The International Committee for Abrasive Technology (ICAT) was founded by a group of leading academics and engineers in the field (see Founding members under Constitution) on November 17, 2002.
The mission of the Committee is to provide a forum for professionals in manufacturing technology with a particular focus on precision engineering and nano/micro manufacturing using abrasives and other advanced technologies and to facilitate the development of the discipline globally through internationally collaborated activities, such as the organization of the annual International Symposium on Advances in Abrasive Technology (ISAAT)