ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: The virtualisation and the distribution of product development activities have lead to new challenges for organisation and technology in European companies. Global competitiveness can only be assured by the development of effective and lasting strategies for creating and managing innovation. The IMS-NoE Special Interest Group 6 has analysed problems of co-operative engineering as well as methods and tools of virtual engineering of extended products. Based on these analyses a multi-stakeholder roadmap is proposed that articulates public and private sector roles in coping with future engineering challenges. The public sector role targets the creation of a knowledge intensive global business eco-system conducive for balanced private sector innovation and sustainable growth. The private sector roles evolve under strategies that implement proven co-operative and virtual engineering practices with a focus on value creation.
