Aim of this supporting action is the planning and the organization of the World Manufacturing Forum 2012 to be held in the second semester of 2012 in the area of Stuttgart, Germany. The planned event will be organized under the Presidency of the European Commission of the IMS Scheme.The strategic objectives of the event are:• To be an open and independent environment where industry leaders and key policy makers, together with all relevant stake-holders, will discuss global trends, challenges, threats and objectives in Manufacturing to give authorities in policy, science and industries advice for the orientation of research perspectives for a global competitive and sustainable development;• To be a platform where the most recent state-of-the-art of the Manufacturing research is spread and disseminated at the same time where the most interesting trends and research needs are identified, discussed and shared among interested parties and involved communities ;• To be a platform for the communication of the IMS Scheme in general as well as the activities taken by the European Commission in the 30-month IMS chairmanship term.• To be an ambitious event to present results of the European Cooperative Research, to support the 8th FP, to support the implementation process and to discuss the international Cooperation in R&D.The Forum is addressing the worldwide Manufacturing community, not limited only to the IMS Regions, involving many relevant stakeholders and attendees coming from:• industry, where we plan to invite chief technology officers, heads of R&D departments, industrial researchers, etc.;• policy maker organisations such as central and regional governments, public funding agencies, chambers of commerce, etc.;• academia where members of international organisation such as IFIP, IFAC, CIRP will also be invited to join and support the event;• civil organisations and society at large.