Intro -- Contents -- Abstracts & keywords -- Guest editorial -- Inside modular production networks: ''soft operational issues'' in building factory competitiveness -- Competitive strategies and core competencies: perspectives for the internationalisation of industry in Brazil -- Flexibility...

Manufacturing is still under pressure. Sincethe realization of Wickham Skinner (1969)and others that manufacturing actually has astrategic role to play in many firms, externalconditions have continued to create pressurefor fast and agile development ofmanufacturing in many firms.

In recent years, the importance of Internetand World Wide Web (WWW) technologies inmanufacturing industries has been risingvery rapidly in a global context. According toa recent study, Manufacturing Foresight 2020,conducted by UK Department of Trade andIndustry (DTI), the impact of...

The increasing importance of innovativeinformation communication technology(ICT) for economies and societies has beenattracting considerable attention both fromacademia and practitioners. In the lastnumber of decades ICTs have deeply affectedthe way business is performed and the waythat...

This special issue on ''Responsive productionand the agile enterprise'' comprises a smallselection of the papers presented at the 4thManaging Innovative ManufacturingConference, held at Aston Business School inBirmingham, UK, between 17 and 19 July2000.

If we want everything to remain as it is, it willbe necessary for everything to change(Giuseppe Tomasi Di Lampedusa (1896-1957),Sicilian author). Over the last two decades, the externaldynamics of industrial firms have increasedconsiderably in terms of market andtechnological change.

In recent years, the importance of Internetand World Wide Web (WWW) technologies inmanufacturing industries has been risingvery rapidly in a global context. According toa recent study, Manufacturing Foresight 2020,conducted by UK Department of Trade andIndustry (DTI), the impact of...