Ion projection lithography (IPL) has demonstrated not only the resolution required for next-generation lithography (50 nm resolution at >4:1 aspect ratio) [Bruenger er al., Microelectron Eng. 46, 477 (1999)] but also cost advantages with respect to other competing technologies [Gross et at, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 16, 3150 (1998)]. This article reports on the progress of a worldwide development program, with the target to manufacture a process development tool and create the necessary mask infrastructure to demonstrate that IPL is a viable industrial lithography technology for the future. An overview of papers, reporting on the progress in critical areas, is given and new, experimentally validated, simulations of complementary mask stitching are shown for the first time. Longitudinal and lateral offsets of up to 32 nm for 100 nm critical dimensions are possible with linewidth variations less than 11 nm. Our concept for beta tools, based on a powerful new stitcher strategy, is described. This will lead to a high-throughput tool for manufacturing integrated-circuit generations with minimum feature sizes of 50 nm and, possibly, below.