Author Description

This book addresses the challenges faced by SMEs due to the globalization of the economy and discusses supporting technologies. A number of important topics are addressed including: industrial strategies for peripheral regions; engineering and penetration of new markets; engineering and industrial survival in open markets; regional protection against newcomers; globalization of the economy and subcontracting; and the achievement of the appropriate balance of automation and human-centred manufacturing. It contains the selected proceedings of the International Conference on Integrated and Sustainable Industrial Production, sponsored by the International Federation of Information Processing, IEEE and the Portuguese Association of Engineers and held in Lisbon, Portugal in May 1997. Reengineering for Sustainable Industrial Production is essential reading for engineers, managers, research personnel, and senior undergraduate and graduate students in computer integrated manufacturing, production management and automation systems. small geographical regions.