THIS PAPER PRESENTS AN OVERVIEW OF THE IMS INITIATIVE. IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THE IMS PROGRAM SHOULD MOVE FORWARD IN 1991 AND THE FEELING INCREASINGLY IS THAT THE PROGRAM SHOULD BE GOVERNMENT FUNDED RATHER THAN PRIVATE SECTOR FUNDED, WHICH IS A DEVIANCE FROM THE ORIGINAL JAPANESE PROPOSAL. THE COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH HAS ENORMOUS IMPLICATIONS FOR THE RESEARCH COMMUNITY AND IN PARTICULAR FOR THOSE INVOLVED IN ASSEMBLY ISSUES.