001 PathfinderWhitePaperV2

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This project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for research,
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White Paper
Version 1: June 2014

Version 2: July 2014
Recognising simulation and forecasting technologies as a lever to increase manufacturing performance and
acknowledging the need for a concrete road-map to clearly point out key challenges for these technologies
future development, the EC in 2012 funded the Pathfinder CSA (www.pathfinderproject.eu).
This document reports the results of developed by the Pathfinder Consortium through numerous internal and
external consultations over a period of 10 months, including discussions with representatives of the
European Commission, workshops with advisory groups form industry and academia, and consultations with
the “European Factories of the Future Research Association” (EFFRA).
http://www.pathfinderproject.eu/
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1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ......................................................................................................... 4
2. WORKING-GROUP MEMBERS AND TECHNICAL EXPERTS ............................................... 7
3. ICT IN MANUFACTURING ...................................................................................................... 8

3.1. Numbers in ICT ................................................................................................................................. 8
3.2. What we know................................................................................................................................... 9
3.3. Simulation and forecasting within ICT ........................................................................................... 9
4. EU COUNTRIES PERSPECTIVE OVER SF&T ROLE .......................................................... 11

4.1. Regional initiatives ........................................................................................................................ 11
4.2. Associations ................................................................................................................................... 28
4.3. Centres of excellence .................................................................................................................... 33
5. PATHFINDER VISION – A THREE LAYERS APPROACH ................................................... 38

5.1. Layer 1 - Manufacturing vision for 2020 ...................................................................................... 38
5.2. Level 2 - Industrie 4.0 vision ......................................................................................................... 39
5.3. Level 3a - The evolution of the automation pyramid .................................................................. 41
5.4. Level 3b - Product & factory lifecycle and its digital representation........................................ 42
5.5. Pathfinder synopsis ....................................................................................................................... 44
6. PATHFINDER ROADMAP ..................................................................................................... 45

6.1. Block1 – Trends and previous roadmaps .................................................................................... 46
6.2. Block2 – the vision ......................................................................................................................... 53
6.3. Block3 – S&FT trends and future state ........................................................................................ 53
6.4. Block4 – S&FT state of market analysis ...................................................................................... 54
6.5. Block5 – Gaps................................................................................................................................. 64
6.6. Block6 – Challenges ...................................................................................................................... 66
6.7. Block7 – Research priorities ......................................................................................................... 67
7. INDUSTRIAL SECTORS ANALYSIS .................................................................................... 75

7.1. Scope of the analysis .................................................................................................................... 75
7.2. Best practice in the use of S&FT .................................................................................................. 75
7.3. Overview on the level of gaps coverage ...................................................................................... 95
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1. Executive summary
European leadership and excellence in manufacturing are being significantly threatened by the huge
economic crisis that hit the Western countries over the last years. More sustainable and efficient production
systems able to keep pace with the market evolution are of paramount importance in the recovery plan
aimed at innovating the European competitive landscape. An essential ingredient for a winning innovation
path is a more aware and widespread use of ICT in manufacturing-related processes. ICT is indeed the
cornerstone of economic growth. By the early 2000s, several economists found evidence to support a link
between ICT investment and industrial productivity: the impact of information and communication technology
is of paramount importance since an investment in such sector generates a bigger return to productivity
growth than most other forms of capital investment.
Europe has fallen behind the world leader in investment in ICT - the US - since 1991. The US increased its
accumulated stock of ICT investment as a proportion of GDP from 9% in 1991 to 30% in 2010. Europe’s ICT
capital stock increased from 6-9% (near parity with the US) to around 20% over the same timeframe. The
ICT investment disparity significantly affected Europe’s relative productivity. From 2000-2010, annual US
productivity growth accelerated to close to 2%. In Europe, annual productivity growth decelerated to around
1%.
Pathfinder investigates, in particular, the role of simulation and forecasting technologies (S&FT) as a lever to
increase manufacturing performance and proposes the development of a roadmap capable to clearly point
out key challenges for these technologies future development. Pathfinder is indeed intended to drive
research and development activities in the Simulation and Forecasting Technologies arena, and, to this end,
the roadmap must develop, through the analysis of current state of practice compared with the future state
envisioned, a final list of research priorities to provide guidance for the key stake-holders. The process of
roadmap building has been arranged into 7 logical blocks:
1. An analysis of trends, current road-mapping activities and national initiatives, set the basis for the
definition of the pathfinder vision.
2. The Pathfinder vision has been developed in such a way to be consistent with current road-mapping
efforts at national and international level (in order not to introduce a new vision on manufacturing
itself, but to embrace existing activities).
3. From the vision, the current trends and future envisioned state of Simulation and Forecasting
Technologies have been derived.
4. In parallel, the current state of market practice has been investigated.
5. By confronting the envisioned future state with the current state of market practice, the road-mapping
activity has defined the related gaps. These can be considered as the missing link between what is
currently available and the future envisioned manufacturing scenario.
6. Identified gaps, consolidated and grouped, are the main input for the identification of challenges that
are expected to arise for the S&FT innovation need.
7. The identified challenges will be faced by addressing the research priorities identified by Pathfinder.
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Pathfinder identifies, through experts consultation and through the analysis of current initiatives and
roadmaps at national and European level, eight Research Areas, meant to cluster the identified state of
market, future state, gaps, and priorities.
RA1: Open and Cloud-based S&FT for High-performance Computing
RA2: Multi-disciplinary and Multi-domain Integrated S&FT
RA3: S&FT for Life-cycle Management
RA4: Multi-level S&FT Integration
RA5: S&FT for Real-Time Factory Controlling and Monitoring
RA6: Smart, Intelligent and Self-learning S&FT
RA7: Human-centred Simulation-based Learning & Training
RA8: Crowdsourcing-based S&FT
The identified gaps are a main input for the identification of challenges that, given the contextual factors, are
expected to arise and to be faced by S&FT innovation. Although the list of challenges is expected to
continuously evolve during the Pathfinder road-mapping activity, a preliminary list of challenges for
Pathfinder has been already identified and is presented in what follows.
S&FT and Digital Continuity - Digital Continuity refers to the ability to maintain the digital information
available all along the factory life-cycle, despite changes in purpose and tools, allowing data (the oil that
fuels manufacturing) to be enriched and used as needed for that specific phase. This challenge
addresses: Interoperable simulation and forecasting systems; Digital continuity across product and
factory lifecycle of engineering information; seamless use and reuse of engineering data; Reduce
modelling effort; ;Modelling of complex problems; Multidisciplinary integrated modelling; Standardization.
S&FT and Scalability - Scalability refers to the ability of an application to function efficiently when its
context is changed in size or volume. This challenge addresses: Step-by-step integration and adoption of
S&FT; S&FT solution scalable on different devices and platforms; from on-premises software to cloud-
based services;
S&FT and Synchronization of Digital and Real World - Synchronization of Digital and Real World
refers to the convergence of physical world and virtual world, where the second must closely mirror the
first and where the first generates an unprecedented volume of data to be taken care of by the latter.
This challenge addresses: Self-adjustment of digital models triggered by smart objects (embedded
intelligence – Cyber Physical System paradigm); Co-simulation in real-time; Handling of big-data.
S&FT and Advanced Human-Machine Interfaces – Advanced Human-Machine Interfaces (HMI) must
provide transparent insights into the digital-virtual world and must allow to interact with S&FT in an
intuitive and natural way. This challenge addresses: intuitive, mobile, context-sensitive and collaborative
user-interfaces.
S&FT and Digital Consistency & Security - Digital Consistency & Security refers to the fact that data
originating from and travelling along the factory lifecycle should be safe and shouldn't contradict each
other. This is a significant challenge especially in the context of the digital continuity, vertical integration
and horizontal integration, where distributed and heterogeneous data sources will be linked and made
available in an open and interoperable manner. This challenge addresses: optimised provision of
consistent data, data security and privacy.
S&FT, Data and Knowledge - This challenge addresses: Big Data and Data Analytics; Ontologies
definition; Relevant knowledge capture and reuse, also for training and education
The use of S&FT is more advanced in those sectors where, historically, this tools has been considered as a
fundamental element to support the product and process development. Based on an industrial survey,
Pathfinder identified also the relevance and impact of the S&FT gaps and challenges in various sectors, to
make a distinction between gaps pointing to functionalities and tools already existent but with a restricted
application area, and novel features calling for research actions.
5 Executive summary
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Europe must consolidate its strengths in the ICT sector and, as pointed out, further invest: EU is still world-
leader in ICT for manufacturing and has a leadership position in the field of S&FT with big players like
Siemens and Dassault. The use of ICT for manufacturing is widespread in several sectors and among large
and small-medium enterprises. Nordic European countries score in the top 10 in terms of ICT readiness level
evaluated globally by the World Economic Forum thus showing their commitment for developing their digital
potential. The ground is mature enough to further rely on ICT advancements as a lever to increase
productivity and competitiveness. Also, the strong knowledge base developed in European research
institutes and the high quality training standards guaranteed by leading technical universities in the area of
simulation, analytics and forecasting technologies are driving the growth of a skilled generation that will
master successfully these technologies in the manufacturing arena.
Data is what fuels progress in manufacturing. The digitalisation of manufacturing processes generates a
large amount of data that is not – yet – used to any real extent and offers broad opportunities for the future.
The priorities acknowledged by Pathfinder (par. 6.7) clearly reflect the challenges and research area
identified, as mentioned above, and focus on three main topics: I- Digital Continuity, where huge operational
and economic benefits are expected through linking all the steps in the product life cycle digitally – form
product design, production planning and engineering, production execution and services – and to create a
full lifecycle data loop; II- Synchronization of Digital and Real World, where the real world of production is
accompanied by an equivalent in the digital world, so that products and production processes are simulated
and optimized in detail before the real production is in place. The digital twin has the potential to monitor,
adjust and optimize real processes, anticipate failures and thus to increase efficiency by orders of
magnitude; III- Multidisciplinary integrated modelling and virtual validation of manufacturing equipment at
design stage, and system-level simulation of mechatronic systems at production phase, prior to actual
manufacturing, (thanks to integration of models from different domains) will ensure proper performance of
equipment and processes. The seamless integration in the CAx tool chain will help to accelerate the
integration of new materials into the production process and it will support new ways of manufacturing such
as 3D printing.
Executive summary 6
2. Working-group members and technical experts
Pathfinder Advisory Board

Albrecht Christian – Steinbeis - Germany
Andrea Rizzoli – Istituto Dalle Molle di Studi sull'Intelligenza Artificiale - Switzerland
Carsten Poege – Volkswagen - Germany
Decubber Chris – EFFRA - Belgium
Franco Cavadini – Synesis Consortium - Italy
Gattiglio Maurizio - Prima Industrie - Italy
Giubilato Maurizio – Flexcon - Italy
Giuseppe Lucisano - SCM group - Italy
Karnouskos Stamatis – SAP - Germany
Marie-Christine - Oghly enginSoft - France
Mayer Gottfried - BMW AG - Germany
Odorizzi Stefano – EnginSoft – Italy
Rohrmus Dominik – Siemens – Germany
Rose Oliver - University for Bundeswehr Munich - Germany
Sacco Marco - ITIA-CNR - Italy
Spieckermann Sven – SimPlanAG - Germany
Stork Andre - IGD Fraunhofer - Germany
Szigeti Hadrien - Dassault Systemes – France
Pathfinder Core Group

Cassina Jacopo – HOLONIX - Italy
Corti Donatella – SUPSI - Switzerland
Gorecky Dominic – SmartFactory KL - Germany
Gunnink Jan Willem – DELCAM - UK
Mourtzis Dimitris – LMS - Greece
Pedrazzoli Paolo – TTS - Italy
Taisch Marco – Politecnico di Milano - Italy
Terzi Sergio – Università di Begamo - Italy
European Commission Support and Counselling Group

Flamigni Francesca
Lemke Max
Riemenschneider Rolf

3. ICT in manufacturing
3.1. Numbers in ICT

In Europe, manufacturing is the largest of the NACE sections for the non-financial business. In 2008 it
contributed with 24.2% of the workforce and 27.1% of the value added. 33 millions of persons are employed
1
by 2.1 millions of manufacturing enterprises . Out of them, 20.9 millions are SMEs accounting for two out of
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every three jobs . But due to the huge economic crisis EU countries are undergoing, GDP is likely to
stagnate and the economic growth is expected to be low in the near future. As a consequence, the social
impact of the crisis in terms of unemployment rate is going to be exacerbated in 2014. Even tough SMEs are
the leading job creators in the EU, following the economic crisis some 3.25 million jobs in SMEs have been
2
already lost .
ICT is the cornerstone of productivity and thus of economic growth. Now, more than ever, Europe’s need for
productivity growth has become more pressing against both the low rate of economic growth and the
international financial crisis that is clouding the outlook for all companies. By the early 2000s, several
economists found evidence to support a link between ICT investment and industrial productivity. As reported
3 4
by Oxford Economics and by a recent study of the Lisbon Council , the impact of information and
communication technology is of paramount importance since an investment in such sector generates a
bigger return to productivity growth than most other forms of capital investment. Estimates show that while
the returns on other forms of capital investment are about 15% on average, the ROI on ICT investments is
typically between 20-25%.
But during the last two decades Europe has fallen behind the US, which is the world leading ICT investor.
Whilst, the US increased its accumulated stock of ICT investment as a proportion of GDP from 9% in 1991 to
30% in 2010, Europe increased its own capital stock from 6-9% to 20% over the same time frame. This ICT
investment disparity significantly affected Europe’s relative productivity. From 2000-2010, annual US
productivity growth accelerated to close to 2%. In Europe, annual productivity growth decelerated to around
1%. Again Oxford Economics provides a forecast on how much EU countries are expected to gain by 2020,
in terms of GDP increase, should they match US ICT capital stock investment and learn how to integrate that
into successful business strategies (EU column refers to EU-27)
Fig. 1 – forecast on GDP increase level

Clearly, countries where the stock of ICT is low as a proportion of GDP have the most to gain: in Italy and
Spain, the stock, measured as a proportion of GDP, is roughly half that of the US (Fig. 1)
Bridging this gap by raising European ICT investments toward 2020 to the same level of US is a big deal for
Europe, as it corresponds to an increment of around 5% of GDP, equivalent to €760 billion for the EU as a
whole, or €1500 per person.
1
Key Figures on European business with a special feature on SMEs. Eurostat pocketbooks, 2011 edition. Retrieved from:
http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_OFFPUB/KS-ET-11-001/EN/KS-ET-11-001-EN.PDF
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Review of the "Small Business Act" for Europe COM(2011)
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Capturing the ICT Dividend: Using technology to drive productivity and growth in the EU. Oxford economics
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http://www.lisboncouncil.net/ - report The Lisbon Council Think Tank, 2014

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3.2. What we know - statements

ICT is important for Manufacturing – because of its relevance in terms of number of companies at EU
level and because the leverage that investments in ICT can achieve over productivity.
ICT is important for SMEs– because of the number of SMEs working on ICT
ICT is a key enabler for services – because the ICT sectors represent the 4.8% of the European Economy.
5
Efficiency through ICT can mean better services for less cost .
ICT is a research-intensive activity - a total of 9,1 billion euro has been earmarked for the ICT in the FP7
6 7
(2007-2013) . EU investments in ICTs are due to increase by about 25% in Horizon2020 compared to FP7 .
3.3. Simulation and forecasting within ICT

Within ICT, the development of simulation and forecasting tools and methods, that could strategically support
production-related activities during all the phases of the factory life-cycle, with the aim of promoting a
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sustainable manufacturing, is of capital importance . The use of innovative tools can, in fact, support both the
integrated design of the product – process - production system and the management of the factory. Main
benefits are for example the possibility to compare alternative configurations during the system design
reducing both time-to-market and cost of implementation as well as an effective and efficient connection with
the shop floor. Simulation and forecasting tools are supposed to provide a holistic and coherent virtual model
of the factory that is aligned with the social, environmental and economic context.
In the current highly competitive business environment, the manufacturing industry is facing constant
challenges of producing innovative products at shortened time-to-market. The increasing trend towards
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globalisation and decentralisation of manufacturing requires real-time information exchanges between the
various areas concerned with the product and production development, e.g., design, ramp-up planning,
production scheduling, machining, assembly, etc., as well as seamless collaboration among these areas.
Product and production development processes are becoming increasingly more complex as products
become more versatile, intricate and inherently complicated, and as product variations multiply to address to
the needs of mass customisation10. Simulation modelling and analysis is conducted in order to gain insight
into this kind of complex systems, to achieve the development and testing of new operating or resource
policies and new concepts or systems, which live up to the expectation of modern manufacturing, before
implementing them and, last but not least, to gather information and knowledge without disturbing the actual
system11. It becomes evident from the total number of directly related papers (15,954) from the early 70s till
today, that simulation is a continuously evolving field of research with undoubted contribution to the progress
of manufacturing systems.
Hereby, two of the most prominent definitions of simulation in the context of manufacturing within ICT are
presented and are adopted for the scope of the present work.
“Simulation modelling and analysis is the process of creating and experimenting with a computerised
12
mathematical model of a physical system” .
“Simulation is the imitation of the operation of a real-world process or system over time. Simulation involves
the generation of an artificial history of the system, and the observation of that artificial history to draw
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inferences concerning the operating characteristics of the real system that is represented” .
5
"ICT as a key enabler for growth" – Neelie Kroes (Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda) -
Speech/11/340
6
ICT Research & Innovation: a driver for growth – http://www.ncpbrussels.be/eu-funding-opportunities/what-eu-funding-for-my-r-i-
project/for-ict-projects/item/download/6_0ec939d441898e9b409588562bed1898
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http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/en/area/ict-research-innovation
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EFFRA (2012) Factories of the Future PPP FoF 2020 Roadmap Consultation document. Retrieved from:
http://www.effra.eu/attachments/article/335/FoFRoadmap2020_ConsultationDocument_120706_1.pdf
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D. Mourtzis, M. Doukas, “The evolution of manufacturing systems: From craftsmanship to the era of customisation”, Design and
Management of Lean Production Systems, V. Modrak, P. Semanco (Eds.), IGI Global.
10
Ong S. K., Yuan M. L., Nee A. Y. C., 2008, Augmented Reality Applications in Manufacturing: a Survey, International Journal of
Production Research, 46/10:2707–2742.
11
Pedgen C. D., Shannon R. E., Sadowski R. P., 1995, Introduction to simulation using SIMAN, McGraw Hill.
12
Chung C., 2004, Simulation modelling handbook: a practical approach, 1st Ed., CRC press, Boca Raton.
13
Banks J., Carson J. S., Nelson B. L., Nicol, D. M., 2000, Discrete event system simulation, 3rd ed. Englewood Cliffs
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3.3.1. The Historical Trends of the Evolution of Simulation

Although the term “Monte Carlo method” was coined in 1947, at the start of the computer era, stochastic
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sampling methods were used long before the evolution of computers . It is widely acknowledged that the
contemporary meaning of simulation originated with the work of Comte de Buffon in the 18th century, who
developed a Monte Carlo-like method and used it to determine the outcome of an experiment consisting of
repeatedly tossing a needle onto a ruled sheet of paper. The aim of the experiment was to calculate the
15
probability of the needle crossing one of the lines . About a century later, Gosset used a primitive form of
manual simulation to verify an assumption about the exact form of the probability density function for
Students t-distribution. In the mid-1940s, simulation makes a significant leap with the contribution of the first
general-purpose electronic computers. Ulam, von Neumann and Metropolis use Monte Carlo on computers
to solve problems concerning neutron diffusion. Tochter and Owen develop the General Simulation Program
in 1960, which is the first general purpose simulator to simulate an industrial plant that consists of a set of
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machines, each cycling through states as busy, idle, unavailable and tailed . During the period 1960-1961,
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Gordon introduces the General Purpose Simulation System (GPSS) . Simultaneously, Nygaard and Dahl
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initiate work on SIMULA and they finally release it in 1963 and Kiviat develops the General Activity
Simulation Program (GASP). Although, a significant evolution of simulation is noticed, there are still problems
concerning model construction and model analysis which are mentioned and addressed by. In the beginning
of the 1980s, major breakthroughs take place, military flight simulators, naval and submarine simulators are
19
produced and NASA develops relatively low-cost VR equipment . In early 1990s, real-time simulations and
interactive graphics become possible due to the increased computer power and commercial VR applications
20
become feasible . In addition, the development of high-resolution graphics focuses on gaming industry
surpassing the military industry.
3.3.2. Types of Simulation Models

Simulation models are categorised based on three basic dimensions: 1) timing of change, 2) randomness
and 3) data organisation. Based on whether the simulation depends on the time factor or not, it can be
classified into static and dynamic. A static simulation is independent of time while dynamic simulation
evolves over time. Dynamic simulation can be further categorised to continuous and discrete. In discrete
simulation, changes occur at discrete points in time while in continuous, the variable of time is continuous.
In addition, discrete simulation is divided to time-stepped and event driven. Time-stepped consists of regular
time intervals and alterations take place after the passing of a specific amount of time. On the other hand, in
event-driven simulation, updates are linked to scheduled events and time intervals are irregular. As far as the
dimension randomness is concerned simulation can be deterministic or stochastic. Deterministic means that
the repetition of the same simulation will result to the same output, whereas, stochastic simulation means
that the repetition of the same simulation will not always produce the same output. Last but not least,
simulation is classified to grid-based and mesh-free according to data organisation. Grid-based means that
data are associated with discrete cells at specific locations in a grid and updates take place to each cell
according to its previous state and those of its neighbours. On the other hand, mesh free relates with data of
21, 22
individual particles and updates look at each pair of particles .
14
Bielajew A., 2013, History of Monte Carlo, In:,Seco J. and Verhaegen F., eds. Monte Carlo Techniques in Radiation Therapy, Taylor
and Francis, 342.
15
Mourtzis D, Doukas M, Bernidaki D. Simulation in Manufacturing: Review and Challenges, 8th International Conference on Digital
Enterprise Technology - DET 2014. March 25 – 28, 2014. Stuttgart, Germany; ISBN: 9783839606971.
16
Nance R. A history of discrete event simulation programming languages, Proceeding HOPL-II The second ACM SIGPLAN conference
on History of programming languages; 1993, p. 149-175.
17
Goldsman D, Nance R, Wilson J. A brief history of Simulation Revisited, Proceedings of the 2010 Winter Simulation Conference;
2010, p.567-574.
18
Conway RW. Some tactical problems in digital simulation. Mgmt Sci 1963;10(1):47-61.
19
Rosen K. The history of medical simulation. J Crit Care 2008;23:157-166.
20
Lu SCY, Shpitalni M, Gadh R. Virtual and Augmented Reality Technologies for Product Realisation. Annals of the CIRP Keynote
Paper 1999;48(2):471-494.
21
Von Ronne J., 2012, Simulation: Overview and Taxonomy, Presentation.
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Sulistio A., Yeo C.S., Buyya R., 2004, A taxonomy of computer-based simulations and its mapping to parallel and distributed systems
simulation tools, Software practice and experience, 34:653-673.
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4. Eu Countries perspective over Simulation and Forecasting Technologies role
This chapter provides an overview of the innovation and road-mapping programmes across Europe at
regional level, highlighting the role envisioned for Simulation and Forecasting Technologies within national
initiatives. This analysis empowers an effective harmonization of the Pathfinder challenges with the activities
running at regional level, promoting mutual empowerment and boosting potential impact of the future work-
programme to which Pathfinder is expected to contribute.
Chapter 4 also identifies associations and centres of excellence specifically working in the field of S&FT.
4.1. Regional initiatives

Out of the 28 European Countries, 11 road-mapping or innovation programmes have been addressed
(Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Latvia, Netherlands, Sweden, UK). The analysis
compares the manufacturing-of-the-future visions at single country level with those proposed at European
level, identifying explicit and implicit references to S&FT. Those references have been linked to the
Research Areas identified for the Pathfinder roadmap development (par 6.1.4). The following table provides
the list of the addressed documents.
Country Title Link Date of issue

