Senior executives from leading multi-nationals attended the first day of the recent CIM Symposium at Jesus College to explore the factors driving the restructuring of global networks and the strategies that companies have developed to respond to these challenges. Companies presenting included GSK, Cadbury Schweppes, Danfoss, APV and Caterpillar and discussion covered the following key issues:

• strategies to meet global competition
• number and function of manufacturing sites
• co-ordination of manufacturing networks and supply chains
• outsourcing of non-core activities
• and focus on core competencies
• growth of manufacturing service companies
• emergence of inter-company collaborative networks

The second day of the Symposium was aimed at helping researchers to:

• identify emerging industrial issues and research opportunities in the arena of international manufacturing
• exchange research ideas, observations and theories across different disciplines, sectors and countries

The CIM Symposium is an annual event that takes place in September. Please email ifm-enquiries@eng.cam.ac.uk if you would like to be sent information about next year's event in due course.