Book excerpt: I*PROMS 2005 is an online web-based conference. It provides a platform for presenting, discussing, and disseminating research results contributed by scientists and industrial practitioners active in the area of intelligent systems and soft computing techniques (such as fuzzy logic, neural networks, evolutionary algorithms, and knowledge-based systems) and their application in different areas of manufacturing. Comprised of 100 peer-reviewed articles, this important resource provides tools to help enterprises achieve goals critical to the future of manufacturing. I*PROMS is an European Union-funded network that involves 30 partner organizations and more than 130 researchers from universities, research organizations, and corporations. * State-of-the-art research results * Leading European researchers and industrial practitioners * Comprehensive collection of indexed and peer-reviewed articles in book format supported by a user-friendly full-text CD-ROM with search functionality