BMVIT (Austrian Ministry for http://www.bmvit.gv.at/en/service/publications/dow October 2009
Transport, Innovation and nloads/bmvit_innovation_solutions.pdf
Austria
Technology) Innovation:
Solutions for the future
Manufacturing 2025: http://www.manufuture.dk/digitalAssets/15/15567_ May 2010
Five future scenarios for manufacturing-2025_download.pdf
Denmark
Danish manufacturing
companies
Finland’s regional https://www.tem.fi/files/27807/TEM_53_2010_netti September
Finland
development strategy 2020 .pdf 2010
France Europe 2020: http://cache.media.enseignementsup- February 2013
A strategic agenda for recherche.gouv.fr/file/France-
France
research, technology transfer Europe_2020/18/3/AgendaStategique02-07-2013-
and innovation EnglishLight_262183.pdf
Recommendations for http://www.plattform- April 2013
Germany implementing the strategic i40.de/sites/default/files/Report_Industrie%204.0_
initiative INDUSTRIE 4.0 engl_1.pdf
Making it in Ireland: http://www.djei.ie/enterprise/support/FinalForfasR 2012
Ireland
Manufacturing 2020 eport.pdf
Sustainable Development http://www.cbs.nl/NR/rdonlyres/B7A5865F-0D1B- June 2010
Latvia
Strategy of Latvia until 2030 42AE-A838-FBA4CA31674D/0/Latvia_2010.pdf
Global Challenges Dutch http://english.rvo.nl/sites/default/files/2014/01/Glob 2011
Netherlands
Solutions al%20Challenges-Dutch%20Solutions_ENG_2.pdf
Netherlands Smart Industry – Dutch http://www.clicknl.nl/wp- April 2014
2 industry fit for the future content/uploads/2014/06/Smart-Industry-.pdf
Swedish Production Research http://www.teknikforetagen.se/Documents/FoU/Sw 2008
Sweden
2020 edish_production_research_2020.pdf
The future of manufacturing: a http://www.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/uploads/Resources/ 2013
United
new era of opportunity and Future_of_Manufacturing_Report.pdf
Kingdom
challenges for the UK
4.1.1. Austria – BMVIT INNOVATION: Solutions for the future

The BMVIT focuses mainly on sustainable, technological solutions that provide answers to
societal challenges and strengthen Austria’s position in International competition. As a result, the
study documents the highly dynamic nature of research and development in Austria in recent
years, but also reveals untapped potential. Furthermore, the report draws attention to skills gaps
Aims and Scope and emphasizes the importance of research training of university graduates, especially in the
field of science and engineering, as they lay the foundation for innovation. In order to achieve
improvements in Austria, it has been conducted a “system evaluation” which presents three
areas that need to be improved: the number of companies that regularly engage in innovation
activities remains small; research spending is concentrated upon a small group of companies;

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the educational system does not provide the necessary support for innovation.
To conclude, BMVT calls for a strategic change to Austrian innovation policy.
The Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology (BMVIT) has developed this
study relying on previous analysis such as “a thorough examination of the Austrian research
Actors /
funding system” that have been made by Austrian’s Universities and other partners. These
commitment
analyses provide the basis upon which the BMVIT will initiate and support the forthcoming
reforms.
Time horizon 2020
There is no explicit reference to the use of S&FT, but those technologies are an underlying key
S&FT references
enabler for the Key Areas of Research Technology pointed out.
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4.1.2. Denmark – Manufacturing 2025

Manufacturing 2025 is meant to inspire Danish companies in their search for innovative solutions
that will contribute to the development of competitive production based in Denmark. It examines
how manufacturing companies of the future might look like and the consequent knowledge
Aims and Scope
requirements. The examination thus provides an outline of what is required for Denmark to
maintain a strong and competitive manufacturing sector in 2025. The publication shows how
manufacturing companies in a Danish context can organise their resources and efforts to obtain
13 EU Countries perspective over S&FT

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an advantage in global competition by exploiting the special competences and business

conditions that characterise Danish society. On the basis of the Danish advantages and
challenges, five future scenarios of profitable and sustainable manufacturing in Denmark in 2025
have been elaborated. A common feature of these five scenarios is that production provides an
important framework for product development and innovation. The five scenarios are proposals
for successfully maintaining knowledge and innovative ability in Denmark.
This publication is supported by the Industrial Fund for Educational Development and
Actors / Cooperation and the Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation. Behind the study
commitment there are five Danish manufacturing companies, three universities and the two largest labour
market organisations.
Time horizon 2025
“The virtual business connects the best global competences in virtual networks in order to quickly
and effectively exploits more business opportunities and pools its resources of business creation,
innovations, distribution, and production.” [Page 29]
S&FT references “The virtual business exists for as long as the product exists or a profitable business can be
created.” [Page 29]
“Explore the concept of ’the virtual business’, including technology enablers, culture, etc.” [Page
29]
4.1.3. Finland – Finland’s regional development strategy 2020

The Finnish Regional Strategy 2020 describes the challenges facing regional development in the
2010s and presents visions for the state of the Finnish regions and for the aims of nationwide
regional development of the year 2020. The report is divided into two sections. The first section
contains a reasoned regional development vision for the year 2020 and the basic principles of its
implementation. This vision consists of an overall vision that is supported by thematic visions,
principles for the implementation of the development strategy and propositions for strategic
Aims and Scope
measures for the coming years. The second part of the regional Strategy 2020 consists of
background material prepared for the presented vision. It contains an extensive analysis of the
development trends of 2010s and their regional implications. These trends, developments and
challenges are considered as phenomena that affect the regions of Finland. In addition to major
trends, the memorandum takes notice of other important trends affecting regional development
and the evolution of government structure.
In 2008 the Ministry of Employment and the Economy set up a working group to prepare the
Actors / strategy for Regional Development until 2020. The working group was chaired by Veijo Kavonius,
commitment Director for Regional Development of the Regional Strategy Group in the Ministry of Employment
and the Economy’s Regional Development Unit.
Time horizon 2020
S&FT references There is no explicit reference to the use of S&FT. ICT is an underlying key enabler.

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4.1.4. France - France Europe 2020, a strategic agenda for research, technology transfer and
innovation
Aim and Scope Through this Agenda, the aspiration is to collectively set out the priority areas for progress in

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knowledge and technology, taking into consideration the key challenges which the Nation faces,
and to lay down the foundations needed for them to be implemented. The central aim of the
“France Europe 2020” Agenda is to enable all areas of French research to better take on the
scientific, technological, economic and societal challenges of the decades to come.
The study was conducted by the scientific community, social and economic partners, the relevant
Ministries and local authorities. The National Research Strategy will be revised regularly, under
Actors /
the coordination of the Ministry of Research, and will be implemented through multi-year
commitment
contracts concluded with research institutions, higher educations institutions, the National
Research Agency’s (ANR) planning department, and other public research funding agencies.
Time horizon 2020
“The digital sciences and technology have become the central nervous system to enterprises and
companies. They have become and unimpeachable part of the lives of virtually every French
citizen.” [Page 51]
“Digital is also a tool serving all sciences and all technologies. Digital simulation makes it
possible to bring about spectacular strides in many scientific disciplines.” [Page 51]
“Digital simulation and big data mining are key enabling technologies and represent major issues
S&FT references
for scientific and technological research, innovation and the nation’s competitiveness.” [Page 51]
“The training offered in digital professions must thus be kept up, especially as Europe estimates
that the lack of qualified personnel in this sector at 700.000, and between 7.000 and 10.000 in
our country.” [Page 51]
“Modelling and predicting the development of ecosystems to better support the ecological
transition.” [Page 13]

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4.1.5. Germany – Industrie 4.0

The first three industrial revolutions came about as a result of mechanisation, electricity and IT.
Now, the introduction of the Internet of Things and Services into the manufacturing environment
is ushering in a fourth industrial revolution. In the future, businesses will establish global networks
that incorporate their machinery, warehousing systems and production facilities in the shape of
Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS). In the manufacturing environment, these Cyber-Physical
Aim and Scope Systems comprise smart machines, storage systems and production facilities capable of
autonomously exchanging information, triggering actions and controlling each other
independently. The smart factories that are already beginning to appear employ a completely
new approach to production. In Industrie 4.0, dynamic business and engineering processes
enable last-minute changes to production and deliver the ability to respond flexibly to disruptions
and failures on behalf of suppliers, for example. In addition, Industrie 4.0 will address and solve

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some of the challenges facing the world today such as resource and energy efficiency, urban
production and demographic change. Industrie 4.0 enables continuous resource productivity and
efficiency gains to be delivered across the entire value network. It allows work to be organised in
a way that takes demographic change and social factors into account. Flexible work organisation
will enable workers to combine their work, private lives and continuing professional development
more effectively, promoting a better work-life balance. In order to shift from industrial production
to Industrie 4.0 relies on the following overarching aspects:
 Horizontal integration through value networks
 End-to-end digital integration of engineering across the entire value chain
 Vertical integration and networked manufacturing systems
Furthermore, the Industrie 4.0 Working Group believes that action is needed in the following eight
key areas: Standardisation and reference architecture, managing complex systems, a
comprehensive broadband infrastructure for industry, safety and security, work organisation and
design, training and continuing professional development, regulatory framework, resource
efficiency.
http://www.acatech.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Baumstruktur_nach_Website/Acatech/root/de/
Material_fuer_Sonderseiten/Industrie_4.0/ Final_report__Industrie_4.0_accessible.pdf
Industrie 4.0 is a strategic initiative of the German government that was adopted as part of the
High-Tech Strategy 2020 Action Plan in November 2011. It was launched in January 2011 by the
Actors / COMMUNICATION Promoters Group of the Industry- Science Research Alliance (FU). Its initial
commitment implementation recommendations were formulated by the Industrie 4.0 Working Group between
January and October 2012 under the coordination of Acatech – National Academy of Science
and Engineering.
Time horizon 2020
“The Industrie 4.0 Working Group recommends the establishment of a Working Group under the
auspices of the Industrie 4.0 Platform to deal exclusively with the topic of modelling as a means
of managing complex systems, particularly in the realm of manufacturing engineering.” [Page 46]
“Explanatory models describe existing systems in order to acquire knowledge about the system
through the model. This typically involves using different analysis such as simulation. For
example, simulation can be used to calculate a factory’s energy consumption. Explanatory
models are often used to validate engineers’ design choices”. [Page 42]
“Models are a representation of a real or hypothetical scenario that only include those aspects
that are relevant to the issue under consideration”. [Page 42]
“Modelling can act as an enabler for managing this growing complexity” [pag 42]
“The use of models constitutes an important strategy in the digital world and is of central
importance in the context of Industrie 4.0”. [Page 42]
S&FT references “One major challenge for Industrie 4.0 will therefore be to raise awareness of models’ potential
among the wider engineering community and equip engineers with methods and tools for using
appropriate models to depict real-world systems in the virtual world.” [Page 42]
“Models and simulation can only be carried out by qualified experts. It is therefore important
that the relevant companies should provide these experts with the appropriate career
opportunities.” [Page 53]
“In this regard, modelling plays a key role in managing the increasing complexity of
technological systems” [Page 29]
“…as a matter of priority with a view to developing methodologies and pilot applications in the
field of automation engineering modelling and system optimisation” [page 28]
“The services and applications provided by CPS platforms will connect people, objects and
systems to each other and will possess several features. On them is the support for collaborative
manufacturing, service, analysis and forecasting processes in business networks.” [Page 24]

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4.1.6. Ireland - Making it in Ireland: Manufacturing 2020

This report clearly sets out the potential for manufacturing in Ireland. It has been informed by
people who are directly involved in manufacturing and captures their belief in the importance of
the making of things to Ireland’s economic recovery. The report provides a baseline analysis,
Aim and Scope
sets out the areas of opportunity for manufacturing in Ireland across sectors and activities, places
a focus on the indigenous sector, and details the supporting business environment for
manufacturing.
The study was commissioned to Forfás, which is the Ireland’s policy advisory board for
Actors / enterprise, trade, science, technology and innovation. Forfás has consulted extensively with
commitment industry, enterprise development agencies, academia and key stakeholders in developing this
strategy.
Time horizon 2020
“Smart Factories offer agile manufacturing (flexibility and short-time cycles) and customisation
involving process automation control, planning, simulation and optimisation technologies,
robotics, and tools for sustainable manufacturing; Smart factories are underpinned with Lean and
S&FT references ICT systems, characterised as energy efficient, reliable, and cost-effective production
operations.” [Page 5]
“Digital Factories offer greater simulation, modelling, evaluation and knowledge management and
deliver enhanced Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) from the product concept level through

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to manufacturing, maintenance and disassembly/recycling; and facilitate better real-time decision

making and quality control throughout the production process.” [Page 5]
“…Technologies encompass those used in the production process (including analytics,
simulation, modelling, Lean techniques, CNC47, Computer Integrated Manufacturing etc.) as well
as Information and Communications Technologies (Tracking & Tracing, Customer Relationship
Management, Open Innovation etc.).” [Page 31]
“The greater use of ICTs in production processes facilitates greater quality management and
control, enhanced efficiencies, optimisation of energy and waste reduction through real time
analytics, modelling and simulation.” [Page 13]
“Virtual Factories are global networked operations built on pervasive ICT systems. Seamless
integration of intelligence from all aspects of the business (regardless of where located and
including external partners and suppliers) facilitate and drive decision-making. In simple terms, a
complex global network of operations functions as one.” [Page 5]

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4.1.7. Latvia – Sustainable development strategy of Latvia until 2030

The development of this strategy began with the analysis of global development tendencies and
their impact on Latvia. These factors strongly influence the challenges and threats that the
country has to consider, and besides, they may outline new opportunities available.
On the basis of the base value of the resources accessible in Latvia, there will be identified
Aim and Scope
solutions, which reduce threats, use the opportunities as much as possible and transform the
things, which have been viewed before as threats, into new opportunities.
To do so, the study pays particular attention on environmental, social and economic issues,
which are closely interrelated and should be solved jointly.
This project has included the work of a group of experts led by the associate professor Roberts
Actors /
Kīlis, in accordance with the task of the Ministry of Regional Development and Local
commitment
Government.
Time horizon 2030
S&FT references There is no explicit reference to the use of S&FT.
4.1.8. Netherlands – Global Challenges Dutch solutions

The document emphasizes Netherlands’ Top Sectors which are strictly related to the societal
challenges emerged from Horizon 2020. The Top Sectors policy aims to strengthen the position
of nine economic sectors in which the Netherlands has a leading position internationally. It sets
out an integrated policy for each sector. The key basic components of this integrated approach
are: research and innovation, human capital, regulatory framework and the international
Aim and Scope
dimension. There are a numbers of reasons why it is important that the Top Sectors address the
societal challenges identified by Horizon 2020. Firstly, many of these challenges have pan-
European and even global relevance, and individual countries cannot deal with them alone.
Secondly, it will enable the Netherlands to benefit from the knowledge available in other Member
States
For the research and innovation aspect, each Top Sector has signed an innovation contract,
setting out what the priorities of the Top Sectors are in this field and which parties are
Actors / responsible for which activities. Based on the innovation contracts, the Netherlands Organisation
commitment for Scientific Research (NWO), the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW)
and institutes of applied science (united under the flag of TO2), started programming their
research.

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Time horizon 2020

“With the Design roadmap, the top sector creative industries is working on the application of light
design for a safer built environment and crowd control. Research is developing lighting scenarios
that make a contribution to de-escalation in emergency situations. The roadmap Games is
focusing on serious games, which involves training and simulation to prepare for threatening
situations; this is an important part of training for people working in the security sector.” [Page 51]
“The ‘clean water’ programme in the roadmap Nanotechnology focuses on nanotechnology
applications in water, and in particular ensuring clean water. Innovation in ICT and innovative use
of ICT contributes to a more efficient use of raw materials (e.g. more digitisation means less
S&FT references paper) and more efficient production. Through the action line called "data, data, data" research is
being done for improved processing of large amounts of data. This is important for simulations in
climate models, among other things.” [Page 44]
“The crisis response will benefit from systems and organisations that are in tune with each other.
This project contributes to this by developing software, 3D simulations and advanced
technologies for interaction between humans and computers.” [Page 50]
“Monitoring dykes led to savings and deferred investment from water authorities. Less clay needs
to be used in the construction of dykes because the flood forecast system (Early Warning
System) is able to effectively find where weaknesses are located in the dyke.” [Page 41]
4.1.9. Netherlands – Smart Industry: Dutch industry fit for the future
This study was conducted in order to identify the challenges that the Dutch industry will face in
Aim and Scope the future with the transition towards the Smart Industry. The Dutch manufacturing industry is of
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have spent many efforts to engage with Smart Industry initiatives it is mandatory and possible to
do more. Starting to develop a common strategy which will ensure the competitive position in
European and global markets. The Smart Industry is the strategic vision of the future Dutch
industry that will entail high flexibility in production thanks to a network-centric approach and
relying on the value of information drive by ICT and innovative technologies. Furthermore, the
study shows that there is a major challenge to adapt new emerging ICT, data and production
technologies because this allow foster the production processes and the entire value chain.
This document was made using input from stakeholders across the country, collected by means
Actors / of in depth interviews, workshops and validation sessions. We are immediately grateful for the
commitment fantastic contributions from more than 100 companies, knowledge institutions, government
authorities and economic development organisations, called the triple helix.
Time horizon -
“Digitisation will be taken to the next level. It is not only about sharing information. It is also key to
further automation, together with next generation robots. New ways of pattern recognition, smart
data modelling and computational technologies can even lead to fully automated facilities and to
smart and automated ways to support production assistants.” [Page 19]
“Massive data generated by sensors and communicated across the value network, in
combination with information handling technologies such as big data, data mining and predictive
modelling, enables better control of production processes.” [Page 50]
S&FT references
“Through ‘computational technologies’, manufacturers can make a computer model of the
needed chemical properties, which are then sent to the factory.” [Page 45]
“ICT-related technology, including Internet of Things, cloud technology, big data and data
processing, embedded systems, cyber-physical systems, RFID, sensors. It concerns not only the
hardware, but also the software and “data science”. “ [Page 59]
“Cloud technology and Big Data solutions will collect, process, transport and store the massive
amounts of information sensed and communicated by billions of devices.” [Page 20]

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4.1.10. Sweden – Swedish production research 2020

The presented agenda is a joint vision of industry and academia towards the year 2020. This
agenda is designed to serve as a base for detailed research strategy, and it identifies a number
Aim and Scope
of challenges facing Swedish manufacturing industry and points out the necessary research to
overcome these challenges.

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The present document has been realised in collaboration with Swedish industry, academia and
research institutes to serve as a foundation for a strategy for Swedish production research
Actors / towards the year 2020. This agenda is also a result of a close collaboration between
commitment Teknikföregaten, The Swedish Production Academy and Swerea IVF, and has been realized by
Johan Stahre, Chalmers University of technology.
Time horizon 2020
“Simulations and virtual modelling are used to greatly reduce the time from design to production
and replaces the use of physical models and tests. These new IT-tools make it possible to
significantly shorten the development time for new products.” [Page 20]
“Methods for geometric simulation can also be used to create products that are less sensitive to
deviations in the geometry of single details, which in turn reduce the requirements for precision in
the manufacturing process. An important challenge is to create virtual models that have the
necessary yet manageable degree of specific detail to test new product constructions.” [Page 20]
”The development of decision support in the form of cost simulations is very important to be able
to develop products with a high productivity.” [Page 20]
“Simulation and visualisation tools can provide comprehensive overviews of very complex
technical system of machines, people, product flows, production systems, workshops, and
supplier networks. Virtual tools are therefore becoming increasingly effective support for co-
operation between different specialist functions and a way to radically decrease the risk of future
problems.” [Page 19]
“Methods and tools must also include efficient ways to collect correct information and data for
simulation models from the real production situation. A big challenge is to make the simulations
visualise predicted disturbances that often occur in real operative situations.” [Page19]
S&FT references
“Combinations of theoretical, practical and computer-aided learning are emerging fast, with tools
such as simulation technology.” [Page 19]
“Simulation and calculations for advanced manufacturing processes must be based on
experimental material and process data.” [Page 25]
“By developing process-like material characterisation it will be possible to increase the precision,
speed and broad application of the simulation.” [Page 25]
“Simulation of forming operations can make it possible for tools to give the desired result at the
first attempt and thereby avoid delays.” [Page 24]
“For a successful process simulation, and to be able to predict the process result, large
experimental research initiatives are necessary. A clear example of this is simulation methods for
cutting machining.” [page 24]
“Other important areas of research are advanced user interfaces, mobile and ”hidden”
information technology, social networks for problem solving, production ergonomics and virtual
representations of humans in production simulations.” [Page 18]
“Virtual tools are therefore becoming increasingly effective support for co-operation between
different specialist functions and a way to radically decrease the risk of future problems.” [Page
17]

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4.1.11. United Kingdom – The future of manufacturing

This report focuses on manufacturing, with a particular emphasis on the United Kingdom. The
main purposes of this study are:
 To identify and analyse important drivers of change affecting the UK manufacturing
sectors;
 To identify important challenges and opportunities that lie ahead and which require
Aim and Scope
action by Government and Industry;
 To advice how Government policy needs to be refocused and rebalanced so that it is
better positioned to support the growth and resilience of UK manufacturing over coming
decades. In so doing, a specific aim is to inform further development of the
Government’s industrial and sector strategies.
It has been developed by the Government Office of Science with the contribution of a multi-
Actors / disciplinary Lead Expert Group (300 leading business people from 25 countries) and an Industry
commitment High Level Stakeholder Group who oversaw the technical aspects of the project, under the
personal direction of the Government Chief Scientific Adviser.
Time horizon 2050
“Information and communications technology (ICT) - Modelling and simulation integrated into all
design processes, together with virtual reality tools will allow complex products and processes to
be assessed and optimized, with analysis of new data streams.” [Page 21]
“Big data and knowledge based automation – These will be important in the on-going automation
of many tasks that formerly required people. In addition, the volume and detail of information
captured by businesses and the rise of multimedia, social medial and the Internet of the things
will fuel future increases in data, allowing firms to understand customer preferences and
personalise products.” [Page 21]
S&FT references
“Advanced and autonomous robotics – Autonomous and near-autonomous vehicles will boost the
development of computer vision, sensors including radar and GPS, and remote control
algorithms. 3D measurement and vision will be able to adapt to conditions, and track human
gestures.” [Page 21]
“Cloud computing – Computerised manufacturing execution systems (MES) will work increasingly
in real time to enable the control of multiple elements of the production process. Opportunities
will be creates for enhanced productivity, supply chain management, resource and material
planning and customer relationship management.” [Page 21]

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4.1.12. Local Initiative compared with Pathfinder’s Areas

The road-mapping documents have been analysed in order to identify their structure and building elements
towards a direct comparison against the Pathfinder initiative to draw inspiration and for a conceptual

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harmonization and alignment. The national initiatives, where possible, have been mapped over the
Pathfinder Research Areas, as shown in the table below.
for high-tech performance RA1
RA2
RA3
Multi-level S&FT integration RA4
RA5
RA6
RA7
Crowdsourcing-based S&FT RA8

Multi-disciplinary and multi-
Smart, Intelligent and self-
Human-centred simulation-
computing
learning S&FT
management
based learning &training

domain integrated S&FT
S&FT for life-cycle
S&FT for real-time factory

Open and Cloud-based S&FT
controlling and monitoring

Denmark X
France X X
Germany X X X X X X
Ireland X X X X X X X
Netherlands X X X X
Netherlands2 X X X X X X
Sweden X X X X X
United Kingdom X X X X
4.2. Associations
In order to take into account multiple and diverse perspectives over future simulation technologies role, this
and the following paragraph provide a mapping of relevant associations and research key players who
distinguish themselves internationally for their competences and knowledge in S&FT. By highlighting their
competences and scopes, Pathfinder search for current gap and future challenges for simulation and
forecasting technologies is made consistent and shared among a larger group of stakeholders.
The following table points out the objectives of S&FT association at European Level
ESSA – The European Social Simulation Association

