IPMMAN will merge macro-, micro- and nano-technologies to foster industrial innovation, and will strengthen links between the European Manufacturing Industry and research initiatives (regional and Commission RTD Projects, EUREKA, etc.), leading to improv e competitiveness and sustainability of the European Manufacturing Sector. IPMMAN fosters major innovation in the manufacturing industry through a more generalized introduction of micro- and nanotechnology (integrated micro-systems based quality control and process monitoring systems, nanostructured materials and nanocoatings for products with enhanced material properties, etc.), and concepts as customisation, communicating machines, advanced non-contact quality control, intelligent process control, standards, etc., for the micro- and nano-manufacturing industry.

The effective and optimal combination of macro, micro and nano-scale production technologies is hindered by an inefficient adaptation of technology, but primarily because of lack of integration and fragmentation of knowledge, which will be overcome by dialogue within IPMMAN's Workshops. Databases of research results will be made available for the manufacturing industry, as well as databases of best practices in research and in implementation, assisting companies in adopting new business- and organisational models. IPPMMAN will blur the frontiers between macro-, micro- and nano-production technologies and optimise synergies among, providing new engineering concepts for manufacturing and increasing flexibility, cost efficiency, user-friendliness and quality. An Advisory Board with well-established personalities of Europe's Industry will ensure direct applicability of the results in the Manufacturing sector.