Intelligent Manufacturing Systems (IMS) Program is an industry-driven and government-endorsed initiative which assists and encourages the formation of international research consortia to address technical and other emerging manufacturing challenges in the 21$^{st}$ century$^{[1]}$ . The IMS initiative places special emphasis on the establishment of R＆D projects which demonstrate equitable cooperation, including the protection of intellectual property. In this explanatory paper, a brief overview of the IMS Program is described, together with abstracts of some selected projects and a research result of Globeman21 project. The IMS prospective is also given.n.