Just to add to Charles' history:
ICEIMT was the result of what was intended to be two significant efforts:
1) A large EI research program, sponsored by DARPA and Air Force ManTech; and,
2) A continuing and broad collaboration between the US and the European Community (EC) in the areas of manufacturing technology.
Item one was primed by the issuing of a number of study contracts, plus an EI "Framework" contract, the support for an EI users group, and what turned out to be a rather large effort in an EI Suppliers' Working Group (SWG). It was felt that rolling those efforts into an open process would be good, especially since there appeared to be substantial SWG results. The EI group at MCC was contracted to conduct the ICEIMT workshops and conference, synthesize a coherent vision and support collaboration. (Charles was then at MCC.)
Item two officially was a colloboration between the US and the EC which had taken years to negotiate. The action agencies were the ESPRIT program office in the EC and a coalition of ARPA/Dod Mantech/Dod CALS/AF ManTech/NIST on the US side. The US protocol was negotiated by NSF, so they were implicitly a partner. NIST acted as the lead agency. The action officers were myself for the US and Kurt Kosanke on the EC side. Performing bodies were the AMICE consortium on the EC side and MCC for the US. This was, I believe, before the MCC group solidified their EInet identity and mission.
Funding on our side came from Dod ManTech, managed by AF ManTech, but both AF and ARPA monies were also involved. There's a more complete account of events in the book.
Although the work was extremely well received, technically solid, and appropriate, funding fell victim to the fact that many US agencies were involved. All of these have been plunged into a several-year adventure in the questioning and redirection of their missions, with the result that complex efforts of this type have completely been eliminated. Also, the primary corporate sponsors of the SWG have each also gone through their own revolutions.
It is only through the kindness of MCC that the list has been maintained this long. It certainly is a positive sign that some offers have emerged to continue it. That would be a very good thing.
Best, Ted
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