The European Social Simulation Association (ESSA) promotes the development of social simulation
research, education and application in Europe. Founded on a manifesto signed by many social simulation
researchers in 1993, the basis of the ESSA's Constitution was formed. ESSA has become the most
important hub of social simulation worldwide. By collaborating with CSSSA, the Computational Social
Science Society of the Americas, and PAAA, the Pacific Asian Association for Agent-based Approach in
Economic & Social Complex Systems, ESSA has promoted international initiatives to build a bridge
between regional groups and associations.
The objectives of ESSA are to:
 Encourage the development of social simulation in Europe and more widely
 Promote international cooperation and develop the distinctiveness of European social simulation
research
 Grow a new generation of social simulation researchers capable of improving traditional fields and

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discipline
 Promote educational initiatives and support the development of European post-graduate courses
and qualifications in social simulation
 Favour applied social simulation research that responds to important stakeholders’ needs
 Support and organize regular regional and international conferences and workshops.?
Link: http://www.essa.eu.org
EUROSIM - Federation of European Simulation Societies
EUROSIM, the federation of European Simulation Societies, was set in 1989. The purpose of EUROSIM is
to provide a European forum for regional and national simulation societies to promote the advancement of
modelling and simulation in industry, research and development.
EUROSIM member societies may be regional and/or national simulation societies. At present it has 14 full
members and 3 observer members.
Link: www.eurosim.info
EUROSIS - The European Multidisciplinary Society for Modelling and Simulation Technology
The aim of EUROSIS (The European Multidisciplinary Society for Modelling and Simulation Technology) is
to be the primary mover and initiator for and of European simulation and modelling projects, which bridge
the gap between academic and industry based simulation and modelling research in Europe. This, by
using the power of communication, dissemination of information and member sourcing.
Secondly EUROSIS aims at stimulating simulation and modelling projects in various fields in Europe and
beyond using its TC structure.
Link: http://www.eurosis.org
SCS – European Council
ECMS, The European Council for Modelling and Simulation is an independent forum of European
academics and practitioners dedicated to research, development, and applications of modelling and
simulation.
Link: www.scs-europe.net
ARGESIM - (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Simulation News) Working Group Simulation News
ARGE Simulation News (ARGESIM) is a non profit working group providing the infrastructure and
administration for dissemination of information on modelling and simulation in Europe. ARGESIM
organises:
 ARGESIM Benchmarks for Modelling Approaches and Simulation Systems
 Editing and publication of SNE - Simulation Notes Europe
 Summer School Simulation Technique
 Seminars on Simulation (TU Vienna)
 Administration of ASIM (German Simulation Society)
 Organisation of MATHMOD Conference Series
 Administration of EUROSIM - Federation of European Simulation Societies
Link: www.argesim.org
The following table points out the objectives of S&FT association at National Level
ASIM Arbeitsgemeinschaft Simulation Austria, Germany, Switzerland

ASIM (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Simulation) is the association for simulation in the German speaking area.
Organisationally, ASIM is a part of the GI - Gesellschaft für Informatik, the German Association for
Informatics. ASIM is governed by an executive board consisting of elected members and of heads
of Working Groups.
ASIM is organised in Working Groups:

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 Methods in Modelling and Simulation;

 Simulation in Environmental Sciences, Medicine and Biology;
 Simulation of Technical Systems;
 Simulation in Production and Logistics;
 Simulation of Traffic Systems;
 Simulation in Business Administration.
Link: http://www.asim-gi.org
CROSSIM – Croatian Society for Simulation Modelling Croatia
CROatian Society for SIMulation Modelling was founded on 28 March 1992 as a non-profit society with the
goal to promote knowledge and use of simulation methods and techniques, dissemination of information
and development of education and training in simulation, particularly through organization of meetings,
courses and workshops.
CSSS – Czech and Slovak Simulation Society Czech Republic, Slovakia
CSSS (The Czech and Slovak Simulation Society) has about 150 members in 2 groups connected to the
Czech and Slovak national scientific and technical societies (Czech Society for Applied Cybernetics and
Informatics, Slovak Society for Applied Cybernetics and Informatics - SSAKI). The main objectives of the
society are: development of education and training in the field of modelling and simulation, organising
professional workshops and conferences, disseminating information about modelling and simulation
activities in Europe to its members, informing the members about publishing in the field of modelling and
simulation. CSSS is a full member of EUROSIM since 1992.
Link: http://www.fit.vutbr.cz/CSSS/
DBSS – Dutch Benelux Simulation Society Belgium, The Netherlands
The Dutch Benelux Simulation Society (DBSS) was founded in July 1986 in order to create an
organisation of simulation professionals within the Dutch language area. DBSS has actively promoted
creation of similar organisations in other language areas. DBSS is a member of EUROSIM and works in
close cooperation with its members and is further affiliated with SCS International, IMACS, and the
Chinese Association for System Simulation and the Japanese Society for Simulation Technology.
FRANCOSIM – Société Francophone de Simulation Belgium, France
FRANCOSIM was founded in 1991 and aims to the promotion of simulation and research, in industry and
academic fields.
Francosim operates two poles:
 Pole “Modelling & simulation of discrete events systems”
 Pole “Modelling & simulation of continuous systems”
HSS – Hungarian Simulation Society Hungary
The Hungarian Member Society of EUROSIM was established in 1981 as an association promoting the
exchange of information within research, development, application and education of simulation in Hungary
and also contributing to the exchange of information between the Hungarian simulation community and the
simulation communities abroad. HSS deals with the organization of lectures, exhibitions, demonstrations,
and conferences.
ISCS – Italian Society for Computer Simulation Italy
The Italian Society for Computer Simulation (ISCS) is a scientific non-profit association of members from
industry, university, education and several public and research institutions with common interests in all
fields of computer simulation. Its primary purpose is to facilitate communication among those engaged in
all aspects of simulation for scientific, technical or educational purposes. ISCS, established in 1984, is a
member of EUROSIM Federation and through the years organized a number of scientific events, including
the EUROSIM Congress in 1992.
LIOPHANT SIMULATION – International modelling and simulation group Italy

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Liophant is a non-profit association born in order to be a trait-d'union among simulation developers and
users; Liophant is devoted to promote and diffuse the simulation techniques and methodologies; the
Association promotes exchange of students, sabbatical years, organization of International Conferences,
organization of courses and stages in companies to apply the simulation to real problems.
Link: http://www.liophant.org
PSCS – Polish society for computer simulation Poland
IMS is the Scandinavian Simulation Society with members from the four Nordic countries Denmark,
Finland, Norway and Sweden. The SIMS history goes back to 1959. SIMS is organised as federation of
regional societies. There are FinSim (Finnish Simulation Forum), MoSis (Society for Modelling and
Simulation in Sweden), DKSIM (Dansk Simuleringsforening) and NFA (Norsk Forening for
Automatisering).
Link: www.scansims.org
SLOSIM – Slovenian Society for Simulation and Modelling Slovenia
SLOSIM (Slovenian Society for Simulation and Modelling) was established in 1994 and became the full
member of EUROSIM in 1996. Currently it has 76 members from both Slovenian universities, institutes,
and industry. It promotes modelling and simulation approach to problem solving in industrial as well as in
academic environments by establishing communication and cooperation among the corresponding teams.
Link: www.slosim.si
UKSIM – United Kingdom Simulation Society UK, Ireland
The UK Simulation Society (UKSim) counts more than 100 members throughout the UK from universities
and industry. It is active in all areas of modelling and simulation and it holds an annual conference as well
as regular meetings and workshops.
Link: www.ducati.doc.ntu.ac.uk/uksim/
CEA SMSG Spanish Modelling and Simulation Group Spain
CEA is the Spanish Society on Automation and Control and it is the national member of IFAC in Spain.
Since 1968 CEA-IFAC looks after the development of the Automation in Spain, in its different issues:
automatic control, robotics, SIMULATION, etc. In order to improve the efficiency and to deep into the
different fields of Automation, the association is divided into thematic groups, concretely eight groups at
present. One of them is named “Modelling and Simulation”, constituting then the CEA-SMSG (CEA-IFAC
Spanish Modelling and Simulation Group), which looks after the development of the “Modelling and
Simulation” in Spain. This group works basically about all the issues concerning the use of Modelling and
Simulation techniques as essential engineering tools for decision-making.
Link: http://www.ceautomatica.es/en/portal
LSS – Latvia Society for Simulation Latvia
The Latvian Simulation Society has been found in 1990 as the first professional simulation organization in
the field of modelling and simulation in the post-Soviet area. Its members represent the main simulation
centres in Latvia, including both academic and industrial sectors, in particular, operating at Riga Technical
University, Latvian University, the Latvian University of Agriculture, Transport and Telecommunication
Institute, as well as at industrial companies DATI Exigen Group and Solvers, Ltd.
Link: http://www.itl.rtu.lv/imb/
SIMS - Scandinavian Simulation Society Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland
SIMS is the Scandinavian Simulation Society with members from the four Nordic countries Denmark,
Finland, Norway and Sweden. The SIMS history goes back to 1959.
SIMS is organised as federation of regional societies. There are FinSim (Finnish Simulation Forum),
MoSis (Society for Modelling and Simulation in Sweden), DKSIM (Dansk Simuleringsforening) and NFA
(Norsk Forening for Automatisering).
Link: www.scansims.org
ROMSIM – Romanian Modelling and Simulation Society Romania

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ROMSIM has been founded in 1990 as a non-profit society, devoted to both theoretical and applied
aspects of modelling and simulation of systems. ROMSIM currently has about 100 members from both
Romania and Republic of Moldavia.
The main objectives of ROMSIM are: development of new methods and instruments of modelling and
simulation of systems, development of new application of modelling and simulation of both natural
systems and those created by man, development of education and training in the field of modelling and
simulation of systems.
Another important objective of ROMSIM is organization of national scientific events in the field of
modelling and simulation and participation at international conferences. In April 1999 ROMSIM has been
accepted as an observer member of EUROSIM.
Link: http://www.romsim.ici.ro
BULSIM - Bulgarian Modelling and Simulation Associations Bulgaria
Bulgarian Modeling and Simulation Association – BULSIM is a non-profit organization for public benefit,
dedicated to spreading and recognition of the modelling and simulation “culture” in Bulgaria.
It was founded by experts from Bulgarian Academic institutions, Bulgarian universities, Government
organizations and representatives from IT companies with long standing experience in
Modeling&Simulations. BULSIM stands for enforcement of high professional standards, lofty moral, loyalty
and professionalism in Bulgarian specialists in modelling and simulation.
Link: www.bulsim.org
MIMOS – Italian movement for modelling and simulation Italy
MIMOS has been created from an initiative of a group of Italian operators in the simulation field; during an
informal meeting held in February 2000 in Turin, they agreed on the opportunity to increase the knowledge
on Modelling and Simulation in Italy by exchanging reciprocal experiences. The idea was to proceed with
the creation of a National Association on Modelling and Simulation acting as a reference point for all
Companies, Organisations and Users involved, in any way and form, in such a field. The term
Simulation is considered in a wide sense, including, besides the traditional training systems such as flight,
driving and ship manoeuvring simulators, those, in quick development, related to Virtual Reality, Synthetic
Environment and Virtual Prototyping, and to software modelling in the broadest applications. The
Association, born on March, 5th 2002, comprises members from Industry, Research Centres, Universities,
and Military Organisations. Beside their founders (Alenia Aeronautica SpA, Centro Ricerche FIAT,
Cetena-Fincantieri, Datamat SpA, Euclida Logistica Ipercoop, No Real, Politecnico di Torino, S.I.A.
Società Italiana Avionica, Università di Genova Dip. di Ingegneria della Produzione), MIMOS numbers
many individual members and several Corporate Members (i.e. Organisation supporting the initiatives of
the association.
Link: www.mimos.it
Simulation Team Italy
The Simulation Team was established in early third millennium for Leading a Pool of HiTech Institutions
active in Modelling & Simulation. The Simulation Team represents an Excellence Network involving top
quality international institutions and Simulation Team members are able to guarantee an unique capability
to develop multidisciplinary models for complex systems. Simulation Team is active in involved in the
organization of several among the Major World Conferences in M&S such as I3M. The Simulation Team
benefits from its structure, being able to support projects and initiative anywhere worldwide by direct
involvement of high qualified representative based on local reference member and with the strong
combined skills provided by the whole network. It provides a wide range of Innovative Products and
Services for markets including aerospace, communications, construction, defense, electronics,
engineering, health care, logistics, nutrition, petrochemical, power, retail, safety and security, shipping &
transportation. The Simulation Team puts Modeling and Simulation to work by creating Outstanding
Solutions Essential to a Better, Safer, Healthier and Wealthier Life operating worldwide;
Link: www.simulationteam.com

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4.3. Centres of excellence

The identification of research centres of excellence is based on the resonance of produced scientific
publications and results. The mapping of the excellence in the S&FT research supports the identification of
the centre of gravity for the various topics that pose as a reference when weighting research priorities
identification.
MISS-LSIS - Laboratories des Sciences de L’Information et des France, Marseille

Systèmes
With the establishment of the McLeod Institute of Simulation Sciences, LSIS Marseille creates a center of
excellence in computer simulation. Through the creation of the Institute the LSIS Marseille recognizes a
unique opportunity to develop a widely recognized institute engaging in state the art simulation research
and instructional activities by virtue of a critical mass of exceptional faculty available to contribute to this
effort. The establishment of the Institute provides a mechanism through which faculty from various
disciplines and their students and associates can bring their talents to bear in the general area of
computer simulation or can seek help with the application of simulation to new areas.
The Laboratory consists of 5 research teams:
 COSI: Control and Simulation
Research topics: design of knowledge-based systems - modelling and simulation - industrial
automation.
 IMS: Engineering, Mechanics, Systems
Research topics: integrated and cooperative design and engineering - machines and intelligent
systems.
 INCA (Inference, Constraints et Applications)
Research topics: logical representation of knowledge and simulation of reasoning in IT systems -
automatic demonstration and constraint satisfaction.
 INCOD: Distributed Information and Knowledge
Research topics: design, cooperation, integration of component-based information systems, multi-
agent simulation - security and cognition.
 LXAO: Computer-aided Modelling, Design and Reconstruction
Research topics: modelling and control of forms - segmentation and recognition of forms - coherence
of geometrical models.
Other cluster of projects by domain of LSIS (related to Pathfinder):
 MOFED (Modèles et Formalismes à évéenements discrets)
The research project Discrete Event Models and Formalims (DEMoF) aims to develop methodologies
for design, verification and validation of discrete event models.
 IA3D (Application of Artifical Intelligence in 3D scan)
 G-Mod (MODélisation Gémétrique)
Research topics: mesh processing and characterization, detection of characteristic lines, Digital
Terrain Model, subdivision surfaces, parametric curves and surfaces, reconstruction.
 SimGraph (SIMulation GRAPHique)
Research topics: Image Data Fusion, Image Analysis, Simulation, Pattern Recognition, Augmented
Reality, Virtual Reality, Remote Sensing, Industrial Vision, Video Watching
 DYNI (DYNamiques de l’Information)
Research topics: Information Dynamics, Integration Dynamics, Content Based Information Retrieval,
Prediction, Machine Learning, XML Extension, Data Bases, Signal Processing, Artificial Perceptual
Intelligence, Neurophysiology, Deep Learning, Semantic Gap, Cognition
 CODEP (COnnaissances, Decisions, Pilotage )
Research topics: cognitive engineering, knowledge engineering, Game Theory, Multicriteria Analysis,
Monitoring, Risk Management, Human Machine Interfaces, holonic systems, supply chains.
Link: http://www.lsis.org

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ICSS – Institute for complex systems simulation UK, University of Southampton

The Southampton Institute for Complex Systems Simulation (ICSS) provides a stimulating home for
interdisciplinary research that combines complex systems ideas and tools with computational methods in
order to address challenges within key application domains:
 Physical & Engineered Systems Domain
 Biological & Environmental Domain
 Socio-Economic & Socio-Technological
The Institute's application domains are unified in two important ways. First, they share a common concern
with understanding how high-level phenomena arise from low-level interactions. Second, each application
domain relies increasingly upon sophisticated simulation modelling to interpret data, understand emergent
phenomena, generate theory and hypotheses, direct experimentation, optimise design, and predict system
behaviour.
The Physical & Engineered Systems Domain, which is the most related domain to the Pathfinder’s project,
is divided into eight research themes:
 Complex Software Systems
 Electrical Energy Systems
 Multi-agent Systems
 Nanodevices and Self Assembly
 Quantum Dynamics and QCD
 Systems design and optimisation (most related with pathfinder)
 Transport and infrastructure
 Turbulence
The Systems design and optimisation theme is intended to model and simulate products’ in order to
predict behaviour. Computer simulation is the better way to reduce expensive physical testing. In this way,
"value" metrics that trade off product performance, noise, emissions, cost, maintainability, flexibility, etc.,
are defined, modelled and understood, and can be used to optimise systems holistically.
Link: www.icss.soton.ac.uk
M&SRG-ETH - Modelling & Simulation Research Group (part of the ICOS Switzerland, Zürich
unit of the Computer Science Department at the ETH in Zurich)
The Modeling & Simulation Research Area forms part of the ICOS unit of the Computer Science
Department at the ETH in Zurich.
Research Areas:
 Object Oriented Modelling of Physical Systems Using Bond Graphs: primary applications areas
includes electronics, 3d mechanical systems and thermodynamics;
 Modelling of Ill-defined Systems Through Fuzzy Inductive Reasoning: primary application areas
include biomedical systems, water distribution networks, and macroeconomic models;
 Mixed Symbolic and Numerical Solution of Differential and Algebraic Equation Systems.
MSC-LES - Modeling & Simulation Center - Laboratory of Italy, University of Calabria
Enterprise Solutions
The Modeling & Simulation Center - Laboratory of Enterprise Solutions (MSC-LES) is a research
laboratory at Department of Mechanical, Energy and Management Engineering of University of Calabria,
Italy. The main goal of MSC-LES is the development of innovative ways to use Modelling & Simulation
(M&S) to achieve new scientific advances in different application areas.
Research areas:
The MSC-LES research activities concentrates on Industry (with specific applications in manufacturing
and production systems design and management), Logistics (logistics nodes design and supply chain
management) and Defense (human behaviour modelling and multi-coalition systems). Advanced
simulation models based on different simulation paradigms and architectures are developed both for

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decision-making and for training and education in complex systems.

Research Team:
The MSC-LES research team work with many national and international partners and it is fully involved in
different research projects; it supports the organization of the major international conferences in the area
of M&S and, every year, promotes different International Journals special isssues for diffusing the latest
research advances in the M&S area.
The MSC-LES is member organization of the most important M&S networks worldwide including
Simulation Team (a pool of HiTech world-wide institutions active in M&S), MS&Net (the McLeod Modelling
& Simulation Network) a consortium of co-operating independent organizations active in professionalism,
research, education, and knowledge dissemination in the modelling and simulation (M&S) domain and
Liophant Simulation, a non-profit association born in order to be a trait-d'union among simulation
developers and users.
MSRC-Örebro - Modelling and Simulation Research Center Örebro University, Sweden
The Modelling and Simulation Research Center (MSRC) focuses on modelling and simulation in many
forms and thus bundles expertise in an interdisciplinary stimulating environment. There is also a research
school currently consisting several PhD and master students doing their research in various applications,
using different methods in modelling and simulation. The research centre serves as a creative place where
academic research meets with applied research and development in industry. The research centre -
founded in 2007 - is located at the Campus Alfred Nobel in Karlskoga. Nevertheless it is part of the
University of Örebro where it belongs to the strong research environment of the School of Science and
Technology. Additionally, one can find already today a scientific tradition and strong high-technology
knowledge in the region. The cooperation with the local industry, together with different other education
facilities embeds the research school into a strong, dynamic environment.
Research areas:
 Multi-Agent Simulation: It basically means to use the concepts of Multi-Agent System for
designing a simulation model. Typical domains are landuse simulation, traffic and transportation,
social science, economic system analysis, hybrid human-machine systems, gaming,...
 CAD technology: The area of Computer Aided Design (CAD), incorporates methods and software
design to accomplish generation of numerical models of 3-dimensional (3D), e.g., mechanical
parts. The research is focused on (3D) measuring technology and automatic Geometric Reverse
Engineering (GRE) of known and unknown objects.
 Wire technology: the research is focused on the wire drawing process and especially steel wire
drawing, but we have carried out research on related issues as; heat treatment, wire rod
preparation and rolling.
Link: http://www.oru.se/mos/
VERSIM - VERs une théorie de SIMulation (towards a simulation theory). VERSIM French
is part of the French research group I3 of the French CNRS (National Center of
Scientific Research)
VERSIM objectives:
 to identify the elements common to future French research about Modelling and Simulation and
about Computer Aided System Theory;
 to describe the state of the art in France;
 to give the precise situation of M&S French research within the M&S international research;
 to participate in projects and form research networks;
 to establish multidisciplinary group;
 Being accessible for any researcher from any domain that uses or develops problem solution
methods based on simulation;
Link: http://www.lsis.org/versim/
Fraunhofer Society Germany
The Fraunhofer Society is a German research organization with 67 institutes spread throughout Germany,

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each focusing on different fields of applied science. It employs around 23,000 people, mainly scientists
and engineers, with an annual research budget of about €1.7 billion.
Fraunhofer promotes an alliance amongst 18 FHG institutes to pool expertise to address the development
and improvement of simulation techniques. http://www.simulation.fraunhofer.de/
Relevant research institutes (related to pathfinder):
IGD – Institute for computer Graphics Research:
The institute: Fraunhofer IGD is the world's leading institute for applied research in Visual Computing.
Visual Computing is image- and model-based information technology and includes computer graphics,
computer vision, as well as virtual and augmented reality.
The research teams develop prototypes and complete solutions based on customer-specific requirements.
Our research and development projects are directly applicable to current problems in the economy.
Research fields:
 Computer Graphics (CG)
 Modeling (MOD)
 Computer Vision (CV)
 (Interactive) Simulation (SIM)
 Human Computer Interaction (HCI)
The institute: Fraunhofer SCAI develops innovative methods in Computational Science and
actively supports their take-up in industrial practice. The Institute combines mathematical
and computational knowledge with a focus on algorithms – bringing benefits to customers and partners
Research fields:
Simulation Engineering, Numerical Software, Bioinformatics, Optimization, High Performance
Analytics, Virtual Material Design, Computational Finance, Numerical Data-Driven Prediction,
Meshfree Multiscale Methods.
The institute: The Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM supports companies in the
development and optimization of products, services, communication and working processes.
Research fields:
Transport processes, flow and material simulation, image processing, optimization, system
analysis prognosis and control, financial mathematics, mathematical methods in dynamics and
durability, competence center high performance computing.
Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya – Kowledge Engineering and Machine Learning Spain
Group - KEMLG
The Knowledge Engineering and Machine Learning group (KEMLg) belongs to the Software Department
(LSI) of the Technical University of Catalonia (UPC). The group has been active in the artificial intelligence
(AI) field since 1988.
Research fields:
 knowledge representation, ontologies, the semantic Web and Web services;
 software agents, electronic institutions and multi-agent systems;
 intelligent decision support systems;
 Machine Learning/Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining;
 Bayesian networks;
 case-based reasoning;
 knowledge-based systems;
 knowledge acquisition and knowledge discovery from structural analysis;
 simulation and analytical models.
DFKI – German Research Center for Artifical Intelligence German
The institute:

