this book will be the first proceedings of a series of symposia on the exchange of best practices and research in engineering design and manufacture organized focusing on europe and asia by a group of researchers from european and asian universities working on several eu funded projects. this very first book will explore the difference and communalities of european and asian research and practice in this very important field. with the rapid economic expansion of asia and the gradual shift of manufacturing from europe and the usa to asia, this symposium will provide a timely forum for leading researchers in the field to exchange their research findings and experience. the book covers this first symposium, and aims to give insights to these on-going changes, shows their implications from design and manufacture perspective for both europe and asia and identifies new research topics to improve industrial practice. the primary audience of this book are researchers in the field of engineering design and manufacture, industrialists and business persons who are interested in finding out the state of design and manufacture in asia and europe.