Progress in Industrial Mathematics at E.C.M.I. 94

I believe that there exist two different worlds of Mathematics: the world of Mathematics in Industry and the world of Mathematics at Universities. Based on a similar activity of the human mind, which we generally call doing mathematics, they have different aims, different hierarchies of values and, therefore, different structures. And there are only few contacts between them: Mathematics at Universities in general follows its interior rules not caring for the needs expressed by the exterior world; Mathematics in Industry very often does not find enough time to watch the developments in the second world and is exclusively driven by industrial problems. The coupling of the two worlds, however, is necessary for both of them: industry needs ideas from academic mathematics as a source of innovation, to improve simulations, optimisations, quality control, etc. University mathematics needs industry as a source of exiting problems, of jobs for their graduates, of prestige and last but not least of additional funding. There are some attempts to make closer contact with each other: large high­ tech companies have their antennas checking new ideas for applicability - and there are attempts at universities called Mathematics for Industry trying to find mathematical solutions for industrial problems. However, these attempts are quite limited: small- and medium-sized companies, for example, have no chance to keep contact - and what academics call a solution for a problem is often far from what industry is looking for.