Innovation in microprocessor systems in Europe: the European Commission's "Open Microprocessor Systems Initiative (OMI)"

OMI, the Open Microprocessor Systems Initiative, was launched in 1989 when a group of European companies shared their concern for the future of the European systems industry, and particularly the microprocessor industry, with the European Commission. The process of bringing everyone together to define and implement a strategy led to the novel R&D management concept of the 'focused cluster' which became a model for other similar initiatives of the European Commission. OMI's approach, open systems based on portable microprocessor building blocks, was successfully tested in more than 150 projects from 1991 to 1998. The impact on the European microprocessor industry is considerable with an increase in market share, take-up in leading systems industry sectors, and successful start-up companies.