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The German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence, with sites in Kaiserslautern, Saarbrücken, Bremen
(with an associated branch in Osnabrück) and a project office in Berlin, is the leading German research
institute in the field of innovative software technology. In the international scientific community, DFKI ranks
among the most recognized "Centers of Excellence" and currently is the biggest research
center worldwide in the area of Artificial Intelligence and its application in terms of number of employees
and the volume of external funds.
Research fields
 Cyber-Physical Systems:
This research area includes circuit and system design, software development and dedicated
applications of cyber-physical systems.
 Agent and Simulated Reality:
The research department Agents and Simulated Reality (ASR) conducts research in the areas
visual computing, multi-agent systems and formal methods for safe and secure systems in the
context of interactive 3D simulations and visualizations as well as other applications. Using
Simulated Reality, real-world scenarios can be accurately depicted and predictions about their
behavior can be made.
 Augmented vision:
The core activity of the research group “Argumented vision” is the development of innovative
solutions in the fields of: computer vision, sensor interpretation and fusion, human-centred
visualization, virtual and augmented reality.
The interest towards S&FT is spread all over Europe, with a higher presence of reference points in Germany,
France, Italy, Spain and the UK. The mapping of research centres of excellence and their competences
leads to the identification of links with the Pathfinder Research Areas as shown in the following table.
RA4
RA5
RA6
RA7
RA8
RA1
RA2
RA3
Smart, Intelligent and self-learning

high-tech performance computing
Human-centred simulation-based
Open and Cloud-based S&FT for
S&FT for life-cycle management

Multi-disciplinary and multi-
Multi-level S&FT integration
Crowdsourcing-based S&FT
controlling and monitoring
S&FT for real-time factory
domain integrated S&FT
learning &training
S&FT
MISS-LSIS (France) X X X X X X X
ICSS (UK) X
M&SRG-ETH (Swiss) X
MSC-LES (Italy) X X
MSRC (Sweden) X
Fraunhofer society (Germany) X X X X
KEMLG (Spain) X X
DFKI (Germany) X X X X X X
VERSIM (French) X X X

5. Pathfinder Vision – A three layers approach
Pathfinder specifically focuses on the role of Simulation and Forecasting Technologies and does not propose
a new vision for manufacturing as a whole. Pathfinder thus embraces the current efforts achieved by
accredited industrial, institutional and academic groups, in the definition of a Manufacturing Vision for 2020.
The roadmap proposes a three layer vision on SF&T that is progressively more detailed and takes up the
efforts made by the aforementioned stakeholders.
5.1. Layer 1 - Manufacturing vision for 2020

The long term direction embraced by Pathfinder is consistent with the one anticipated within the “Factories of
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the Future Strategic Multi-Annual Roadmap” developed within EFFRA . Four paradigms have been there
identified as to guide the transformations of European Manufacturing:
I - Factory and Nature -> green - sustainable production
- Lowest resource consumption
- Closed loops for products
- Production and scares resources
- Sustainability in materials and production processes
II - Factory and the Neighbourhood -> production close to the worker and to the customer
- Manufacturing close to people (in cities / metropolitan areas)
- Factory integrated and accepted in the living environment
III - Factories and the value chain -> collaborative production
- Highly competitive distributed manufacturing (flexible, responsive, high speed of change)
- Design oriented products, mass customized products
- Integration of the product and process engineering
IV - Factory and Humans -> human centred production
- Human oriented interfaces for workers: process-oriented simulation and visualization
- Products and work for different type of skilled an aged labour, education and training with IT-Support
- Regional balance: work conditions in line with the way of life, flexible time- and wage- systems
- Knowledge development, management and capitalization
Pathfinder envisions current challenges and future role of Simulation and Forecasting Technologies as a key
lever to empower this long term vision (Fig. 2)
Fig. 2 - Factory of the Future layer

Within the “Factories of the Future Strategic Multi-Annual Roadmap”, three cluster of manufacturing
challenges are identified. Those challenges need to be efficiently addressed in order for the long term vision
to come true:
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EFFRA – European Factories of the Future Research Association. Factories of the Future Strategic Multi-Annual Roadmap.
www.effra.eu

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I - Economic sustainability of manufacturing

- Addressing economic performance across the supply chain
- Realising reconfigurable, adaptive and evolving factories capable of small scale production
- High performance production, combining flexibility, productivity, precision and zero-defect while
- remaining energy- and resource-efficient Resource efficiency in manufacturing - including addressing
the end-of-life of products.
II - Social sustainability of manufacturing
- Increase human achievements in future European manufacturing systems
- Creating sustainable, safe and attractive workplaces for ‘Europe 2020’
- Creating sustainable care and responsibility for employees and citizens in global supply chains
III - Environmental sustainability of manufacturing

- Reducing the consumption of water and other process resources
- Near to zero emissions, including noise and vibrations, in manufacturing processes.
- Optimising the exploitation of materials in manufacturing processes
- Co-evolution of products-processes-production systems or ‘industrial symbiosis’ with minimum need
- of new resources
In order to efficiently tackle the previously identified challenges and opportunities, the EFFRA roadmap
classifies 6 groups of key technologies and enablers for the factories of the future:
I - advanced manufacturing processes
II - mechatronics for advanced manufacturing systems
III - information and communication technologies
IV - manufacturing strategies
V - modelling, simulation and forecasting methods and tools
VI - knowledge-workers
The “Factories of the Future Strategic Multi-Annual Roadmap” identifies eventually the research priorities to be
addressed in order to develop the key technologies and enablers afore mentioned. Those priorities are
grouped in six domains:
DOMAIN 1 - Advanced manufacturing processes
DOMAIN 2 - Adaptive and smart manufacturing systems
DOMAIN 3 - Digital, virtual and resource-efficient factories
DOMAIN 4 - Collaborative and mobile enterprises
DOMAIN 5 - Human-centred manufacturing
DOMAIN 6 - Customer-focused manufacturing
Pathfinder focuses the fifth set of Key Technologies and Enablers (modelling, simulation and forecasting
methods and tools) and further details the research priorities addressed in Domain 3 and, to a lesser extent,
Domain 1, 4 and 6.
5.2. Level 2 - Industrie 4.0 vision

The high level vision afore introduced, that depicts the future relations among the factory, humans,
neighbourhood and value chain, must be framed in a lower level vision capable to endow it. Pathfinder
24
supports the foresight brought forward by the Industrie 4.0 Initiative , as a consistent framework for the actual
fulfilment of the Factory of the Future vision.
24
Recommendations for implementing the strategic initiative INDUSTRIE 4.0. Final report of the Industrie 4.0 Working Group.
www.plattform-i40.de
39 Pathfinder Vision
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Industrie 4.0 envisions a fourth industrial revolution. The first three industrial revolutions came about as a
result of mechanisation, electricity and IT. Now, powerful and autonomous microcomputers are increasingly
being wirelessly networked with each other and with the internet. This is resulting in the convergence of the
physical world and the virtual world in the form of Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS). CPS are ICT systems
(sensing, computing, actuating, communicating) embedded in interconnected physical objects providing
applications and services. This means that it is now possible to network resources, information, objects and
people to create the Internet of Things, Services and Brains. In the realm of manufacturing (where CPS
comprise smart machines, storage systems and production facilities capable of autonomously exchanging
information, triggering actions and controlling each other independently), this technological evolution is
described as the fourth industrial revolution. In conjunction with smart production, smart logistics, smart grids
and smart products, this revolution will transform value chains and lead to the emergence of new business
models.
Industrie 4.0 thus depicts the factory as part of a smart networked world (Fig. 3)
Fig. 3 - Factory as Part of a smart networked world
5.2.1. Future Factory Settings

Clear trends, shaping the future settings for manufacturing, can be derived from Industrie 4.0 analysis:
- Prevalence of Internet technologies also at manufacturing level. Communication everywhere and every time,
where future infrastructure will also support access to information without any specific installation /
parameterization needs.
- Prevalence of Cyber-Physical Systems for monitoring & controlling. Powerful, autonomous microcomputers
(embedded systems) increasingly wirelessly networked with each other along with the Internet allow the
convergence of the physical world and the virtual world (cyberspace) in the form of Cyber-Physical Systems.
- Big Data Everywhere (world, enterprise, shop-floor). The availability of technologies able to efficiently gather
and process large quantities of data and the increasing use of data-intensive technologies at every level of
the factory will enable a faster and more insightful decision-making.
- Increasing Complexity (also system of systems). Increasing functionality (e.g. coming from System of
Systems, that is a collection of task-oriented systems that pool their resources and capabilities together to
create a new, more complex system which offers more functionality and performance), increasing product
customization, increasingly dynamic delivery requirements, increasing integration of different technical
disciplines and organizations and the rapidly changing forms of cooperation between different companies
make more and more complex the products and their associated manufacturing systems.
- Vertical Collaboration (shop-floor and enterprise systems). End-to-end digital integration of actuator and
sensor signals across different levels right up to the ERP level will allow the setting of IT configuration rules
that make possible a case-by-case reconfiguration of the manufacturing structure that will not be fixed and
predefined anymore.
Pathfinder Vision 40
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- Horizontal Collaboration (system-to-system). New business strategies, value networks and business models
will exploit a higher, IT-based integration through different stages of the value chain to deliver end-to-end
solutions.
- Rapidly evolving technologies (additive manufacturing, high precision manufacturing, etc) and systems
(integration standards, no-vendor-lock, no monolithic systems, mobile system integration, etc.). The ever-
rapidly-changing technological infrastructure will lead to the use of flexible and non-monolithic IT systems
whose evolution is facilitated by the introduction of integration standards.
5.3. Level 3a - The evolution of the automation pyramid

The rapid advances in computational power, coupled with the benefits of the Cloud and its services, has the
potential to give rise to a new generation of service-based industrial systems whose functionalities reside in-
Cloud (Cyber) and on-devices and systems (Physical). Cloud-based CPS and SOA may lead to a new
information-driven infrastructure where the traditional hierarchical view is complemented with a flat
information-based architecture that depends on a big variety of services exposed by the CPS, and their
25
composition (on-device or in the cloud).
The Automation pyramid concept is used to describe the different system levels of an overall automation
26
solution (Fig. 4)
Fig. 4 – The automation pyramid

The current classical approach, as depicted above, has been recently addressed several times
27 28 29
(Manufuture2013 , ICT2013 conference , CPS workshop ) and deemed by RTD experts and industrial key
players to be inadequate to cope with current manufacturing trends and in need to consequently evolve.
Pathfinder acknowledges that CPS intrinsic existence defies the concept of rigid hierarchical levels, being
each CPS capable of complex functions across all layers. Pathfinder thus proposes an updated version of the
pyramid representation, where the field level features CPS capable of articulated functions (thus in contact
with all the pyramid layers) while still a hierarchical structure is preserved (Fig. 5).
25
A. W. Colombo, T. Bangemann, S. Karnouskos, J. Delsing, P. Stluka, R. Harrison, F. Jammes, and J. Lastra, (Eds.) Industrial Cloud-
based Cyber- Physical Systems: The IMC-AESOP Approach, Springer, 2014, ISBN: 978-3-319-05623-4, URL:
http://www.springer.com/engineering/production+engineering/book/978-3-319-05623-4.
26
IEC 62264, ISA-88.01, ISA-95
27
ManuFuture 2013 - www.manufuture2013.eu - Vilnius, 6th – 8th October 2013
28
ICT2013 Conference - ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/ict-2013 – Vilnius, 6th – 8th November 2013
29
Cyber-Physical Systems: uplifting Europe’s innovation capacity. Brussels, 29th – 30th October 2013
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Fig. 5 - The evolved pyramid
5.4. Level 3b - Product & factory lifecycle and its digital representation
The representation of the factory and product lifecycles as per the picture below (Fig. 6) has been extensively
30 31
discussed (e.g. and later ) and it is today well understood. The horizontal set of arrows depicts the factory’s
life along the Design, Engineering, Construction and Ramp-up, Production, and Dismantling Refurbishment
phases. Simultaneously, the product, which will be manufactured in the factory, are traced vertically passing
through the main phases of its life cycle: Design, Product Development, Engineering, Production, Usage and
Service and the Recycling phase. The central part of Figure, the overlapping of the factory life-cycle and of the
product life-cycle is indeed the production phase. It is today widely accepted that Simulation and Forecasting
tools support simultaneously both the life-cycles.
Fig. 6 - Product and Factory life-cycles

Focusing on the Factory life-cycle (Fig. 7), at the very beginning the factory exists only in its digital
representation. Through the later phases, also the real factory comes into existence, defined by the digital
tools used. In production the real and digital factory interacts in order to make manufacturing possible and
efficient. While in the early phases the digital representation of the factory is prominent, it logically paves the
way for the real equipment development and role later in manufacturing.
30
Westkämper, E., Constantinescu, C.,and Hummel, V. “New Paradigm in Manufacturing Engineering: Factory Life Cycle”, Production
Engineering, 2006, 1,143-146.
31
P.Pedrazzoli, D.Rovere, C.Constantinescu, J.Bathelt, M.Pappas, P.Dépincé, G.Chryssolouris, C.R.Boër, E.Westkämper, “High value
adding VR tools for networked customer-driven factory”, 4rd International CIRP Sponsored Conference on Digital Enterprise Technology
2007
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Fig. 7 - Digital and Real Factory interaction over the factory life-cycle
The evolutionary concept of the automation pyramid, afore presented, refers to the production phase, as it
represents a novel CPS based manufacturing. The following picture (Fig. 8) provides a synoptic view over the
product-process life-cycles, the interaction of digital and real factory and the automation pyramid. The overall
framework of factory operations is defined by the future factory settings defined in paragraph 5.2.1.
Fig. 8 - Evolved pyramid in relation to the Factory and Product life-cycles
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5.5. Pathfinder synopsis

The high level vision presented in paragraph 5.1, that depict the future relations among the factory, humans,
neighbourhood and value chain, is embraced by Pathfinder, and recognized as the long term goal. This vision
must be positioned in a lower level framework, capable to endow it, as presented in paragraph 5.2 and
brought forward by the Industrie 4.0 Initiative. The accordingly envisioned Factory, whose production phase
happens at the cross-over intersection of product and factory life-cycles as presented in paragraph 5.4, bases
its manufacturing operations on the convergence of physical world and virtual world in the form of Cyber-
Physical Systems, framed in the contexts of the evolved automation pyramid, as depicted in paragraph 5.3.
This synoptical view is introduced in Fig. 9.
Fig. 9 - Pathfinder synopsis
6. Pathfinder roadmap
The Pathfinder Roadmap is intended to drive research and development activities in the Simulation and
Forecasting Technologies (S&FT) arena. To this end, the roadmap must develop, through the analysis of
current state of practice compared with the future state envisioned, a final list of research priorities to be
used by the key stake-holders.
This chapter is meant to present the roadmap building blocks and their interrelation, towards the effective
presentation of the identified challenges and research priorities for future S&FT. To this scope and to clearly
draw a shared path, the roadmap has been arranged into 7 logical blocks, hereinafter presented:
1. An analysis of trends, current road-mapping activities and national initiatives, set the basis for the
definition of the pathfinder vision.
2. The Pathfinder vision has been developed in such a way to be consistent with current road-mapping
efforts at national and international level (in order not to introduce a new vision on manufacturing
itself, but to embrace existing activities).
3. From the vision, the current trends and future envisioned state of Simulation and Forecasting
Technologies have been derived.
4. In parallel, the current state of market practice has been investigated.
5. By confronting the envisioned future state with the current state of market practice, the road-mapping
activity has defined the related gaps. These can be considered as the missing link between what is
currently available and the future envisioned manufacturing scenario.
6. Identified gaps, consolidated and grouped, are a main input for the identification of challenges that
are expected to arise for the S&FT innovation need.
7. The identified challenges will be faced by consistently addressing the research priorities identified.

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6.1. Block1 – Trends and previous roadmaps

This section presents the analysed roadmaps at European Level, while the national initiatives have been
presented into paragraph 4.1, in order to point out what are the elements concurring to the definition of their
research priorities, how they are linked to each other and how they impact on S&FT future development.
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Three prominent roadmaps have been taken into account: FOF2020 roadmap , ActionPlanT and
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IMS2020
6.1.1. Factory of the future 2020 (FOF2020)

The roadmap investigates the manufacturing world and tries to depict research lines to be followed in order
to support European companies in their evolutionary path towards 2020.
Grand societal challenges point out the main challenges that society as a whole has to deal with in the
future: it is recognized that manufacturing is a key enabler towards achievement of grand societal
challenges, because it provides the means to produce innovative products that address them over many
aspects. The impact of manufacturing evolution on these challenges has to be considered in a roadmap.
Along with grand societal challenges, the environment where manufacturing will be evolving is described by
means of the mega trends. They impact over manufacturing and drive structural changes in nearly all
sectors.
Both grand societal challenges and mega trends lead to the definition of manufacturing challenges. They
describe how the manufacturing of the future should look like in order to evolve harmoniously with the
society and, at the same time, to improve the competitiveness of European companies. These challenges
can be considered as target scenarios that need to be addressed by researchers and companies as well
when looking forward the evolution path to follow. There are three categories of challenges according to the
three dimensions of sustainability (economic, social and environmental).
The roadmap takes then into consideration innovative elements of a technological nature that need to be
developed as enablers (key technologies and enablers). They will empower and generate impact in terms
of challenges and opportunities. One enabler worth of mention in Pathfinder context is, for instance,
“Modelling, simulation and forecasting methods and tools”.
In order for key technologies and enablers to support the achievement of social challenges, they have to be
deployed through a set of research directions. Research & innovation priorities are thus the last and main
building block of the roadmap. The list of these topics is thought to drive the research in the manufacturing
field in the future. Six domains of priorities are identified and each one of them is further detailed in topics.
Out of them, the ones that explicitly address simulation and forecasting technologies have been extracted
and analysed, in order to defined Pathfinder Research Areas.
Main blocks of the framework of the FOF roadmap are shown in Fig. 10, along with their links as they have
been summarized in a mind map.
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http://effra.eu/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=85&Itemid=133
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http://www.actionplant-community.org/home/
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http://www.ims2020.net
Pathfinder Roadmap 46
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Fig. 10
Fig. 11 – FOF2020 reference schema
47 Pathfinder Roadmap
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6.1.2. ActionPlanT
ActionPlanT is a roadmap investigating how ICT has to evolve in order to support the manufacturing world.
Its focus is thus on identifying research lines related to ICT tools.
In first instance, megatrends are introduced to characterize the evolution of the competitive context. Both
socio-economic and technological megatrends are listed, but technological ones only are then taken into
consideration to develop the remaining part of the roadmap.
Whilst megatrends depict how the society is evolving, ambitions are the elements that define in a vision-like
way the main features of the manufacturing of the future. According to them, the manufacturing of the future
will be on-demand, green, human-centred, optimized and innovative. Ambitions need to be fulfilled through
the deployment of the research priorities identified by the roadmap itself.
A central building block of the roadmap is related to the definition of key recommendations. Taking a
technology-push approach, the roadmap derives a set of 15 key ICT recommendations from the four ICT
megatrends that can bring about disruptive changes in European manufacturing industry and open up new
channels of revenue generation for large enterprises and SMEs. They are identified thanks to the
involvement of experts and are categorized into three groups, namely operational-, content- and
consumption-related. A recommendation that is strictly related with Pathfinder is the following: “high
performance simulation and analysis in the cloud”.
Finally, the last block of the map is introducing the research priorities. They have an impact and, in turn,
are influenced by the technological megatrends, fulfil ambitions and implement key recommendations. In so
doing they are the fundamental element of this roadmap linking all the other blocks and providing hints on
how to innovate ICT tools field in order to support the manufacturing of the future. A research priority
identifies either ICT breakthroughs needed to overcome a certain existing problem in the manufacturing
domain or new revenue generation possibilities by introducing a new ICT recommendation.
Research priorities outline detailed implementation strategies for recommendations. Each research priority is
described in detail in the documents by listing:
 ICT research requirements (they represent the most detailed information about specific ICT elements
that need to be developed);
 industrial challenges (current obstacle to the manufacturing 2.0 implementation);
 potential outcomes;
 impact assessment on the level of achievement of the ambitions (ambition radar, impact factor,
technology readiness level)
Main blocks making up the framework of the ActionPlanT roadmap are shown in Fig. 12, along with their
links as they have been summarized in a mind map.
Fig. 12
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6.1.3. IMS2020
The roadmap has been developed within the IMS2020 project and focuses on the identification of relevant
manufacturing research topics and supporting actions which need to be fostered through international
cooperation between 2001 and 2013 that, when implemented, will allow the achievement if the IMS2020
vision.
The first block of this roadmap is the definition of the vision summarized into three elements:
 rapid and adaptive user-centered manufacturing, which leads to customized and eternal life cycle
solutions;
 highly flexible and self-organizing value chains, which enable different ways of organizing production
systems, including infrastructures, and which reduce the time between engaging with end users and
delivering a solution;
 sustainable manufacturing possible due to cultural change of individuals and corporations supported
by the enforcement of rules and a regulatory framework co-designed between governments, industries
and societies.
The second part of the roadmap is developed in such a way the fields of interest are detailed more and
more. First, 5 key research areas are identified: sustainable manufacturing, products and services; energy
efficient manufacturing; key technologies; standards and innovation, competence development and
education. Three different documents are then developed drafting as many roadmaps: one covering the
three first areas, one for the standard and one for the innovation, competence development and education.
A tree-like structure is then used to detail the three key areas into more detailed topics. More specifically, two
further levels are used: research actions and research topics.
Main blocks of the framework of the IMS roadmap are shown in Fig. 13, along with their links as they have
been summarized in a mind map.
Fig. 13
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6.1.4. Definition of the Pathfinder Research Area

By analysing the challenges and research priorities related with S&FT, pointed out by the analysed road-
mapping activities, the Pathfinder Research Areas have been defined. The following table summarizes the
commencing of the Research Areas with direct reference to the roadmap analysed.
Emerging Themes and Priorities from current Road-Maps Pathfinder Research

