Strategy=======The overall aim of the Cambridge EDC is to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of engineering designers and design teams by undertaking research into the theories that will underpin the design methods of the future. These methods will be embodied in software tools, workbooks and publications that support the creation of reliable, high-quality, cost-effective products.Research Themes==============The EDC's is structured under the following research Themes: * Healthcare Design: Design for Patient Safety * Inclusive Design: Designing for the Older and Disabled Users (1) * Process Modelling: Modelling the Design Process * Change Management: Tracking Changes in Products * Design Practice: Understanding Practice * Engineering Knowledge: Capture, Storage and Retrival (1) * Computational Design: Integrated Optimisation Methods and Tools Note (1) These Themes receive zero or minimal support from the IMRC Block Grant.

IMRC will engage in a broad range of research topics that will benefit a wide range of industrial sectors. Research will cover:- new manufacturing technologies that are capable of providing higher productivity and lower costs; advanced industrial photonics that are seen as key enabling technologies for 21st century manufacturing operations; control and automation at the system and machine level; strategy and performance measures essential for developing efficient manufacturing operations; an examination of innovation developments and technology take-up; design methodologies; and research into the economics and policies the are likely to influence the development of manufacturing operations through the 21st century.