-party collaboration platform for innovative, responsive manufacturing that encompasses globally distributed partners, suppliers & production facilities (SMEs and/or original equipment manufacturers) that jointly conduct multi-party manufacturing.

The project will implement a novel comprehensive methodology for the management of dynamic manufacturing networks. This provides a consolidated and coordinated view of information from various manufacturing sources and systems, enables service-enhanced product, production lifecycle and responsive manufacturing processes throughout the value chain. The implementation, testing, evaluation and dissemination of the IMAGINE methodology and supporting ICT platform will be driven by ‘Living Labs’ in major industrial sectors.

The IMAGINE manufacturing model is an innovative plug-in and produce approach that implements an end-to-end manufacturing interoperability solution. The IMAGINE solution is market-oriented with a focus on value chain streamlining and support for emerging manufacturing business models.

IMAGINE promises to have a profound and long lasting impact on EU manufacturing enterprises’ efforts to adapt to global competitive pressures by providing the technological base that helps reduce manufacturing cycle times, increase production and improve on-time delivery rates while enabling SMEs to participate in the design and production of new generation applications.