This is a book about real industrial problems from real industries. The industries and the problems come from all parts of the globe and cover a wide variety of areas, so do the contributors.

We had two specific reasons for producing this book.

First, we believe that applied mathematics is a multifaceted discipline. One of the facets that has emerged and assumed an increasingly important role in the last 30 years has been the need of industrial scientists to use and extend results found by academics. At the same time, academics have become increasingly aware of new phenomena that are of interest to industry. These cross-fertilisations can lead to new and interesting mathematics. This book illustrates the process of industrial/academic interaction through case studies.

Second, we believe that many classical applied mathematics texts treat applications merely as platforms upon which to build mathematical structures. One unfortunate result of this can be that the original requirements which inspired development of the mathematics become hidden. Recently, in an effort to interest students in applied mathematics, and to expose them to the totality of the applied mathematics process, the mathematical modelling process itself (which precedes analysis and numerical considerations) is being taught. This book provides a set of real examples which could be useful for a high-level modelling course.