Hans Akkermans: Statement of interest

We are interested in profiting from as well as contributing to future STEP-oriented activities related to product knowledge modelling. This is especially in the area of design for environment, most notably: knowledge for product life-cycle analysis (LCA), process modelling aspects, product disposal (reuse, recycling, waste) aspects. What we aim to achieve is better integration of our EcoDesign and LCA work with current product modelling standards as STEP and associated CAD/CAM software. We see a commercial need to do so. What we can contribute is

1. our modelling and application experience in Product LCA and EcoDesign, and
2. our various contributions to ontologies for knowledge sharing and reuse in general and how they practically apply to product knowledge in particular (witness our papers).

Here, we emphasize a pragmatic, application-oriented approach as I have made clear at my talk at the Proksi-97 workshop. Recent work in construction and structuring ontologies has taught us that they are helpful in capturing intended meaning of concepts in product knowledge, such that sharability and reusability is increased. Their value lies in the fact that they specify general background knowledge that is needed and often tacitly used by end users and engineers. Further progress is possible, not only by general discussions of semantics, meaning, etcetera, but first of all by doing real-life applications, and trying to learn the ensuing lessons and generalizing over them. This is at least the persistent theme in our own scientific work in this area. For the short term, we suggest a lightweight future action such as a European Esprit network action. In the area of our expressed interest, we are willing to consider participation within a European project.

Prof. Dr. J.M. Akkermans on behalf of:
Netherlands Energy Research Foundation ECN, Petten, NL
Pre Product Ecology Consultants, Amersfoort, NL
University of Twente, Dept. of Information Systems, NL