Abstract
The Industry 4.0 advent, advocating the digitalization and transformation of current production systems towards the factories of future, is introducing significant social and technological challenges. Cyber-physical systems (CPS) can be used to realize these Industry 4.0 compliant systems, integrating several emergent technologies, such as Internet of Things, big data, cloud computing and multi-agent systems. The paper analyses the advantages of using biological inspiration to empower CPS, and particularly those developed using distributed and intelligent paradigms such as multi-agent systems technology. For this purpose, the self-organization capability, as one of the main drivers in this industrial revolution is analysed, and the way to translate it to solve complex industrial engineering problems is discussed. Its applicability is illustrated by building a self-organized cyber-physical conveyor system composed by different individual modular and intelligent transfer modules.

Abstract
The manufacturing system environment is typically, a complex system, involving many variables and constraints, being in certain cases a chaotic system. The introduction of new paradigms to face globalisation, distribution of activities and customer satisfaction requirements, increases the problem complexity. The new manufacturing control approaches should support the agile adaptation to volatile technological and economical environments and should react dynamically and quickly to disturbances, This paper intends to introduce an agent-based approach to the manufacturing problem, that uses holonic concepts, is focused on distributed manufacturing shop floor control for discrete batch production, considers the optimisation of set-up and maintenance operations, and develops mechanisms for agile and fast reaction to disturbances without compromising the global production optimisation.

Abstract
This paper discusses the opportunity to use multi-agents technology in automation and distributed manufacturing systems and the expected improvements. To support the discussion, it is described a manufacturing cell control application developed using the multi-agent technology, and the results are compared with other control application developed in the past by some of the authors, using a traditional approach, for the same flexible manufacturing cell.

Abstract
The holonic manufacturing paradigm allows a new approach to the emergent requirements faced by the manufacturing world, through the concepts of modularity, decentralisation, autonomy, re-use of control software components. The formal modelling and validation of the structural and behavioural specifications of holonic control systems assumes a critical role. This paper discusses the formal validation of the Petri Net models designed to represent the behaviour and specifications of the holon classes defined at ADACOR architecture.

Abstract
In a virtual organization, different business partners (individual organizations) cooperate in order to achieve a common goal. The coordination of the corresponding inter-organizational workflow is an important issue. This chapter aims to describe the Electronic Institution platform and to focus on an approach to the inter-organizational workflow management agent, mainly discussing its behavior, interfaces and information exchanged. This approach is conceptualized as a service within an Electronic Institution framework providing several agent-based services related with the formation and operation of virtual organizations. The chapter presents behavior of the inter-organizational workflow management service, modeled as an extension to a contract monitoring service. The chapter also deals with the information exchange needs between these services and with the partners involved in a virtual organization contractual relationship. © 2006 Copyright © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Abstract
In the manufacturing world, globalisation leads to a trend towards the reduction of batches and product life cycle, and the increase of part diversity, which are in conflict with other requirements, such as the cost reduction achieved with higher productivity. Thus, the challenge is to develop flexible, agile and intelligent management and control architectures that satisfy the referred requirements. The holonic manufacturing and the agent-based manufacturing approaches allow a new approach to the manufacturing problem, through concepts such as modularity, decentralisation, autonomy and re-use of control software components. ADACOR, one of the holonic architectures recently proposed, defines a set of autonomous and intelligent holons aiming to improve the performance of control system in industrial scenarios characterised by the frequent occurrence of unexpected disturbances. The formal modeling and validation of the specifications of the ADACOR-holons and of the interactions between these holons to implement the manufacturing control functions is of critical importance. In this paper, a formal methodology is introduced and applied to model the dynamic behaviour of the ADACOR-holon classes.