Areas
 Leveraging “infrastructure as a service” IaaS in cloud infrastructure for

simulation and analytical operations on factory data. Facilitating SMEs to
access high-performance simulation and analytical services through a
manufacturing app store (RP 2.3 ActionPlanT)
 Leveraging IaaS paradigms for clouds for processing complex simulation
and analytical algorithms (RP 2.5 ActionPlanT)
 A MBW deployment would open up possibilities to exploit the distributed RA1: Open and Cloud-
infrastructure using the IaaS paradigm for performing high-performance
simulation, forecasting, and analytics operations. (RP 4.1 ActionPlanT; based S&FT for High-
7.4.1 FoF 2020) performance
 Leveraging the cloud-computing IaaS offering to perform outsourced Computing
simulation and analytics, especially for the SMEs (RP 5.5 ActionPlanT)
 ICT solutions for technical and historical data storage and knowledge
mining for factory level operations are required that will analyze and
process the data collected from an integration of factory information
systems as well as product life-cycle management solutions. For
performing these high-performance simulation and analytics operations,
IaaS offered by cloud computing paradigms should be exploited in order to
particularly assist SMEs (7.3.3 FoF 2020)
 Develop multidisciplinary models and tools for designing flexible and easily
reconfigurable systems and machines, including dynamic simulation and
monitoring of consumption of energy and other resources(RP 1.1
ActionPlanT)
 Multidisciplinary modeling and virtual validation of manufacturing
equipment at design stage, including system-level simulation of
mechatronic systems and integration of models from different domains
prior to any actual manufacturing step, is the key for ensuring proper
performance of such equipment without involving unforeseen and
undesired reactive maintenance actions during their lifecycle. (7.1.9 FoF
2020)
 Modeling methods and tools are needed to support the configuration of RA2: Multi-disciplinary
production systems since the early conceptual design phase, where the and Multi-domain
selection of the production resources and the development of the entire Integrated S&FT
automation system are tackled. In this phase, different closed loop
simulation instruments, visualization tools, knowledge-based systems and
optimization algorithms should be applied and integrated according to the
available set of data and the expected level of details of the configuration
solution. (7.3.11 FoF 2020)
 Technologies and tools for rapid and cost effective modeling, simulation
and virtual prototyping that contribute to a deeper understanding, quick set
up and increased optimization of the behavior of machines, manufacturing
processes and products (IMS 2020 RT3.11)
 Sustainable supply chain design supported by serious games based on
powerful simulation technique.(IMS 2020 RT1.21)
 Methods and tools for design and simulation of de- manufacturing plants
RA3: S&FT for Life-cycle
along their lifecycle, separation technologies and new equipment (fixed or
Management
mobile) for dismantling, repairing and rebuilding. (7.3.14 FoF 2020)
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 Intelligent cognitive elements to learn, diagnostic features of the actual

situation of the systems in real time and develop in-situ simulations to
support modular assembly/disassembly production systems (IMS 2020
RT3.01)
 Development of simulation applications that support usability at different
levels from operators to managers, with different objectives - economic
performance, logistics, operation, energy consumption, etc. Collaborative
simulation tools and advanced visualization tools - such as dashboards,
reports and forecasts (RP 2.5 ActionPlanT)
 Holistic approaches for visualization of multi-scale models and simulation
results of manufacturing systems for better human understanding (RP 3.1
ActionPlanT; 7.5.8 FoF 2020)
 For all custom manufacturing, it is necessary to have quick realization from
design to production in one process step as well as economic production
systems down to single and small lot sizes. Research should also address RA4: Multi-level S&FT
the need for seamless data integration across the process chain (e.g. Integration
CAD, production planning, simulation and process) (7.1.1 FoF)
 Integrated multi-level simulation and analytics will facilitate enhanced
factory modeling by enabling views and interpretations from different
perspectives that are aimed at providing stakeholders with different
representations of relevant information (7.3.5 FoF 2020)
 Development of integrated, scalable and semantic virtual factory models
(7.3.12 FoF 2020)
 The integration of methods and tools requires interoperability between the
various models dealing with specific problem in the factory hierarchy.
(7.3.13 FoF 2020)
 Real-time simulation embedded in the control involving high-performance
computing (RP 1.3 ActionPlanT)
 Knowledge-based, intelligent and high-performance simulation tools for
production processes and energy consumption assessment (RP 2.3
ActionPlanT)Real-time data collection and analysis from assets, devices
and products for synchronization of real-world and virtual resources (RP
2.5 ActionPlanT)
 Global optimization and simulation algorithms for calculating KPIs and
understanding holistic parameters influencing supply networks (RP 4.6
ActionPlanT)
 Multi-criteria analysis and optimization based on new standardized virtual
model and eco-design related KPIs within the production-lifecycle
simulation tool (RP 5.2 ActionPlanT)
 Development of simulators using developed mockups during job RA5: S&FT for Real-Time
executions to have real-time control of continuing work (RP 5.5 Factory Controlling and
ActionPlanT) Monitoring
 The development of integrated scalable and semantic factory models with
multi- level access features, aggregation of data with different granularity,
zoom in and out functionalities, and real-time data acquisition from all the
factory resources (i.e. assets, machines, workers and objects) will enable
the implementation of support decision-making processes, activity planning
and operation controlling and facilitate faster ramp up through decreased
time- to-market for future factories. The semantic models should be holistic
in nature and be able to represent all levels of production functions and
equipment. For real-time data acquisition, the connectivity paradigm
offered by the IoT should be exploited and complemented with mobile
decision-making apps that will assist plant managers in getting a holistic
overview of KPIs computed on collected data (7.3.1 FoF 2020)
 Software-based decision-support systems as well as energy management,
monitoring and planning systems will lead to overall reduced energy
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consumption, more efficient utilization and optimized energy sourcing

(7.3.4 FoF 2020)
 Simulation models that represent the interaction between a production
machine and the related technological process including the processed
material will be able to forecast productivity and part quality in front of
varying environmental conditions and phenomena like wear and partial
damage in mechanical components or tools and dies. (7.3.10 FoF 2020)
 Multi-criteria analysis and optimization based on new standardized virtual
model and eco-design-related KPIs within the product life-cycle simulation
tools (7.6.2 FoF 2020)
 Developing a framework for lifecycle simulation and for digital mock-ups of
product and services in their environment in order to optimize product and
services value as well as impact from a financial, environmental and social
point of view (7.6.5 FoF 2020)
 Novel simulation and fast testing methodologies are also required to
assure that properties of such innovative products are compliant with
common product quality requirements (i.e. reliability, safety,
environmental-friendliness etc).(7.6.12 FoF 2020)
 Integrate simulation systems into MES and machine and process control.
To develop advanced tools for modeling integrated and optimized system
configurations that will be based on a mechatronic simulation with respect
of the expected performance (IMS 2020 RT3.02)
 New production systems can guarantee “zero-defect” parts through the
development of new manufacturing methods, the use of modeling and
simulation tools and/or the integration of monitoring and control
techniques.(IMS 2020 RT3.07)
 Develop supporting tools and methodologies such as, for example, “plug
and interoperate” devices, interfaces for interoperability, fast simulations
and re-programming tools, methods to improve the plant control, assembly
and disassembly aspects (IMS 2020 RT3.19)
 Self-learning systems to enable self-adaptation of simulation attributes
from historical and real-time data (RP 2.5 ActionPlanT)
 Predictive data analytics techniques should be developed to aggregate
and process the massive amount of data captured by intelligent devices
from the field on-the-fly (7.3.2 FoF 2020 RA6: Smart, Intelligent
and Self-learning S&FT
 Enterprises have to respond faster to demand and supply fluctuations and
increase forecasting capability on the one hand and reducing cycle time
and supply chain costs on the other (7.4.6 FoF 2020)
 Virtual and simulation environments for role game-based learning (RP 3.4
ActionPlanT)
 Real time life cycle assessment support thorough training of designers
RA7: Human-centred
supported by serious game/simulation (IMS 2020 RT1.03)
Simulation-based
 Methods and tools should be exploiting technologies such as VR/AR and Learning & Training
digital mannequins to support multi-criteria based process and layout
simulations and decision-making, on the basis of worker capabilities (7.5.3
FoF 2020)
 Semantic technologies for collecting, understanding and analyzing
customer expectations through social networks and HMI technologies -
such as visual, language-independent 3D model for customer's product
interaction, 3D simulation and comparison between models proposed by RA8: Crowdsourcing-
different designers, opinion and sentiment analysis using text mining and based S&FT
emotional recognition. Enhancement of demand-sensing technologies
leveraging social networks and the cloud, and demand models allowing
what-if simulations. (RP 5.4 ActionPlanT)
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6.2. Block2 – the vision

The role that S&FT will play in the future cannot be envisaged if not in conjunction with the European
manufacturing world evolution. In fact, S&FT represent one of the available enablers the manufacturing
relies on to move into the future and cannot be considered independently from the whole manufacturing
context. The development of the Pathfinder manufacturing vision as it has been described in Chapter 5 and
as it is here recalled in Fig. 14, finds now proper placement within the Roadmap structure.
Fig. 14 – Pathfinder Vision
6.3. Block3 – S&FT trends and future state

While Pathfinder is the first roadmap specifically focused on Simulation and Forecasting Technologies,
significant references to possible evolution in this area have been already introduced in previous roadmaps
(see paragraph 6.1.4. - Definition of the Pathfinder Research Area). This block, within the Pathfinder
roadmap, takes into account the Pathfinder vision, its envisaged settings for future manufacturing and the
previous roadmap contribution in order to provide a clear picture of the expected S&FT trends and future
state, grouped by the 8 Pathfinder Research areas.
Pathfinder Research Area Trends and future state

RA1: Open and Cloud-  Exploit IaaS in cloud infrastructure for high-performance and
based S&FT for High- complex simulation, forecasting and analytics
performance Computing  Facilitating SMEs to access high-performance and complex
simulation, forecasting and analytics through a manufacturing
app store
RA2: Multi-disciplinary and  Develop multidisciplinary models and tools for designing flexible
Multi-domain Integrated and easily reconfigurable systems, integrating models from
different domains able to monitor consumption of energy and
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S&FT other resources and prevent unforeseen and undesired reactive

maintenance
 Development of closed loop simulation tools to be used in the
design phase
 Use simulation for the sustainable supply chain design
RA3: S&FT for Life-cycle  Simulation tools for the de-manufacturing phase (dismantling,
Management repairing and rebuilding)
RA4: Multi-level S&FT  Multi-level simulation applications that support usability at
Integration different levels aimed at providing different representations of
relevant information (multi-level access features, aggregation of
data with different granularity, zoom in and out functionalities)
 Simulation tools enhancing data integration across the process
chain
 Advanced visualization tools for better human understanding
RA5: S&FT for Real-Time  Real-time data collection from all the factory resources and
Factory Controlling and synchronization of real-world and virtual resources
Monitoring  Knowledge-based and intelligent simulation tools able to
assess performance at both factory level (energy consumption,
productivity, production processes and quality) and supply
chain level
 Performance assessment in real-time and predictive
considering varying environmental conditions and phenomena
 Product-life cycle simulation tools that could support the
decisional process providing KPIs
 Integrating simulation tools with MES
 Real-time data collection from all the factory resources and
synchronization of real world and virtual resources
 Developing digital mock ups of product and services in their
environment to improve the control done by simulation tool
 Simulation tools used to guarantee production systems
delivering “zero defect” parts
RA6: Smart, Intelligent and  Self-learning systems to enable self-adaptation of simulation
Self-learning S&FT attributes from historical and real-time data
 Development of predictive data analytics techniques and
forecasting capabilities to process the massive amount of data
RA7: Human-centred  Virtual and simulation environment for role game-based
Simulation-based Learning learning and training
& Training  Tools to support the decision-making on the basis of worker
capabilities
RA8: Crowdsourcing-based  Simulation tools interacting with social networks and HMI
S&FT supporting the comparison between models and allowing a
what-if analysis (interaction with customers)
6.4. Block4 – S&FT state of market analysis

The future expectations and current trends previously highlighted represent the target that S&FT should aim
at. In order to identify the interventions which are needed to get to that envisioned future state, a clear idea
of what is currently available is needed. Tools available in the market and their functionalities have been
analysed to outline the current state of market.
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6.4.1. Simulation and Forecasting Technologies along the factory lifecycle

Each analysed S&FT tool has been mapped to the phases of the factory lifecycle that it is mostly relevant to
(see paragraph 5.4). This investigation includes: Shop-floor Layout Design; Shop-floor Planning;
Manufacturing Network Design and Planning; Customer Demand and Market Developments; Worker
Behaviour; Control Programs; Product Design; Production monitoring and Key Performance Indicators’
Prediction; Material flow; Energy Consumption and Environmental Impact.
The following paragraphs will shortly detail each Simulation and Forecasting Technology. Full details are
provided in the Pathfinder “Framework and State of the Art” deliverable, available on the Roadmap website.
The commercial software list mentioned in each section is by no means meant to be exhaustive, but is
intended, through these examples, to clearly point out the category addressed by the paragraph.
Fig. 15 - Mapping of Key-Enabling Technologies on Product and Production lifecycle [lifecycle phases adapted from
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EFFRA FoF 2020 Consultation Document]
6.4.2. Layout Planning Simulation

Definition
Facility Layout Planning (FLP) refers to the design of the allocation plans of the machines/equipment in a
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manufacturing shop-floor .
Importance for the industry
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EFFRA (2012) Factories of the Future PPP FoF 2020 Roadmap Consultation document. Retrieved from:
http://www.effra.eu/attachments/article/335/FoFRoadmap2020_ConsultationDocument_120706_1.pdf
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Jiang S., Nee A.Y.C., 2013, A novel facility layout planning and optimization methodology, CIRP Annals-Manufacturing Technology,
62:483–486
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Factory layout design is a multidisciplinary, knowledge-intensive task that is of a vital issue to the survival of
manufacturers in today’s globally competitive environment. The need to design and construct a new factory
layout or reconfigure the current one has increased largely because of the fast changes in customer demand
both from product quantity and product variety aspects. This requires companies to be more agile to plan,
design and reconfigure the factory layout to be able to introduce new products to market and keep their
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competitive strength . A 3D layout model can be implemented and provide the user with the ability to move
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through factory mock-ups, walk through, inspect, and animate motion in a rendered 3D-factory model .
Commercial Software Tools
DELMIA by Dassault Systemes – Tool URL: http://www.3ds.com/products-services/delmia/portfolio/delmia-
v5/latest-release/
Siemens Tecnomatix Plant Simulation – Tool URL:
http://www.plm.automation.siemens.com/en_us/products/tecnomatix/plant_design/plant_simulation.shtml#lig
htview-close
Flexsim - Tool URL: www.flexsim.com
Visual Components - Tool URL: www.visualcomponents.com
DDD libraries: Tool URL: http://www.ttsnetwork.net/en/ddd-libraries
Challenges
Today, in the field of layout design simulation, some commercial software represent data from 3D model and
export them in XML or HTML format. While capability is a step towards interoperability, this cannot solve the
interoperability and extensibility issues since this depends on how the different software and users define
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contents of data models .
6.4.3. Material Flow Simulation

Definition
Materials flow within manufacturing is the movement of materials through a defined process or a value
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stream within a factory or an industrial unit for the purpose of producing an end product .
In today’s changing manufacturing world with new paradigms such as mass customization and global
manufacturing operations and competition, companies need greater capabilities to respond quicker to market
dynamics and varying demands. The adoption of suitable production and materials flow control (PMFC)
mechanisms, combined with the implementation of emergent technologies, can be of great value for
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improving performance and quality of manufacturing and of service to customers .
Siemens Tecnomatix Plant Simulation – Tool URL: http://www.plm.automation.siemens.com/en_us/products/
tecnomatix/plant_design/plant_simulation.shtml#lightview-close
Visual Components Software suite by Visual Components– Tool URL: http://www.visualcomponents.com/
ARENA by Rockwell Automation – Tool URL: http://www.arenasimulation.com/Products_Products.aspx
Flexsim - Tool URL: www.flexsim.com
Further references: https://www.informs.org/ORMS-Today/Public-Articles/October-Volume-40-Number-
5/Simulation-Software-Survey-Simulation-a-better-reality).
Challenges
While the steady decline in computational cost renders the use of simulation very cost-efficient in terms of
hardware requirements, commercial simulation software has not kept up with hardware improvements.
Concerning material flow simulation, it can be very time-consuming to build and verify large models with
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Shariatzadeh N., Sivard G., Chen D.,2012, Software Evaluation Criteria for Rapid Factory Layout Planning, Design and Simulation,
Procedia CIRP, 3:299-304.
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Kühn W., 2006, Digital Factory- Simulation enhancing the product and production engineering process, Proceedings of the 2006
Winter Simulation Conference, pp. 1899-1906.
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Ad Esse Consulting Ltd., 2007, Materials Flow in Manufacturing Processes [online], Ad Esse Consulting Ltd., URL: http://www.ad-
esse.com/media/11502/materials_flow.pdf [Accessed 13 November 2013].
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Fernandes N., do Carmo-Silva S., 2006, Generic POLCA—A production and materials flow control mechanism for quick response
manufacturing, International Journal of Production Economics, 104/1 :74-84.
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standard commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) software. Efficient simulation-model generation will allow the user
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to simplify and accelerate the process of producing correct and credible simulation models .
6.4.4. Computer Aided Design - CAD

Definition
Computer-Aided Design (CAD) is the technology concerned with the use of computer systems to assist in
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the creation, modification, analysis and optimization of a design
The strong competition in today’s market increases the level of requirement in terms of functionality and
quality of products and production means. At the same time, the complexity of the design process is
increasing, whereas product development time is decreasing. Such constraints on design activities require
efficient CAD systems and adapted CAD methodologies. The evolution towards Life Cycle-CAD (LC-CAD)
provides an integrated design of a product and its life-cycle, manages the consistency between them and
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evaluates their performance concerning the environment and the economy with the use of simulation .
PTC Creo by Parametric Technology Corp. – Tool URL: http://www.ptc.com/product/creo/
Product Design Suite by AutoDesk – Tool URL: http://www.autodesk.com/suites/autocad-design-
suite/overview
CATIA by Dassault Systems – Tool URL: http://www.3ds.com/products-services/catia/
NX by Siemens – Tool URL: http://www.plm.automation.siemens.com/en_us/products/nx/
SolidWorks by Dassault Systemes – Tool URL: http://www.solidworks.com/
PowerSHAPE CAD by Delcam – Tool URL: http://www.powershape.com/
Challenges
Current deficiencies and limitations of present CAD tools are the complexity of menu items or commands,
the limitation of active and interactive assistance while designing in CAD and the integration of informal
conceptual design tools in CAD. Moreover, current tools include inadequate human–computer interface
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design; focused on functionality but not on usability and fixation on design routines .
6.4.5. Ergonomics Simulation

Definition
Ergonomics is the applied science of equipment and workplace design intended to maximize productivity by
reducing operator fatigue and discomfort.
In the past, workplace ergonomic considerations have often been reactive, time-consuming, incomplete,
sporadic, and difficult. Ergonomic experts who were consulted after problems occurred in the workplace
examined data from injuries that had been observed and reported. There are now emerging technologies
supporting simulation-based engineering to address this in a proactive manner. These allow the workplaces
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and the tasks to be simulated even before the facilities are physically in place .
ADAPS (Anthropometric Design Assessment Program System) by TU Delft – Tool URL:
http://dined.nl//ergonomics/3d.html
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Lee J.Y., Kang H.S., Kim G.Y., Noh S.D., 2012, Concurrent material flow analysis by P3R-driven modeling and simulation in PLM,
Computers in Industry, 63/5:513-527.
42
Conway, J.H., B.M. Johnson and W.L. Maxwell, 1960, An Experimental Investigation of Priority Dispatching, Journal of Industrial
Engineering, 2/3
43
Umeda Y., Fukushige S., Kunii E., Matsuyama Y., 2012, LC-CAD: A CAD system for life cycle design, CIRP Annals - Manufacturing
Technology, 61/1:175-178.
44
Nee A.Y.C., Ong S.K., Chryssolouris G., Mourtzis D., 2012, Augmented reality applications in design and manufacturing, CIRP
Annals- Manufacturing technology, 61:657-679.
45
Jayaram U., Jayaram S., Shaikh I., Kim Y., Palmer C., 2006, Introducing quantitative analysis methods into virtual environments for
real-time and continuous ergonomic evaluations, Computers in Industry, 57/3:283-296.
White Paper
Jack and Process Simulate Human by Siemens – Tool URL:

http://www.plm.automation.siemens.com/en_us/products/tecnomatix/assembly_planning/jack/
RAMSIS by Human Solutions – Tool URL: http://www.human-
solutions.com/mobility/front_content.php?idcat=252
SAMMIE CAD by SAMMIE CAD Ltd – Tool URL: http://www.lboro.ac.uk/microsites/lds/sammie/home.htm
Challenges
Many advances have been made during the last decades, and the amount of possible applications is
growing in the field of ergonomics. Yet much research has still to be conducted for many open issues.
Systems’ complexity and number of features are only increasing and ways of effectively implementing them
should be explored. The interaction between models is required, as well, for an integrated approach of
common daily design problems which is directly related to an integration of models into an encompassing
DHM. Moreover, techniques for measuring human quantities, which has not become easier despite the
evolution of the technical means, should be evolved. Another issue is the harmonisation of the data
representation in different disciplines. Without such agreement it will remain extremely difficult to develop
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integrated models .
6.4.6. Enterprise Resource Planning - ERP

Definition
An Enterprise Resource Planning system is a suite of integrated software applications used to manage
transactions through company-wide business processes, by using a common database, standard
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procedures and data sharing between and within functional areas .
The Enterprise Resource Planning systems are becoming more and more prevalent throughout the
international business world. Nowadays, in most production / distribution companies ERP systems are used
to support their production and distribution activities. Moreover, they are designed to integrate and partially
automate financial, resource management, commercial, after-sale, manufacturing and other business
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functions in to one system around a database .
SAP ERP by SAP – Tool URL: http://www.sap.com/pc/bp/erp.html
Oracle ERP - https://www.oracle.com/applications/enterprise-resource-planning/index.html
Microsoft Dynamics - http://www.microsoftbusinesshub.com/products/Dynamics_ERP
Challenges
Future trends of ERP systems, on technological level, include software as a service, mobile technology and
tightly integrated business intelligence. The tendency of being able to obtain ERP functionality as a service
has to be mentioned. Especially in the mid-market, the ERP suites will no longer be hosted internally but
instead will be obtained as a service offered by the ERP provider. New ways of providing software are to be
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investigated, mainly linked with the development of cloud computing . In addition, access to information with
the use of mobile devices has become a reality even for end consumers over the last years. The ERP
50, 51
system providers should face these challenges by offering mobile-capable ERP solutions . Another
important issue is the reporting and data analysis which grows with the information needs of users. Business
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Intelligence (BI) is becoming not only easier to use over time but also tighter integrated into ERP suites .
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Moes N., 2010, Digital Human Models: An overview of development and applications in product and workplace design, Proceedings
of TMCE 2010 Symposium.
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Aloini D., Dulmin R., Mininno V., 2012, Risk assessment in ERP projects, Information Systems, 37/3:183-199
48
Mourtzis D., Papakostas N., Mavrikios D., Makris S., Alexopoulos K., 2012, The role of simulation in digital manufacturing-
Applications and Outlook, DOI:10.1080/0951192X.2013.800234.
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Borovskiy V. and Zeier A., 2009, Enabling enterprise composite applications on top of ERP systems, Services Computing
Conference, APSCC 2009 IEEE Asia-Pacific, pp. 492-497.
50
Schabel S., ERP - Mobile Computing, Thesis, Wien: Universität, Wien, 2009.
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Su C. J., 2009, Effective Mobile Assets Management System Using RFID and ERP Technology, WRI International Conference on
Communications and Mobile Computing, CMC, pp. 147-151.
White Paper
6.4.7. Computer Aided Manufacturing - CAM

Definition
Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) can be defined as the effective utilization of computers in
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manufacturing . CAM supports the use of computer systems to plan, manage and control the operations of
a manufacturing plant through either direct or indirect computer interface with the plant’s production
resources. In other words, the use of computer system in non-design activities but in manufacturing process
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is called CAM .
The application of CAM in the production offers advantages to a company to develop capabilities by
combining traditional economies of scale with economies of scope resulting in the desired flexibility and
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efficiency .
CATIA by Dassault Systems – Tool URL: http://www.3ds.com/products-services/catia/
GibbsCAM by Gibbs and Associates – Tool URL: http://www.gibbscam.com/solutions/gibbscam-modules
MasterCAM by CNC Software Inc. – Tool URL: http://www.mastercam.com/Products/Camfinder/Default.aspx
CADDS Version 5 by PTC – Tool URL: http://www.ptc.com/product/cadds5
PowerMILL by Delcam – Tool URL: http://www.powermill.com/
SurfCAM Version 6.0 by Surfware Inc. – Tool URL: http://www.surfcam.com/
Alphacam by Planit – Tool URL: http://www.alphacam.com/
Tebis CAM by Tebis – Tool URL: http://www.tebis.com/cms/index.php?id=20&L=10
Challenges
As a result of the dynamically changing and evolving manufacturing environment, the need is presented for
effective coordination, collaboration and communication amongst all the aspects of production, from humans
to machines. The future CAM systems need to focus on collaborative technics, effective communication and
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efficient data exchange
6.4.8. Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)

