The meetings of the Scientific Technical Committee O were held digitally on 17^th February 2021 (Paris, FR) (83 members, 18 corporate members, 16 research affiliates, 8 invited guests), and on 27^th August 2021 (Munich, DE) (45 members, 6 research affiliates, 12 invited guests).

The major activities of STC O were the following: 

CIRP Manufacturing Systems Conferences (CMS series)

Short reports on the organization and preparation of CIRP CMS conferences were delivered:

• 2020: 53^rd Conference Chicago, USA
• 2021: 54^th Conference, Athens, Greece
• 2022: 55^th Conference, Lugano, Switzerland
• 2023: 56th Conference, Cape Town, South Africa
• 2024: 57th Conference, ‎Póvoa de Varzim, Portugal

Keynote Papers

Actual status of keynote papers were presented and discussed in detail:

• 2021: Manufacturing systems evolution and future by H. ElMaraghy, L. Monostori, G. Schuh, W. ElMaraghy

• 2022: Daydreaming factories by A. Nassehi, M. Colledani, B. Kadar, D. Lutters

Besides, the following keynote paper proposals were given in February:

• Proposal 1 2023: Platform based manufacturing by O. Sauer, T. Tolio, L. Monostori, J. Váncza)
• Proposal 2 2023: Virtualization for autonomy in manufacturing systems by Putnik et al.

It was decided that the 2023 keynote paper will be:

• Platform based manufacturing by O. Sauer, T. Tolio, L. Monostori, J. Váncza

In August, it was then decided that the 2024 keynote paper will be:

• Virtualization for autonomy in manufacturing systems by Putnik et al.

Paper Presentations and Technical Reports

During the General Assembly in summer, one external keynote paper presentation was delivered by H. ElMaraghy, and in the STC O session 15 regular papers were presented and discussed.

At the two STC O Meetings in 2021, a total of 16 technical presentations (9 in February, and 7 in August) were delivered and discussed. All the technical talks were organized the following topics:

• Disruptions in Production
• Manufacturing Digitalization
• New Production Paradigms
• Production and Logistics Networks

Support of Collaborative Working Groups

Brief reports on the works of the following CWGs have been given:

• Additive Manufacturing
• Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing
• Biologicalisation in Manufacturing
• Production Technologies and Systems for E-Mobility
• Industrial Symbiosis in Discrete Manufacturing

STC O Mission and Topics

In 2021, the Mission & Topics of STC O have been discussed and revised. The updated STC O Mission now is:

“STC O addresses optimised design, modelling, orchestration, management and operation of sustainable, societally-conscious production systems.

Production systems encompass work cells, lines, factories, networks, service systems and other value-generating industrial organisations.”

Research areas thereby include:

• Conceptualisation and shaping of innovative evolving production systems
• Orchestration, management and operation of production systems and networks
• Organisation of human-centric production systems
• Optimisation of circular production systems
• Digitalisation in production systems