International Journal of Computer Integrated Manufacturing (IJCIM) is a journal of new knowledge, reporting research and applications underlining the opportunities and limitations of CIM in today's lifecycle-oriented, knowledge-based era of manufacturing. IJCIM has been enthusiastically received by the international manufacturing community and has become a key forum for academics and industrial researchers to exchange information and ideas. In response to this interest, IJCIM is published eight times a year, which enables the editors to target special issues on topics as diverse as service-oriented architectures, next generation manufacturing systems, wireless manufacturing and digital enterprise technologies, as well as focused issues covering regional research (such as in the EU Framework Programme) and international research programmes and initiatives.