P5 IST-2000-25436 UNITE, “Ubiquitous and Integrated Teamwork Environment” (2000-2002) UNITE has produced research and development on co-operative workplaces and their creation from a unified co-operation platform. This platform is the key system component which provides the facilities for devices, components, and networks to fully interact, despite the possible original inherent heterogeneity, and which takes care that a uniform and ubiquitous view is presented to all team members regardless of their physical location. UNITE has addressed systems requirements and architecture for seamless integration of virtual and physical workplaces. UNITE has built on technology convergence among communication and collaboration media as well as different network technologies. It has exploited the ability of appliances to notify their existence and characteristics to the workplace environment.   More information at the European Commission website here.   Partners ISCTE COVENTRY UNIVERSITY FRAUNHOFER GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V. FRAUNHOFER GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V. IBM ISRAEL – SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LTD PENTA SCOPE GROEP B.V. STERIA Financing This project was funded under FP5-IST.  

P4 ESPRIT 22038 AITEAR, “Advanced IT Infrastructure for Acurate Response in the Extended Enterprise” (1996-1998) The objectives of this project are: o Specify and build up a prototype of an advanced information technology infrastructure that will support Quick and Accurate Response in consumable goods manufacturing industries; o Develop an Accurate Response (AR) manufacturing model; o Promote the benefits of adopting AR solutions among industry; o Devise ways of using information and communication technologies to improve manufacturing business performance by providing an enhanced and proactive response to customer demands; o Encourage and exploit the project results through running several workshops where benefits of adopting AR solutions may be presented; o Generate specific recommendations to decrease the overall cycle from about 66 weeks to about 40 in the textile-clothing chain. Textile and garment are key sectors to the European economy, presenting some desired characteristics for this project, namely high diversity of seasonal products with a short life cycle. Those sectors have been facing huge competitive pressures from non-European countries. These are already eroding the European manufacturers’ market share and ultimately may reduce the consumers’ base. Our proposal firmly sustains that the adoption of AR solutions by partnerships involving textile manufacturers, garment manufacturers and retailers has an important role in the answer that can be provided to face this competition. AR can even support pro-active strategies to beat competitors in their local markets, and to take advantage of export opportunities presented by an increasing world population. AR, an evolution of the Quick Response concept, is an important competitive strategy in an environment where business relations develop at a global dimension. It enables to consider the various competitive dimensions that go beyond time with a particular emphasis on the re-evaluation of business processe...