Definition
A Manufacturing Execution System (MES) is a system that helps manufacturers attain constant product
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quality, comply with regulatory requirements, reduce time to market, and lower production costs . MES work
in real time to enable the control of multiple elements of the production process (e.g. inputs, personnel,
machines and support services).
As manufacturers strive to become more competitive and provide world-class service to their customers,
emphasis has been placed on total quality management (TQM) programs. The need for a quality
manufacturing system solution is a driving factor creating the demand for MES. The functions of MES are
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consistent with the goals of TQM applied to industrial manufacturing companies . On the shop-floor, often
RFID devices are used in order to track and trace manufacturing objects and acquire real-time production
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data and identification and control of disturbances .
SAP Manufacturing Execution by SAP – Tool URL:
http://www.sap.com/solution/lob/manufacturing/software/execution/index.html
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Groover M P (1987) Automation Production Systems and Computer-Aided Manufacturing, 1st ed. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs,
New Jersey
53
Elanchezhian C, Selwyn T S and Sundar G S (2007) Computer-Aided Manufacturing, 2nd ed. Laxmi Publications LTD, New Delhi
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Makris S., Mourtzis D., Chryssolouris G., 2012, Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM), CIRP Encyclopedia of Production Engineering,
Luc Laperrière and Gunther Reinhart (Εds).
55
Deuel A.C., 1994, The benefits of a manufacturing execution system for plantwide automation, ISA Transactions, 33/2:113-124.
56
Zhong, R.Y., Dai Q.Y., Qu T., Hu G.J., Huang G.Q., 2013, RFID-enabled real-time manufacturing execution system for mass-
customisation production, Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing, 29/2:283-292.
White Paper
Siemens http://www.automation.siemens.com/mcms/automation/en/manufacturing-execution-system-
mes/Pages/Default.aspx
More references at http://www.supplychainmovement.com/mes-product-survey/
Challenges
In the turbulent manufacturing environment, a key issue of modern Manufacturing Execution Systems is that
they cannot plan ahead of time. This phenomenon is named decision myopia and causes undoubtedly
significant malfunctions in manufacturing.
6.4.9. Virtual Reality - VR

Definition
Virtual reality is defined as the use of real-time digital computers and other special hardware and software to
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generate the simulation of an alternate world or environment, believable as real or true by the users .
Virtual reality (VR) is a rapidly developing computer interface that strives to immerse the user completely
within an experimental simulation, thereby greatly enhancing the overall impact and providing a much more
intuitive link between the computer and the human participants. Virtual reality has been applied successfully
to hundreds if not thousands of scenarios in diverse areas including rapid prototyping, manufacturing,
scientific visualisation, engineering, and education. Currently, new semantic-based techniques are
introduced in order to facilitate the design and review of prototypes by providing usability and flexibility to the
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engineer / designer .
Unity by Unity Technologies – Tool URL: http://unity3d.com/
3DVIA Studio pro by Dassault Systemes – Tool URL: http://www.3ds.com/products-services/3dvia/3dvia-
studio/
Challenges
VR tools should be integrated not only in the central planning phases, but in every phase of the factory
planning process. VR should not only be used for visualisation means, but also for collaborative and
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communicative means . VR is now used in many industrial applications and cuts costs during the
implementation of a PLM. The main challenges are a result of the following drawbacks. Implementation of a
CAE simulation is a time-consuming process and VR systems used in industry focus on one or a few
particular steps of a development cycle (e.g. design review), and may be used in the framework of the
corresponding product development project review. There is no VR tool in the current state of the art which
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enables us to deal globally with the different steps of the PLM and the corresponding projects reviews .
6.4.10. Augmented Reality - AR

Definition
Augmented Reality (AR) as a real-time direct or indirect view of a physical real-world environment that has
been enhanced/augmented by adding virtual computer-generated information to it. AR systems aim at
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enhancing the way the user perceives and interacts with the real world . This is succeeded through the
supplementation of the real world with 3D virtual objects that are incorporated in the real world. AR systems
should blend real and virtual objects in a real environment, should be real-time interactive and last but not
least, should be registered in 3D which means that both real and virtual objects should be accurately aligned.
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Lu S. C. Y., Shpitalni M., Gadh R., 1999, Virtual and Augmented Reality Technologies for Product Realization, Annals of the CIRP
Keynote Paper, 48/2:471-494
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Makris S., Rentzos L., Pintzos G., Mavrikios D., Chryssolouris G., 2012, Semantic-based taxonomy for immersive product design
using VR techniques, CIRP Annals - Manufacturing Technology, 61/1:147-150.
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Menck N., Weidig C., Aurich J. C., 2013, Virtual Reality as a Collaboration Tool for Factory Planning based on Scenario Technique,
Procedia CIRP, 7:133-138.
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Fillatreau P., Fourquet J.-Y., Le Bolloc’h R., Cailhol S., Datas A., Puel B., 2013, Using virtual reality and 3D industrial numerical
models for immersive interactive checklists, Computers in Industry, 64/9:1253-1262.
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Azuma R., Baillot Y., Behringer R., Feiner S., Julier S., MacIntyre, 2001, Recent advances in augmented reality, Computers and
Graphics, 21/6:34-47.
White Paper
The increasing trend of globalized manufacturing environments requires real-time information exchanges
between the various nodes in a product development life cycle, e.g., design, setup planning, production
scheduling, machining, assembly, etc., as well as seamless task collaboration among these nodes. Product
development processes are becoming increasingly more complex as products become more versatile and
intricate, and inherently complicated, and as product variations multiply with the trend of mass customization.
An innovative and effective solution to help solve these problems is the application of augmented reality (AR)
technology to simulate, assist and improve these manufacturing processes before they are carried out. The
challenge is to design and implement integrated AR-assisted manufacturing systems that could enhance the
manufacturing processes, as well as product and process development, leading to shorter lead-time,
reduced cost and improved quality.
Unity by Unity Technologies – Tool URL: http://unity3d.com/
Metaio by Metaio GmbH – Tool URL: http://www.metaio.com/products/creator/overview/
Challenges
AR applications in manufacturing and design require a high level of accuracy in tracking and superimposition
of augmented information. Very accurate position and orientation tracking will be needed in operations such
as CNC simulation and robot path planning. Computer-vision-based tracking will not be able to handle high
frequency motion as well as rapid camera movements. Hybrid systems using laser, RFID and other types of
sensing devices will be required. Another basic issue in AR is the placing of virtual objects with the correct
pose in an augmented space. This is also referred to as Registration. As different tracking methodologies
possess their own inherent deficiencies and error sources, it is necessary to study the best tracking method
for a particular application which could be subject to poor lighting condition, moving objects, etc. AR displays
require an extremely low latency to maintain the virtual objects in a stable position. An important source of
alignment errors come from the difference in time between the moment an observer moves and the time the
corresponding image is displayed. This time difference is called the end-to-end latency, which is important as
head rotations can be very fast and this would cause significant changes to the scene being observed.
Further research should focus on the setup of an AR environment which consists of four essential elements:
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target places, AR content, tracking module and display system .
6.4.11. Process simulation

Definition
A manufacturing process is defined as the use of one or more physical mechanisms to transform the shape
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of a material's shape and/or form and/or properties
Newly emerging composite manufacturing processes, where there exist only limited industrial experience,
demonstrate a definite need for process simulations to reduce the time and cost associated with the product
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and process developments .
GibbsCAM by Gibbs and Associates – Tool URL: http://www.gibbscam.com/solutions/gibbscam-modules
MasterCAM by CNC Software Inc. – Tool URL: http://www.mastercam.com/Products/Camfinder/Default.aspx
PowerMILL by Delcam – Tool URL: http://www.powermill.com/
SurfCAM Version 6.0 by Surfware Inc. – Tool URL: http://www.surfcam.com/
Alphacam by Planit – Tool URL: http://www.alphacam.com/
Tebis CAM by Tebis – Tool URL: http://www.tebis.com/cms/index.php?id=20&L=10
Challenges
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Nee A.Y.C., Ong S.K., Chryssolouris G., Mourtzis D., 2012, Augmented reality applications in design and manufacturing, CIRP
Annals- Manufacturing technology, 61:657-679.
63
Chryssolouris G., 2006, Manufacturing Systems: Theory and Practice, 2nd Edition, 606p, Springer-Verlag, New York
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Mohan R. V., Tamma K.K., Shires D.R., Mark A., 1998, Advanced manufacturing of large-scale composite structures: process
modeling, manufacturing simulations and massively parallel computing platforms, Advances in Engineering Software, 29/3–6:249-263.
White Paper
The planning, the data transfer and the optimisation of manufacturing process chains must be integrated into
a common model. Moreover, the macro-scale manufacturing process chains are optimised with simulation
tools using numerical techniques such as the FEM while the micro-scale manufacturing process chains are
mainly optimised by experimental approaches. This shows that the macro-scale manufacturing process
chains are more mature than the micro-scale manufacturing process chains in terms of modelling and
simulation which indicates that modelling and simulation of micro-scale manufacturing process chains is still
a challenge. Also, the macro-scale manufacturing processes chains are not fully understood and there are
still challenges for improving the manufacturing process chains related to different industries and
development of new manufacturing process chains for new emerging applications.
6.4.12. Supply Chain simulator

Definition
A supply chain system is a chain of processes from the initial raw materials to the ultimate consumption of
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the finished product spanning across multiple supplier-customer links .
Modern manufacturing enterprises must collaborate with their business partners through their business
process operations such as design, manufacture, distribution, and after-sales service. Robust and flexible
system mechanisms are required to realize such inter-enterprises collaboration environments.
WITNESS by Lanner Ltd. – Tool URL: http://www.lanner.com/en/witness.cfm
ARENA by Rockwell Automation – Tool URL: http://www.arenasimulation.com/Products_Products.aspx
Challenges
Identifying the benefits of collaboration is still a big challenge for many supply chains. Confusion around the
optimum number of partners, investment in collaboration and duration of partnership are some of the barriers
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of healthy collaborative arrangements that should be surpassed .
6.4.13. SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition)

Definition
SCADA is a system operating with coded signals over communication channels so as to provide control of
remote equipment. It is a type of industrial control system.
Early simulation of manufacturing systems interaction with SCADA is expected to shorten rump-up time and
deliver first time right production. SCADA systems are applied worldwide in critical infrastructures, ranging
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from power generation, over public transport to industrial manufacturing systems .
OCTAVE (Operationally Critical Threat, Asset and Vulnerability Evaluation) by Software Engineering Institute
Carnegie Mellon – Tool URL: http://www.cert.org/octave/
CORAS – Tool URL: http://coras.sourceforge.net/
Challenges
Whilst SCADA systems are generally designed to be dependable and fail-safe, the number of security
breaches over the last decade shows that their original design and subsequent evolution failed to adequately
consider the risks of a deliberate attack. Although best practices and emerging standards are now
addressing issues which could have avoided security breaches, the key problems seem to be the increased
connectivity and the loss of separation between SCADA and other parts of IT infrastructures of
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organisations .
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Dugal, L.F., Healy M., Tankenton S.. 1994, Supply Chain Management: A Challenge to Change, Coopers & Lybrand Report
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Ramanathan U., 2014, Performance of supply chain collaboration – A simulation study, Expert Systems with Applications, 41/1:210-
220.
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Nicholson A., Webber S., Dyer S., Patel T., Janicke H., 2012, SCADA security in the light of Cyber-Warfare, Computers & Security,
31/4:418-436.
White Paper
6.4.14. Knowledge Management

Definition
Knowledge Management (KM) is defined as the process of continuously creating new knowledge,
disseminating it widely through the organisation, and embodying it quickly in new products/services,
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technologies and systems .
KM is about facilitating an environment where work critical information can be created, structured, shared,
distributed and used. To be effective such environments must provide users with relevant knowledge, that is,
knowledge that enables users to better perform their tasks, at the right time and in the right form. KM has
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been a predominant trend in business in the recent years .
DELMIA by Dassault Systemes – Tool URL: http://www.3ds.com/products-services/delmia/portfolio/delmia-
v5/latest-release/
SAP Knowledge Warehouse – Tool URL: http://scn.sap.com/docs/DOC-8992
Challenges
Agent-oriented approaches to knowledge management and collaborative systems need further development.
Methodologies are needed that support the analysis of knowledge management needs of organisations and
its specification using software agents and agent societies. Also, reusable agent-oriented knowledge
management frameworks, including the description of agent roles, interaction forms and knowledge
description should be developed. The existence of agent-based tools for organisational modelling and
simulation that help determine the knowledge processes of the organisation is crucial. Finally, research
should focus on the role of learning in agent-based KM systems, namely, how to use agent learning to
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support and extend knowledge sharing .
6.4.15. Synthesis of the current state of Market in S&FT

Pathfinder investigated what is currently available in the S&FT domain. Tools available in the market and
their functionalities have been analysed to outline the current situation. Full details are provided in the
Pathfinder “Framework and State of the Art” deliverable, available on the Roadmap website.
A synthesis of features characterizing the state of market, according to the 8 Pathfinder Research Areas, is
provided in the following table.
Pathfinder Research Areas Current State of Market
RA1 - Open and Cloud-based  Early adoption of cloud-computing IaaS paradigm;
S&FT for High-performance  High-performance simulations requires high-performance CPU;
Computing  Applications run only single device;
 Only dedicated application object libraries for fast and efficient modeling of
typical scenarios;
RA2 - Multi-disciplinary and Multi-  Incremental model building allowing in-process debugging;
domain Integrated S&FT  Limited product data exchange across different domains;
 Many domains specific models;
 Many tools available for specific functions or phases of the factory lifecycle;
 Few/No common standards or integrated frameworks;
 Poor modelling-simulation of life-cycle issue;
RA3 - S&FT for Life-cycle
 Limited, specialized de-manufacturing applications (only for specific product
Management
types);
 Usage of S&FT tools is limited to white collar workers (feedback loops to the
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Nonaka I., Takeuchi H., 1995, The knowledge creating company: how Japanese companies create the dynamics of innovation,
Oxford University Press, New York
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Dignum V., 2006, An Overview of Agents in Knowledge Management, In Proceedings of INAP-05, M. Umeda et al. (Eds), Springer,
pp. 175-189.
White Paper
shop-floor/blue collar workers are missing)

 Few applications consider product life cycle costs and environmental issues;
 Existing process modelling applications used to evaluate remanufacturability of
design (non tailored for de-manufacturing)
 Object-oriented, hierarchical model of plants, encompassing business, logistic
RA4 - Multi-level S&FT Integration and production processes exist;
 Direct interface with CAD, DBMS (ORACLE, SQL Server, Access, etc.) direct
spreadsheet link in/out, XML save format, HTML reports;
 Expensive data collection;
RA5 - S&FT for Real-Time Factory  Only early adoption of virtual factory models;
Controlling and Monitoring  Increase of heterogeneous information sources and IT systems in the factory
due to vertical integration;
 Gap between the state of the real world and its digital representation;
 Inbuilt algorithms for automated optimization of system parameters;
 Many custom models used;
RA6 - Smart, Intelligent and Self-  Some knowledge-based advisory system in use;
Learning S&FT  Excellent analytical simulation and forecasting capabilities in continuous
processing industries;
 Application based on empirical or past data;
 VR- and AR-based training and learning applications are used only in specific
RA7 - Human-centered sectors and usecases (e.g. in aviation and automotive for special training);
Simulation-based Learning &  Limited access to training and learning applications for blue collar workers;
Training  Current training tools are expensive and time consuming in setup and usage;
 Many-domain specific tools;
RA8 - Crowdsourcing-based  Existing crowdsource-source frameworks used in the design phases;
S&FT  Complex tools require high-skill & long processing time;
6.5. Block5 – Gaps

The next conceptual step towards the Pathfinder roadmap development is the identification of existing gaps.
These can be considered as the missing link between what is currently available (block 4) and the future
envisioned manufacturing scenario (block 3). The identification of gaps is the result of a formalized
comparison between the future and the present state of S&FT with reference to the 8 identified Pathfinder
Research Areas, as presented in the following table. Details on this analysis can be found in the “Report on
Identified Gaps” deliverable, available on the Pathfinder website.
Gaps may refer to different level of disparities between current status and future scenario, calling either for
Innovation Actions (where technologies are already mostly developed, but adoption, extension to specific
sectors or full potential exploitation is hindered) or Research Actions (where specific knowledge is missing).
Closer to Market Actions primarily consist of activities directly aiming at producing arrangements or designs
for newly extended or improved technologies, include prototyping, testing, demonstrating, piloting, and large-
scale validation. A ‘demonstration or pilot’ aims to validate the technical and economic viability of an
improved technology, product, process, service or solution in an operational (or near to operational)
environment.
Research Actions primarily consist of activities aiming to establish new knowledge and/or to explore the
feasibility of a new or improved technology, service or solution. For this purpose they may include basic and
applied research, technology development and integration, testing and validation on a small-scale prototype
in a laboratory or simulated environment.
Gaps Description
In S&FT there are only few vendors that offer
RA1 - Open and Cloud-
powerful and entire cloud-based service.
based S&FT for High- G1.1 - Poor maturity level of use of
Although the research efforts and some early
performance Computing cloud-computing in S&FT - RA
adoptions, there is still a low commitment
towards these technologies in S&FT.
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At the moment almost all the tools analyzed can

be run only by a single device application.
Hence, the multi-device applications are missed.
G1.2 - Missing of multi-device and This need is reinforced by the growing trend of
platform independent applications - embedding and transferring new communication
RA technologies like smartphones and tablets of the
consumer goods market into the industrial
environment for an effective usage as human
machine interfaces and working tools.
G2.1 - Missing of multi-disciplinary In S&FT there is a limited ability to use S&FT

and multi-domain models - CMA models in one domain/discipline that were
created in a different domain/discipline. This
statement leads the inability to integrate different
domain/discipline models and this lack triggers
G2.2 - Lack of integration from the missing of multi-disciplinary and multi-
different domain/discipline models - domain models.
CMA
RA2 - Multi-disciplinary
and Multi-domain
Integrated S&FT
G2.3 - Few standards for multi In the majority of the S&FT analyzed there are:
domain models building & integration no conventions or standards for common
- CMA representation schemes to collectively manage
different types of resources; S&FT tools usually
have implicit semantics with only one level of
abstraction geared towards experts; no means
of aggregating detailed data into a high-level
G2.4 - No integration between tools - model; and no common understanding or
CMA definition of the terms used by the different tools.
G3.1 - Poor modeling simulation of

life-cycle issue - CMA
There are few S&FT models and tools that

consider lifecycle issues. Lifecycle cost
G3.2 - Limited modeling of product life modeling is limited and often not complete
cycle costs - CMA assessed by the considered tools. Few tools
RA3 - S&FT for Life-cycle
support environmental analyses.
Management
G3.3 - Environmental issue are barely
considered - CMA
The main concerns, in this cluster, are about the

G3.4 - De-manufacturing not de-manufacturing phase such as dismantling,
completely assessed and only for repairing and rebuilding. However, this phase is
specialized product type - RA barely considered and rarely complete assessed
from the analyzed tools.
G4.1 - Shortage of multi-level SF&T The shortage of multi-level models triggers the
models - CMA limited integration and interoperability across the
RA4 - Multi-level S&FT process and product chain. Despite the use of
Integration object-oriented models and the multiple interface
G4.2 - Limited integration and and integration capacities, the digital continuity
interoperability across the process across level is still far away to exist.
and product chain - CMA
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Some vendors offer the possibility to operate an

accurate virtual production system to track real-
G5.1 - Real-time data collection and time production. However, real-time data are
synchronization barely used - CMA barely collected and rarely have a linkage with
actual data. This is due to the fact that data
gathering is expensive and time consuming.
Additionally, for real-time factory controlling, the
need for simulated data feedback to the
manufacturing process increases.
The still-existing gap between the state of the
real world and its digital representation proves to
RA5 - S&FT for Real- G5.2 - Limited linkage to actual and be an obstacle to a parallel-operation and
Time Factory Controlling real-time data - CMA predictive simulation and optimization of the
and Monitoring factory. The direct connection to and
synchronize with cyber-physical systems allow
for a direct insight into the current status of the
products, processes and systems on real time
basis.
Many researches and projects have been

G5.3 - Poor maturity level of use of carried out towards virtual factory models.
virtual factory models - CMA Nevertheless their application and their use
seem to be still embryonic.
Despite the recent advances in the S&FT field,

G6.1 - Missing of self-optimizing and
the idea to have self-learning, intelligent and
self-learning models - RA
smart tools is still a faraway target.
RA6 - Smart, Intelligent G6.2 - Poor use of knowledge-based Knowledge-based systems nevertheless are
and Self-Learning S&FT systems - CMA mature technologies, are barely used.
A smart object is an object that can describe its

G6.3 - Poor maturity level of use of own possible interactions. Despite their strong
smart objects - RA advantages these kinds of objects are not
frequently used.
The large-scale use of these technologies is
G7.1 - Limited use on large-scale -
RA7 - Human-centered difficult because they are expensive and time
RA
Simulation-based consuming set-up and usage.
Learning & Training G7.2 - Lack of generic tools for The use of simulation-based learning and
human-centered simulation-based training is limited in specific S&FT domains such
learning and training - CMA as military training and aeronautically training.
G8.1 - Missing of crowd source-based So far the crowd source is mainly used in the
framework for simulation ad design rather than in S&FT due to the fact that
forecasting tool - RA there is a lack of specific frameworks.
RA8 - Crowdsourcing- Although the use of social networking is an
based S&FT increasing trend, in S&FT the interaction with
G8.2 - Lack of integration with social them is still missed.
networks - RA Digital models and data must be extensively
made available for collaboration and social
communication processes.
6.6. Block6 – challenges

Identified gaps are a main input for the identification of challenges that, given the contextual factors, are
expected to arise for the S&FT innovation. Gaps provide hints for the identification of what are the
weaknesses that need to be address to get the future vision. Each gap is thus translated into an objective to
be fulfilled and these objectives are, in turn, expressed in form of challenges. Challenges thus outline the key
points that require careful attention during the S&FT development since they are crucial to empower the
Factory of the future vision
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Even tough the list of challenges is expected to continuously evolve during the Pathfinder road-mapping
activity, a preliminary list of challenges for Pathfinder has been already identified and is presented in what
follows.
S&FT and Digital Continuity - Digital Continuity refers to the ability to maintain the digital information
available all along the factory life-cycle, despite changes in purpose and tools, allowing data (the oil that
fuels manufacturing) to be enriched and used as needed for that specific phase. This challenge
addresses: Interoperable simulation and forecasting systems; Digital continuity across product and
factory lifecycle of engineering information; seamless use and reuse of engineering data; Reduce
modelling effort; ;Modelling of complex problems; Multidisciplinary integrated modelling; Standardization.
S&FT and Scalability - Scalability refers to the ability of an application to function efficiently when its
context is changed in size or volume. This challenge addresses: Step-by-step integration and adoption of
S&FT; S&FT solution scalable on different devices and platforms; from on-premises software to cloud-
based services;
S&FT and Synchronization of Digital and Real World - Synchronization of Digital and Real World
refers to the convergence of physical world and virtual world, where the second must closely mirror the
first and where the first generates an unprecedented volume of data to be taken care of by the latter.
This challenge addresses: Self-adjustment of digital models triggered by smart objects (embedded
intelligence – Cyber Physical System paradigm); Co-simulation in real-time; Handling of big-data.
S&FT and Advanced Human-Machine Interfaces – Advanced Human-Machine Interfaces (HMI) must
provide transparent insights into the digital-virtual world and must allow to interact with S&FT in an
intuitive and natural way. This challenge addresses: intuitive, mobile, context-sensitive and collaborative
user-interfaces.
S&FT and Digital Consistency & Security - Digital Consistency & Security refers to the fact that data
originating from and travelling along the factory lifecycle should be safe and shouldn't contradict each
other. This is a significant challenge especially in the context of the digital continuity, vertical integration
and horizontal integration, where distributed and heterogeneous data sources will be linked and made
available in an open and interoperable manner. This challenge addresses: optimised provision of
consistent data, data security and privacy.
S&FT, Data and Knowledge - This challenge addresses: Big Data and Data Analytics; Ontologies
definition; Relevant knowledge capture and reuse, also for training and education
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6.7. Block7 – Research Priorities – RP

A first set of Research Priorities has been identified and mapped over the Research Challenges afore
mentioned. Additionally, to analyse and compare research priorities, the impact on the manufacturing
performance dimensions identified within the ActionPlant roadmap has been introduced. S&FT is closely
related to the evolution of the manufacturing context and, being one of the enablers for the manufacturing of
the future, S&FT role cannot be evaluated independently from future manufacturing expected performances.
The core elements of future manufacturing are described as follows in the ActionPlant roadmap:
 Agile manufacturing processes: The issues of systems interoperability would no longer be a
deterrent to integrating disparate systems for design, manufacturing process control and operation,
and business processes in Manufacturing 2.0 enterprises. These systems would integrate seamlessly
and exchange data through standardized interfaces. Real-world resources such as connected objects,
devices and advanced robots would leverage advances in the Internet of Things domain to
communicate, collaborate and organize themselves autonomously. Furthermore, manufacturing
processes would react in real-time to changes within an enterprise ecosystem – such as availability of
equipment, assembly lines and dynamic configuration of process parameters. To achieve this,
Manufacturing 2.0 enterprises would be capable of applying advanced computing operations to
process large volumes of real-time manufacturing data, perform analyses and forecasting on
productivity, throughput and downtime. Lastly, these real-time changes and decisions would be
executed by plant managers on their smart phones which will process enterprise and manufacturing
data to facilitate efficient management-by-exception.
 Seamless factory lifecycle management: Product lifecycle management is well understood, but
manufacturers struggle to put factory lifecycle management into practice. Enhanced information
management will be applied for control and holistic planning in future factories. In Manufacturing 2.0
enterprises, assets and inventories together with assembly lines and machinery would be dynamically
monitored, configured and maintained. As a prerequisite for advanced factory lifecycle management,
visibility, real-time tracking and predictive maintenance information would be made available to plant
managers and operators. Furthermore, managers would be able to drill down into any production area
and observe throughput, use and consumption through intuitive key performance indicators (KPIs)
even when on the move.
 Workers at the forefront: Human-centric ambition will become a reality in Manufacturing 2.0
enterprises with workers given more opportunity for continuous development of skills and
competences through novel knowledge-delivery mechanisms. Future enterprises will not only be
better equipped for transferring skills to a new generation of workers but also proficient in assisting
older workers with better user interfaces, intuitive user-experience-driven workflows and other aids,
such as mobile and service robots. Furthermore, Manufacturing 2.0 enterprises would be equipped
with interactive e-learning tools to facilitate students, apprentices and new workers gaining
understanding of advanced manufacturing operations involving new ICT paradigms.
 Collaborative supply chain: Manufacturing 2.0 enterprises will define a new collaboration paradigm
between stakeholders in the manufacturing supply chain, including but not limited to original
equipment manufacturers (OEM), suppliers and subcontractors. Manufacturing processes will run
across organizational boundaries of OEMs and subcontractors with complete visibility of production,
inventory and materials available while guaranteeing security and privacy for all stakeholders. As part
of the extended collaboration paradigm, OEMs will be able to sell ‘products as a service’ and certified
suppliers or subcontractors will be able to offer value-added services – such as maintenance or
upgrades – to customers. So-called ‘capability-based’ contracts will offer use-based billing instead of
requiring upfront investments in machinery by subcontractors. Remote service management will help
improve equipment uptime, reduce costs such as travel for servicing, increase service efficiency – like
first-visit-fix-rates – and accelerate innovation processes, for example by remote updating of device
software.
 Bringing customers into the loop: Another level where Manufacturing 2.0 enterprises would excel is
in customer engagement. Carmakers already mine customer feedback data on motoring blogs to
improve design and performance. Taking this as an inspiration, Manufacturing 2.0 enterprises would
extract customer feedback from social media and incorporate it into engineering and manufacturing
processes. Product sustainability will take precedence in the future with customers preferring to buy
greener products out of environmental consideration, to obtain tax breaks or both. However,
sustainable products would not be acceptable at the cost of quality and performance. Manufacturing
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2.0 enterprises would be able to attain the quality-price-sustainability trade-off by intelligent product
design through customer collaboration as well as through state-of-the-art approaches such as design
thinking. Furthermore, Manufacturing 2.0 enterprises would be able to mitigate barriers in ‘make-to-
order’ production and deliver individualized products with increased complexity and variability to
customers.
A preliminary list of performance dimensions (see below), grouped according to the above-mentioned core
elements of future manufacturing, has been identified.
Core elements of future manufacturing Performance dimensions
Enhance utilization of resources/Information
Enhance control/monitoring of machine parameters
Enhance data integration
Seamless factory lifecycle management
Enhance data analysis
Enhancing tools usability (i.e. visualization)
Increase responsiveness of manufacturing process chains
Increase people commitment
Workers at the forefront
Increase attractiveness work environment
Enhance data standardization
Collaborative supply chain
Enhancing product customization
Increase tools interoperability
Increase value chain collaboration
Empower interoperable de-centralized architecture
Agile manufacturing processes
Speed up introduction of new products/processes
Enhancing capacity utilisation
Supporting reuse/recycle of materials
Reduce emissions
Decrease wastes
Customers in-the-loop
Reduce energy consumption
Decrease material usage
The current is expected not to be exhaustive. It will be continuously updated during the evolution of the
Pathfinder road-mapping activity.
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RP1 - Simulation and modelling methods and tools are needed to support the whole lifecycle of production
systems, integrating diverse simulation technologies and models from different domains and disciplines,
since the early conceptual design phase, where the selection of production resources, production processes
and the entire automation system are to be tackled. The information developed in this early phase is to be
maintained all along the entire factory life-cycle, despite changes in purpose and tools, allowing data to be
enriched, updated, synchronized with the real factory and used as needed in each specific phase.
Challenges' coverage of: Research Priority 1

S&FT and Digital
Continuity
3
S&FT, Data and 2

S&FT and Scalability
Knowledge
1
S&FT and Digital S&FT and Synch. Of

Consistency & Digital and Real
Security World
S&FT and Advanced

HMI
Research Priority 1 impact on the Pathfinder challenges
Research Priority 1 impact on core elements of future manufacturing
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RP2 - The development of collaborative simulation applications that support access and usability at different
levels from operators to managers, with different objectives (economic performance, logistics, operations,
energy consumption, etc.) is of paramount importance to support the decision-making processes, activity
planning and operation controlling. The development of integrated scalable factory models with multi-level
access features, aggregation of data with different granularity, zoom in and out functionalities, and real-time
data acquisition from all the factory resources (i.e. assets, machines, workers and objects) will be the key
enabler. For real-time data acquisition, the connectivity concept offered by the CPS – cyber physical systems
– paradigm should be exploited.

S&FT and Digital
Continuity
3
S&FT, Data and 2

S&FT and Scalability
Knowledge
1

Consistency & Digital and Real
Security World
S&FT and Advanced

HMI
Research Priority 2 impact on Pathfinder challenges
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RP3 - Highly reconfigurable production means (lines or work-centres) and manufacturing networks are
requested to accomplish dynamic production goals (in terms of production mix, time schedule and unplanned
event management) to address the highly complex market landscape. That implies a huge complexity in the
design, planning, and management tasks (considering also that operational performance parameters can
vary time-wise, that flexible maintenance policies can be benefitted from, and that different configurations of
the system can accomplish the same task). To this purpose, simulation tools must be able to model the
production means and the manufacturing network behaviour and to update this model by acquiring data from
the field (tools, inventories, logistics, etc.) through smart embedded devices, to provide process owners,
operators and production plan managers with reliable predictive scenarios, to take informed decisions.

S&FT and Digital
Continuity
3
2
S&FT and Knowledge S&FT and Scalability
1

Consistency & Security Digital and Real World
S&FT and Advanced

HMI
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RP4 - Efficient utilization of energy and resources, minimal environmental impact and complete awareness of
how these factors are related to the product lifecycle, not only in the production phases, but all along the
complete life-cycle till the disposal and re-cycling, require novel tools to design and simulate the
product/process behaviour in different scenarios. Simulation tools, connected to the physical world according
the Internet of Things paradigm, will continuously collect data to provide direction to the factory system to
produce in more sustainable way products with reduced environmental footprint.

S&FT and Digital
Continuity
3
2
S&FT and Knowledge S&FT and Scalability
1

Consistency & Security Digital and Real World
S&FT and Advanced

HMI
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RP5 –The development of the factory environment will be accompanied by changing tasks and demands for
the human working in that factory. As the most flexible entity in cyber-physical production systems, workers
will be faced with a large variety of jobs ranging from specification and monitoring to verification of production
strategies. Through technological support it is guaranteed that workers can realize their full potential and
adopt the role of strategic decision-makers and flexible problem-solvers. A mediating interface between user
and cyber-physical systems (CPS) must be created, through virtual and augmented reality, to simulate and
interactively explore the behavior of a CPS-based production system. Key enablers will be mobile platforms,
such as smartphones, tablets, and smart-glasses, which will be the most beneficial tools for interacting with
CPSs.
RP6 – An essential prerequisite for an interoperable use of simulation data and models is that they are firstly
formalized and machine readable, secondly explicitly described which means formal semantics of all
statements and thirdly at the right level of abstraction and suitable for the intended use. For the
implementation of a semantic factory, where simulation data and models can be shared, combined and
reused across simulation application and sector boundaries, various steps have to be addressed. These
shall include, in particular, the reuse and sharing of digital factory models by raising the level of explicit
semantics (e.g. by using ontologies), the support of intuitive modeling tools, the development of holistic
factory models with relevant standardization activities, methods and mechanisms to increase the quality of
data across the distributed factory in terms of accuracy, completion, currency and non-duplication as well as
improvements of data mining, filtering and reasoning capabilities to better exploit digital simulation models in
dynamic design, validation, optimization and decision making processes.
7. Industrial sectors analysis
7.1. Scope of the analysis

The use of S&FT is more advanced in those sectors where, historically, this kind of tools has been
considered as a fundamental element to support the product and process development. The relevance and
impact of the identified S&FT gaps and challenges is therefore less impacting in these contexts that can be
taken as a reference to make a distinction between gaps pointing to functionalities and tools already existent
but with a restricted application, and features calling for research actions since not yet developed. Case
studies have been grouped according to the sector of application so to provide also a map of S&FT usage
focused on sectors that complement the geographical map presented in the previous section.
Driven also by the experts’ opinion, the most important sectors where the use of S&FT is widespread have
been identified, and for each one, the most important companies (in terms of revenues and employees) at
the European level have been considered. Testimonials of advanced use of S&FT have been then searched.
The analysed sectors are the following:
 Aerospace & defense
 Automotive
 Engineering and Electronics
 Chemicals
 Pharmaceuticals
 Metals
 Food & Beverage

For each sector, case studies representing noteworthy uses of S&FT have been identified and analysed by
comparing the reported use of S&FT against the list of gaps so far identified in Pathfinder (they are listed in
paragraph 6.5). In so doing, it has been possible to identify those gaps for which some kind of industrial
application exists even tough a wide scale application is not feasible yet.
The list of case studies, if not exhaustive, is very useful to add insights for the mapping of European S&FT
stakeholders.
7.2. Best practice in the use of S&FT

In this section, the analysed case studies are grouped on the basis of the sector: they are presented
individually and, then, a summarizing schema pointing out the covered Pathfinder gaps at the sector level is
shown. A brief presentation of the company is provided before moving to the discussion of S&FT use.
7.2.1. Aerospace & defence

EADS
EADS is a global leader in aerospace defence and related services. The Group includes Airbus, Airbus
Military Eurocopter and EADS Astrium.
Vortex Drives EADS robot simulator for the Belgian army

(http://www.cm-labs.com/sites/default/files/finder/Customer Stories/Vortex-EADS-Customer-Story.pdf)

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Description S&FT role:
This study analyses the realization of a 3D-simulator for training 3D-simulation for training.
conditions with Explosive Ordnance Device (EOD) robots. EOD
robots perform essential but very difficult work. They are very Pathfinder gaps coverage:
expensive to build and a challenge to operate in these conditions, G7.2
posing many training issues. Thanks to the simulation capabilities
EADS accelerated development, exceeded requirements, and
delivered a superb training solution.
EADS Astrium Satellites UK

(http://www.plm.automation.siemens.com/CaseStudyWeb/dispatch/viewResource.html?resourceId=20475)
In this case study many simulation software of Siemens have been Reduce development lead-
used in order to reduce the satellite development lead-time, which time, cost efficiency, high
is usually one year including 6 months of simulation. Modelling is quality, achieve concurrent
key to the high standards of quality demanded for space engineering.
applications, the cost efficiency required by customers and the
timely delivery they expect. Therefore, Astrium uses Femap Pathfinder gaps coverage:
(simulation software of Siemens) extensively for the iterative G3.1, G3.2, G4.1, G5.3, G2.1
process of creating, checking and viewing models, processing
model results and exploring alternatives in order to achieve
concurrent engineering with the purpose of reducing the time by
half.
Training simulation of the manipulator vehicle tEODor for Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD)
and Improvised Explosive Device Disposal (IEDD)
(http://www.cm-labs.com/sites/default/files/finder/Customer Stories/EADS-ITEC-2010-tEODor-Vortex-Simulation-
Paper.pdf)
The simulation of manipulator vehicles is a challenge in the field of Training, modelling behaviour
EOD and IED disposal training. The focus in such vehicle of vehicles
simulations is to reproduce the behaviour of the vehicle in terms of
control and movement and also to simulate interactions with the Pathfinder gaps coverage:
environment in order to prepare the user for real operations. In this G7.2, G5.2
contribution an approach has been presented to ensure the quality
of the implemented robot simulation for IED disposal training
purposes. It could be shown that the simulation behaviour and the
real performance of the robot have a very strong correlation.
BAE SYSTEMS
BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in
London in the United Kingdom and with operations worldwide.
Industrial Sectors 76
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Simulating FAB Business Improvement at BAE SYSTEMS

(http://www.lanner.com/en/case-study.cfm?theCaseStudyID=C918A74A-15C5-F4C0-9905634B4AC88E70)
BAE Systems used simulation software (Witness from Lanner) to reduce cycle time, remove
improve production of advanced imaging devices at its bottlenecks, production
semiconductor manufacturing facility. Witness has been integral to capacity optimization.
a business improvement programme that has halved product cycle
times and increased capacity of some processes by more than Pathfinder gaps coverage:
50%. As a result, the company has reduced the overall cycle-time G3.1, G3.2
from 90 to 35 days, increased by 60% the capacity of the ceramic
stages. Furthermore, the simulation helped to remove bottlenecks
and therefore to identify which machines could be optimized.
The virtual factory – witness models munitions facility for BAE SYSTEMS
(http://www.lanner.com/en/case-study.cfm?theCaseStudyID=C9C4586A-15C5-F4C0-99CE8CCBE1808F2D)
In this study a simulation software was used at the project’s Life cycle costs, resource
inception in order to determine initial unit costs, the likely planning, project management.
effectiveness and form of the processes to be used, the
requirements for capacity and customer demand, the possible time Pathfinder gaps coverage:
pressures and resource limitations and the breadth and volume of G3.1, G3.2
materials to be used, and for all points it proved extremely useful in
supporting the initial capital investment proposals.
AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE
As one of the three divisions of the Airbus Group, Airbus Defence and Space is Europe’s No.1 defence and
space company. Worldwide, it ranks second for space and is among the top ten defence companies, with
revenues of approximately €14 billion per year.
Airbus speed CAD design with witness

(http://www.lanner.com/en/case-study.cfm?theCaseStudyID=C8FCF6C9-15C5-F4C0-994AEE55C8D8A7A1)
Simulation was used to provide more than traditional “what if” Layout and operations
simulation. An evolving sequence of models was built to optimise optimization, event-based CAD
the layout and operation of the proposed plant. The software was tool.
used in effect as an animated event-based CAD tool, and the
contractor's working drawings were derived directly from the final Pathfinder gaps coverage:
model. G5.3
The following graph (Fig. 16) summarizes the level of coverage of Pathfinder gaps by the sampled
77 Industrial Sectors
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cases in the Automotive sector.
3
Number of cases
0
G3.1 G3.2 G5.3 G7.2 G4.1 G5.2 G2.1
Gaps
Fig. 16 Gaps covered in the: Aerospace & Defence
7.2.2. Automotive
VOLKSWAGEN
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany.
Volkswagen is the top-selling and original marque of the Volkswagen Group, the biggest German automaker
and the second largest automaker in the world.
Role of simulations in the process from design to production

(http://www.hightechevents.nl/fileadmin/uploads_redactie_bc/docs/MDD13/Jan_Harmen_Wiebenga.pdf)
The role of simulation in the automotive-based manufacturing is Simulation driven design, product
emphasized by the following examples: performance assessment, design
optimization, virtual testing.
 Application of simulation driven design in the dashboard
development of the VW Polo Pathfinder gaps coverage: G3.1,
G3.2
 Analysis of product performance using simulations
 Automatic and structured design optimization in product

development
 Virtual testing of interior design VW Polo
Example 1
 Case: virtual testing of air vent performance at crash
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 Why: predict crack propagation at impact

 Goal: design optimization with respect to safety
Example 2
 Case: virtual testing of the dashboard with respect to safety

 Why: replace experimental dashboard tests
 Goal: design optimization w.r.t
Increased efficiency through digital planning

(http://www.solucionesplm.com/wp-content/contents/teamcenter/Siemens-PLM-Volkswagen.pdf)
Simulation has been used to increase the efficiency of vehicle body 3D plant layout, increase efficiency,
production planning and achieve increased planning requirements improve data models, computer-
without adding staff. This allows planners to drag-and-drop a robot simulated production planning
into a planning scenario where it is seen immediately within the 3D
plant layout, in a faster and more transparent manner. Digital tools Pathfinder gaps coverage: G2.2,
make possible the implementation of many optimization tools, G2.4, G4.2, G5.1, G5.2, G5.3
which in turn leads to more precise data models. The study has
shown that computer-simulated production planning reduced costs
permit optimal use of resources and minimized problems at start-
up.
SimPlan optimizations supports Volkswagen Slovakia A:G within a project about digital factory
(http://www.simplan.de/images/stories/download/Fachartikel/2008_09_ForumDigFab_EN.pdf)
The study encompasses all the stages within the welding process Timely detection and elimination of
at Volkswagen. Simulation is of paramount importance in such a problems, minimize investments,
process because enables to previously detect and eliminate optimize complex systems, process
problems that otherwise would have required costly and time designer, 3D product data, process
consuming correction measures during commissioning; to minimize simulation spot, plant simulation,
the investments, optimize and make robust complex systems with what-if scenarios.
many parameters. With this purpose, there has been used a
simulation-based software which has the following main features: Pathfinder gaps coverage: G2.1,
G2.2, G2.4, G3.1, G3.2, G4.1, G4.2,
 Process Designer: which integrates 3D product data, G5.3
working operations and resources.
 Process Simulation Spot: which uses inverse kinematics to
determine the joint values needed to reach a given target
location. Process Simulate Spot Program consists of a
path of target locations (position and orientation) with
associated attributes.
 Plant simulation: that allows the creation of a dynamic
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computer model of a complex system (e.g production) to

explore its characteristics and optimize the performance of
the system. The computer model enables the user to run
experiments and what-if scenarios without disturbing any
existing production or long before the real systems is
installed.
Volvo uses witness to optimise efficiency and productivity in gent plant

(http://www.lanner.com/en/case-study.cfm?theCaseStudyID=0D7DC11F-15C5-F4C0-99A7CE4A98EC8274)
S&FT role:
Description
Improve efficiency/quality, decision
In order to maintain, and continuously improve upon its credentials
making support, mapping scenarios,
for efficiency and quality in manufacturing, Volvo relies upon
virtual environments, risk
simulation technology. Simulation supports major business
management
decisions through mapping out scenarios in a virtual environment.
In taking this approach, Volvo's Gent plant can build business
Pathfinder gaps coverage: G3.1,
cases and de-risk decisions prior to investment being committed.
G3.2
Process planning tools support Volvo Cars’ expansion to Asia Pacific region
Engineering simulation plays a central role whenever an Increase production line flexibility,
automotive company decide either to increase production line revisiting engineering processes,
flexibility to support multiple car models or even for revisiting realistic robot simulation capabilities,
engineering processes to support operations and deliver innovative increase robot programs accuracy.
products. In this case, Volvo was able to meet these challenges
because of its engineers’ high level of expertise, employing a Pathfinder gaps coverage
Process Simulate tool and using its offline programming and
realistic robot simulation capabilities. By doing so, the company is G3.1, G4.1
able to generate very accurate robot programs that require only
slight modifications on the shop floor.
SEAT
SEAT, S.A. is a Spanish automobile manufacturer with its head office in Martorell, Spain. It was founded on
May 9, 1950, by the Instituto Nacional de Industria, a state-owned industrial holding company.
Moving toward digital manufacturing

The purpose of Seat was to increase the efficiency through the Reduce time-to-market,
New Product Development process in order to reduce time-to- improve data access,
market and improve speed and clarity of data access. The usage of manufacturing computer-based
digital manufacturing computer-based simulation allowed to reach
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these targets and to minimize development time. simulation.
Pathfinder gaps coverage:

G3.1, G5.2, G5.3
BOS automotive products ltd
BOS Automotive products Ltd. deals with production and distribution of interior accessories for automobiles,
such as storage systems, in particular bags and ski bags, sun visors for the windows, blinds covering the
luggage compartment, safety and protective nets and various other accessories and luggage room.
Optimization of layout using discrete event simulation

(http://www.ibimapublishing.com/journals/IBIMABR/2011/180343/180343.pdf)
The aim of this project was to optimize the layout of the two Evaluation of variants, layout
production lines for Daimler and VW Group products by the BOS optimization.
Automotive Products ltd, in particular, to reduce the spatial
arrangement of the cargo loader production hall, where storage Pathfinder gaps coverage:
systems for automobiles are produced. To achieve such an G3.1, G5.3
objective, there were evaluated several variants of the new layout
by means of a multi-criteria decision approach. To verify the
selection of the new variant carried out with the multi-criteria
evaluation, a Discrete Event Simulation (DES) software was
chosen. It helped to create digital models and to explore the
system characteristics in order to optimize their performance. This
kind of simulation was suitable because it offers extensive analysis
tools such as; bottleneck analysis, statistics and charts to evaluate
or optimize production processes in a virtual environment. In
conclusion, the simulation model led to confirm the accuracy of
evaluation of variants using the multi-criteria method. With such a
simulation software it was possible to try many variants of space
arrangement without real movement of machines and start the real
project only when the best variant is discovered.
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, commonly known as BMW or BMW AG, is a German automobile,
motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. BMW is headquartered in Munich, Bavaria,
Germany.
Entire vehicle in the product development

(http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF03247106 - page-1)
BMW has developed an entire vehicle simulation model to
Entire vehicle simulation
understand and improve energy flows in the vehicle. A model
modelling, improve energy
structure has been derived from this objective and implemented in
flows in the vehicle, support
a suitable simulation environment. The modular structure of the
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vehicle model makes it easy to implement subsystems with product development.

different levels of detail. Vehicle simulation enables energy
analysis to be performed in all development phases. It allows Pathfinder gaps coverage:
complex problems and interactions in the vehicle to be understood, G3.1, G3.3
analysed and solved. In this way, the energy flows can be
optimised and the fuel consumption can be lowered. Thus, vehicle
simulation is an important tool in the product development
CONTINENTAL AG
Continental AG is a leading German automotive manufacturing company specializing in tires, brake systems,
automotive safety, powertrain and chassis components, tachographs, and other parts for the automotive and
transportation industries.
Changing production requirements are handled easily with digital factory software
The purpose of this study was to achieve a greater manufacturing Greater manufacturing flexibility,
flexibility and to optimize material flows during situations of optimize material flows, digital
frequent product alterations and quantity changes. As a result, material flow simulation, what-if
digital material flow simulation allowed to acquire these objectives simulations.
by making what-if simulations to compare alternate production line
scenarios. Pathfinder gaps coverage: G3.1.
The following graph (Fig. 17) summarizes the level of coverage of Pathfinder gaps by the sampled cases in
the Automotive sector.
9
8
7
6
Number of cases
5
4
3
2
1
0
G3.1 G5.3 G3.2 G4.1 G4.2 G5.2 G2.2 G2.4 G5.1 G3.3 G2.1
Gaps
Fig. 17 Gaps covered in the: automotive
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7.2.3. Engineering and Electronics

ABB
ABB is a multinational corporation headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, operating in robotics and mainly in
the power and automation technology areas.
Operator Training Simulator

(http://www.abb.ch/industries/ap/db0003db004333/c125739a0067cb49c1257026003d4a31.aspx)
In order to perform successful operation of a highly complex high Operator training simulator.
voltage transmission network is needed a control centre staff
having both knowledge and experience in its operation. The Pathfinder gaps coverage: G7.2
Operator Training Simulator (OTS) is the modern tool to achieve
that goal. Training of operators has become an increasingly
important requirement in the implementation and continued
operation of Control Centres. Furthermore, the advent of the Smart
Grid will make the need for OTS even more important in the near
future.
GridView – Modelling to predict economic value

(http://www05.abb.com/global/scot/scot221.nsf/veritydisplay/581366a0c212c93ac1256fda00488562/$file/gridview
brochure.pdf)

GridView is a powerful energy market simulation and analysis tool Energy market simulation,
designed to deal with the most challenging issues facing decision analytical tool for decision making.
makers in the electric energy industry today. It uses state-of-the-art
modeling technology to simulate security constrained unit
G3.2
commitment and economic dispatch in large-scale transmission
networks. It produces unit commitments and economic dispatches
that respect the physical laws of power flow and transmission
reliability requirements. Therefore, GridView coupled with graphic
interface and easy-to-use system makes it a unique analytical tool
for decision-making.
SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC
Schneider Electric SA is a France-based multinational corporation that specializes in electricity distribution,
automation management and produces installation components for energy management.
Schneider Electric Oil & Gas – Liquids Pipeline Solutions

(http://www.schneider-
electric.com/solutions/ww/en/med/28714433/application/pdf/1619_liquids_pipeline_solutions_overview_usletter_.pdf)
Schneider Electric SimSuite Pipeline is a transient pipeline Pipeline simulation system, greater
modelling and simulation system for gas and liquids pipelines. It is efficiency, virtual world.
White Paper
the most technologically advanced and dependable pipeline Pathfinder gaps coverage:
simulation system in the industry. Schneider Electric SimSuite
G3.1
optimizes management of your pipeline operations for greater
efficiency, effectiveness and an improved bottom line. In a virtual
world, it can be proven that your pump stations, compressor
stations, injection/ delivery stations, tank farms, valves and control
logic work flawlessly before the real world puts them to the test.
Impact of Oil and Gas pipeline simulators on controller training and regulatory compliance
(http://www2.schneider-electric.com/documents/support/white-papers/oil-and-gas/Oil-pipeline-simulator-training.pdf)
Regulatory compliance is an expensive and critical business issue Controller training.

for oil and gas pipeline operators. Any approach that expedites
compliance efforts saves time and money and also improves Pathfinder gaps coverage: G7.2
safety. Computer-based simulators are seen by regulatory
agencies as an effective tool for operators, and can help expedite
regulatory compliance. This paper examines a range of simulator
types and offers guidance for how controllers can be trained using
such tools.
Liquids pipeline leak detection and simulation training

(http://www.schneider-
electric.com/solutions/ww/en/med/28862720/application/pdf/1660_liquids_leak_detection_simulation_2012.pdf)

A computational pipeline monitoring (CPM) system uses real-time Computational pipeline monitoring,
information from the field – such as pressure, temperature, real-time information, computerized
viscosity, density, flow rate, product sonic velocity and product simulation, effective training.
interface locations – to estimate the hydraulic behaviour of the
product being transported and create a computerized simulation.
G5.1
Computerized simulation has demonstrated to provide more
comprehensive and effective training for a specific pipeline than
on-the-job training. Indeed, training simulations are recognized as
one of the best tools to maintain appropriate knowledge and skills
for a specific pipeline. A simulator provides a repeatable, unbiased
assessment of all controllers’ skills and abilities and can be a highly
valuable part of a comprehensive controller training/qualification
program for not only leak detection procedures and practices but
also other loss preventions systems.
Energy management specialist streamlines product development process using a system

simulation approach

Schneider Electric has been using simulation tools for a long time. Multi-domain system for R&D,
White Paper
The company has well-established solutions for each specific evaluating impact of design choice,
physical domain. Taken individually, each kind of simulation recording engineering knowledge.
software helped the company to solve issues. However, Schneider
Electric recognized that needed a standard tool covering all
domains to support them in: Pathfinder gaps coverage:
 Making the product synthesis with different physical G2.2, G2.3, G2.4, G3.1, G4.1,
couplings G4.2, G6.2
 Evaluating the impact of a design choice on the overall
system
 Comparing the efficiency of different design architectures
 Recording all engineering knowledge gained during the
design phase
 Rapidly evaluating evolving demands for product features
Schneider Electric had three main objectives for this analysis: first,
to understand how it would have helped to make greater use of a
multi-domain system simulation tool during the research and
development (R&D) phase; second, to track the effectiveness of
electronic simulation; and third, to provide a simulation package to
continuous engineering team for the products. Having this
knowledge would help the engineering team rapidly and easily
perform an analysis on evolving requests from customers.
PHILIPS
Koninklijke Philips N.V. is a Dutch diversified technology company headquartered in Amsterdam with primary
divisions focused in the areas of Healthcare, Consumer Lifestyle and Lighting.
Simulation project for a new distribution centre of Philips

(http://www.google.ch/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CDQQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%
2Fsupport.incontrolsim.com%2Fen%2Fed-showcases%2F83-showcase-philips-english%2Fdownload.html&ei=0Ph5U7-
oNsGc0AX3tIC4Dg&usg=AFQjCNErS2bGJ5JuVOgg0HoKEC95pgzoHg&bvm=bv.66917471,d.d2k)

The goal of this simulation project was in the first place to validate What-if scenarios, identify
the already performed calculations on the required number of bottlenecks, 3D representation.
reach trucks and order pick trucks. In the second place what- if
scenarios where defined to identify possible bottlenecks situations.
Furthermore Philips Lighting wanted to have a 3D representation of G3.1, G5.3
the warehouse to use as a reference material and educational
purposes.
the Engineering & Electronics sector.
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3
Number of cases
0
G7.2 G3.1 G2.2 G2.3 G2.4 G3.2 G4.1 G4.2 G5.1 G5.3 G6.2
Gaps
Fig. 18 Gaps covered in the Engineering and Electronicssector
7.2.4. Chemicals
BASF
BASF SE is the largest chemical company in the world and is headquartered in Ludwigshafen, Germany.
BASF originally stood for Badische Anilin- und Soda-Fabrik.
Virtual commissioning in practice

(http://www.industry.siemens.com/topics/global/en/magazines/process-news/engineering-service/pages/basf-
se.aspx)
BASF is currently conducting a pilot project together with Siemens Virtual commissioning, plant
to make the vision of virtual commissioning of a process plant a behaviour modelling, scenario
reality. In the virtual commissioning pilot project, BASF is now analysis.
testing an automation application in a virtual plant, which maps
plant behaviour with the help of a simplified process model
simulation environment. By doing so, the process could be tested
intensively, both during normal operation and also, to some extent,
in exceptional situations. It will help to detect errors early in the
G5.3
implementation of automation logic with consequent increase
productivity and return on investment.
Production simulation and process optimization make Ineos Köln one of the most effective
petrochemical sites
(http://www.aimms.com/aimms/download/case_studies/c_2008_3-ineos-k-ln-4.pdf)

Ineos conducted a pilot study to simulate part of several chemical Modelling chemical production
White Paper
production processes in order to compute the day-to-day process, operations planning,

production and stock levels, and transport needs, for the coming integration with other systems
two years, in a reasonable amount of time. The link between the
simulation model and the central SQL database server ensures
that new inputs are retrieved and the simulation results are Pathfinder gaps coverage: G3.1,
forwarded for action. With the combination of simulation, SQL G5.1, G5.2, G5.3
Server, and SAP, a complete and transparent overview of the past,
actual, and future production rates and stock levels is available. As
a result, anyone within the entire INEOS organization can access
all the information related to production at INEOS K ln. After
implementing the AIMMS-based DISPO system, INEOS K ln has
become one of the most effective petrochemical sites. Bottlenecks
are foreseen at an early stage, allowing INEOS to take appropriate
preventive actions, and enabling INEOS to avoid, or at least
minimize, losses in utilization.
AKZO NOBEL
Akzo Nobel N.V., trading as AkzoNobel, is a Dutch multinational, active in the fields of decorative paints,
performance coatings and specialty chemicals.
AkzoNobel uses Assima technology to train over 100,000 employees and customers quickly
and cost-effectively on its new paint-mixing application, in 13 languages
(http://www.assima.net/images/resources/case-studies/cs-assima-akzonobel-2013-us.pdf)

In this case study AzkoNobel was dealing with a problem simulation-based training
concerning the industrial coatings and paint used by exercise, cost effective training.
manufacturers, engineering firms and automotive repair shops. For
all these businesses, the ability to identify, match and order the
right colour tones for specific products is critical. With the goal of Pathfinder gaps coverage:
enhancing relationships with thousands of existing customers and G7.2
winning new market share, global chemical, paint and industrial
coating leader AzkoNobel, developed and launched a new version
of its professional paint mixing application, Mixit Pro. To accelerate
uptake of Mixit Pro, AzkoNobel needed to train more than 100,000
employees and customers on the new application globally, in 13
different languages. After evaluating training solutions from ten
companies, AzkoNobel chose to deploy Assima Training Suite.
Basically, it captures clones of an application’s interface and
creates centrally stored, fully interactive, multilingual training
exercises, which relies on Simulation-based training exercise, with
remote online access for employees and customers. This led to a
fast, cost-effective training for 100,000 end users who have
improved their skills and confidence.
the Chemicals sector.
White Paper
3
Number of cases
0
G7.2 G3.1 G2.2 G2.3 G2.4
Gaps
Fig. 19 Gaps covered in the: Chemicals
7.2.5. Pharmaceuticals
NOVARTIS
Novartis International AG is a Swiss multinational pharmaceutical company based in Basel, Switzerland,
ranking number one in sales among the world-wide industry in 2013.
Modeling & Simulation department

(http://www.novartis.com/innovation/getting-drugs-to-patient/modeling-and-simulation.shtml)

The Modelling & Simulation department at Novartis Pharma AG Optimal development,
supports the optimal development of therapeutic drugs through the mathematical modelling,
application of mathematical models. Principles of biology, process development
pharmacology, and statistics are integrated in order to explain and
to predict the quantitative consequences of decisions. Novartis
M&S has very strong experience in model development, G3.1, G5.1
development of computational tools for simulation and analysis,
and the application of models and their simulation across the
complete drug discovery and development process.
Hoffmann – La Roche
F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. is a Swiss global health-care company that operates worldwide under two
divisions: Pharmaceuticals and Diagnostics. Its holding company, Roche Holding AG, has bearer shares
listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange.
Challenges and opportunities with modelling and simulation in drug discovery and drug
development
(http://proline.physics.iisc.ernet.in/home/images/a/aa/SE-302-challenges.pdf)
White Paper
The study shows how modelling and simulation can add value at Data integration, continuous
various stages of the research and development process, can help process feedback loop.
to create a continuous feedback loop between pre-clinical and
clinical stages, and can contribute to scientifically and rationally
guided drug discovery and development. The benefits of modelling G3.1, G5.1
and simulation at the pre-clinical stage can be realized though
formal and realistic integration of data obtained from the various
functions supporting project teams.
Modelling and simulation of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics systems – approaches

in drug discovery
(http://www.beilstein-institut.de/bozen2004/proceedings/MacDonald/MacDonald.pdf)
This report states that modelling and simulation based on the Drug development
principles of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics are useful
tools in drug development. Systematic use of these tools should Pathfinder gaps coverage:
lead to better clinical drug-candidates and a corresponding
reduction in attrition during the far costlier clinical phases of drug. G3.1
Role of modelling and simulation in phase in drug development

(http://www.gmp.asso.fr/Documents/Biblio/Simulation%20COSTB15.pdf)
Modelling & simulation fulfils an important role in reshaping the Drug development, knowledge
early trials of drug development by more effective extraction of integration, development time
information from studies, better integration of knowledge across reduction.
studies and more precise predictions of trial outcome, thereby
allowing more informed decision making. Modelling may enable the Pathfinder gaps coverage:
pharmaceutical industry to move into patient studies faster and
safely. Already standard in other knowledge-based industries, G3.1, G5.1, G5.2
computer simulation is increasingly being used to aid clinical trial
development.
SANOFI
Sanofi S.A. is a multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Paris, France, as of 2014 the
world's fifth-largest by prescription sales.
Increasing the strategic value of kinetic and dynamic data through unified modelling, higher
productivity, and regulatory compliance
(http://www.pharsight.com/library/sign_in/Modeling%20&%20Simulation%20and%20FDA_March%202007%20S
eminar.pdf)
Productivity in clinical development continues to decline, and the Support decision making
inability to increase efficiency has resulted in a pipeline, which is process, model based drug
White Paper
impeded. Some of the causes of this problem are the following: development.
 Inefficient decision making processes (lack of information, Pathfinder gaps coverage:

decision not based on quantitative inputs, focus on the
wrong areas, loss of knowledge due to changes in staff G3.1, G5.1, G5.2.
and assignments, inability to capture information)
 Lack of efficient utilization of technology
These lacks lead to the need for model based drug development
such as computer assisted trial simulation. After Sanofi turned to a
computer model, using its own animal and human test data, Sanofi
was able to simulate later-stage clinical trials. Based on that
simulation, the researcher stopped funding the development of the
compound. The ratio between the therapeutic benefit and side
effect demonstrated that this compound was not enough beneficial.
An estimation conducted by Sanofi states that the computer model
enable to save Sanofi $50M to $100M, the cost of later-stage
clinical trials.
the Pharmaceutical sector.
6
Number of cases
0
G3.1 G5.1 G5.2
Gaps
Fig. 20. Gaps covered in the Pharmaceutical sectors (full name of each gap is reported
7.2.6. Metals
ARCELOR MITTAL
ArcelorMittal S.A. is a multinational steel manufacturing corporation headquartered in Avenue de la Liberté,
Luxembourg.
Operational simulation model of the raw material handling in an integrated steel making plant
(http://www.informs-sim.org/wsc09papers/297.pdf)
White Paper

Operational simulation model,
This article is focused on the design and implementation of an
production process.
operational simulation model (OSM) of the handling of raw material
in an integrated steel making plant, considering operations of Pathfinder gaps coverage:
receiving, unloading, stocking, handling and supplying the different
G5.1
raw materials related to the production process with an operational
perspective. The aim of this focus is to help in the decision making
of the team controlling the inventory.
Cutting-Edge Simulation Improves Industrial Processes

(http://members.questline.com/Article.aspx?articleID=24799&accountID=1863&nl=13990&userID=291818)
ArcelorMittal needed help to optimize blast furnace fuel utilization Reduce process development
and campaign life; increase energy efficiency of the billet reheat time, 3D VR.
furnace; and improve uniformity of strip heating. In each case CFD
simulation provided valuable insight into the complex heat transfer Pathfinder gaps coverage:
and fluid flow phenomenon occurring in these processes, leading
to significant process improvements. ArcelorMittal also discovered G3.1, G5.3
process development time could be shrunk in half or more by using
such technologies. The company found that advanced simulation
and 3D VR avoided costly mistakes, such as an improperly
designed furnace being built for manufacturing carbon anodes.
Construction was halted until the redesign was finalized.
ANGLO AMERICAN PLC

Anglo American plc is a British multinational mining company headquartered in London, United Kingdom.
Maintenance framework to address the interaction of components using simulation

(http://www.informs-sim.org/wsc11papers/065.pdf)

Maintenance management of a
Simulation technique is used in the maintenance management of a
complex system, identification
complex system. The model considers the most important
of bottlenecks.
interaction between the components in a production chain: the lack
of material feed and the blockage states. Both occur as a result of Pathfinder gaps coverage:
corrective maintenance (generated randomly) and preventive
G3.1, G5.1, G5.2
maintenance (scheduled) activities. The purpose of the model is to
provide the visibility of the system, measuring performance in
terms of productivity, identifying bottlenecks generated by the
maintenance schedule and identifying policies which deliver the
best production rate and higher service level.
Anglo American Thermal Coal: Technical Solutions Simulation of trucking operation

(http://www.shangoni.co.za/Cms_Data/Contents/shangoniDB/Media/documents/ANGLO%20Greenside%20Colli
White Paper
ery/Draft%20Scoping%20Report/Appendix%20E/E4/E4.pdf)
S&FT role:
Description
Modelling the logistics value
A simulation model was constructed in order to create a realistic chain, identification of process
high-level representation of the logistics value chain with the interdependencies, scenario
purpose of enhancing, by means of animation, the understanding analysis.
of the interaction of the different process interdependencies and Pathfinder gaps coverage:
determine the worst case scenario.
G4.1, G4.2
the Metals sector.
2
Number of cases
0
G5.1 G3.1 G5.3 G5.2 G4.1 G4.2
Gaps
Fig. 21 Gaps covered in the Metals sector
7.2.7. Food & Beverage

UNILEVER
Unilever is an Anglo–Dutch multinational consumer goods company co-headquartered in London, England
and Rotterdam, Netherlands. Its products include food, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care
products.
Delivering innovation and intelligence in product design

(http://resources.altair.com/pdd/images/en-US/CaseStudy/Unilever-Delivering-Innovation-and-Intelligence-in-
Product-Design.pdf)

Packaging design,
An initiative is on going at Unilever to define and reel out a new sustainability assessment,
design approach driven by CAE for the packaging design. product life cycle consideration,
Packaging must fulfil many roles throughout the lifecycle of the accuracy of the prediction,
White Paper
product, roles that vary significantly depending on the target region, virtual testing.
product and consumer driven requirements. In addition to cost,
sustainability is a big driver for reducing packaging material, and
considering new recyclable options. The technical challenges are G3.1, G3.2, G3.3
many, ranging from capturing complex material response to
capturing the process behind accessible user interfaces that can
be deployed in a richly varied global business. Unilever is
committed to yielding the greatest value from the design
technology through employing it as early as possible in the product
development cycle. To ensure accuracy of the predictions,
materials need to be characterised at a level of detail previously
reserved for detailed research activities.
Detailed predictions of primary, secondary and tertiary packaging
performance are made possible through use of advanced
simulation technology. Design optimization is then employed using
the modelling as a virtual testing ground for design variants. The
approach provides clear design direction, an opportunity for wider
experimentation, helps to improve performance and reduces
uncertainty in the development process.
Simulation-Based Business
(http://gallery.mailchimp.com/64046555706f8710f36a6eac1/files/MTP_Business_Challenge_Case_Study_2012.pdf)

Learning/training programs,
MTP plc, Accenture, and Enspire Learning joined forces to design
a simulation-based business acumen training program for Unilever,
one of the world’s largest consumer products companies, and to
deliver that program virtually to a global sales audience.
G7.2
With rising competition in the consumer goods market, brand name
consumer goods companies such as Unilever are increasingly
under pressure to make financially sound decisions at all levels
and in all functional areas of the company. Nowhere is that
pressure felt more strongly than in sales. To sell effectively, sales
managers must understand the financial consequences of
decisions around pricing, marketing, and new product launches –
both the impact on their own business’s financials, and on those of
their customers.
At the same time, today’s multinationals operate across the world,
and need training programmes to be delivered across the same
wide range of geographies.
Unilever needed the training to be high-quality, consistently
delivered and tailored towards their needs – but pressures of work
and tight budgets would not allow sales people to take whole days
away from their work, nor to travel. The solution would have to be
delivered virtually. Unilever turned to Accenture to find vendors
capable of designing a business acumen training program that
could be delivered entirely virtually, without compromising
White Paper
effectiveness and engagement.

This program has shown that engaging, effective learning
programs can be delivered virtually to a global audience. Final
proof of the program’s business value is the fact that Unilever has
begun to roll out a variation on it to a wider management audience
within the organization.
Customized Solutions to Reduce Packaging Waste

(http://www.altairproductdesign.com/pdd/images/en-US/CaseStudy/PD_caseStudy_Unilever2_041211.pdf)

Minimize material use, virtual
With increasing pressures on all manufacturers to reduce the
simulation technology,
environmental impact of their products, consumer goods giant,
packaging design, sustainability
Unilever, needed a way to minimize the material used in its
assessment.
packaging while ensuring that it remained strong enough to
withstand transportation loads and a variety of use conditions. Pathfinder gaps coverage:
Advanced virtual simulation technology was needed to optimize
G3.1, G3.2, G3.3
Unilever’s packaging designs but, at the time, Unilever did not
employ many computer aided engineering (CAE) users, instead
having an extremely talented team of CAD engineers at their
disposal. The custom Atlas system from Altair ProductDesign’s
process automation team has allowed Unilever’s CAD engineers to
perform a wide variety of simulation studies in an accessible but
powerful user environment. Innovative packaging designs can be
generated and explored, while new materials can be checked for
manufacturing feasibility and cost without the need for expensive
physical trials. The system has helped Unilever to compress
packaging design development time while simultaneously reducing
the amount of material required during manufacture.
The following graph (Fig. 22) summarizes the level of coverage of Pathfinder gaps by the samples cases in
the Food&Beverage sector.
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3
Number of cases
0
G3.1 G3.2 G3.3 G7.2
Gaps
Fig. 22 Gaps covered in the Food & Beverage
7.3. Overview on the level of gaps coverage

The analysis at sector level showed what are the main gaps already addressed by each sector. A final
overview of the overall level of coverage is presented in the following table, where all the findings are
summarized. The automotive sector resulted to be the one addressing more gaps simultaneously thus
showing that this sector is at the forefront of the research in S&FT and making it a reference point to monitor
first advances of innovative tools. The engineering and electronics sector follows in terms of number of
addressed gaps.
Moving the discussion to the analysis of gaps, it is possible to see that a certain number of gaps have never
been found in the analysed cases (G1.1; G1.2; G3.4; G6.1; G6.3; G7.1; G8.1; G8.2). These gaps are the
ones that most likely will need more attention from the research point of view, since, if not impossible, it is
harder to find examples of application.
On the contrary, some of the gaps have already met the interest of different sectors meaning that some
existing solutions are already in place. On top of the most considered gaps is the gap 2.1 (poor modelling
simulation of life-cycle) for which at least one case for each analysed sector has been found. This means
that the need of tools allowing the life-cycle simulation is common to different scenarios. Most likely, the real
gap to be filled in this case is not the lack of technological solution, but the lack of scalable solutions that
allows even SMEs to take advantage of these functionalities. Not surprisingly, the modelling of product life-
cycle costs is another highly addressed topic. Once the life cycle modelling works, it can be used to evaluate
the associated costs. Not all sectors are ready or interested in applying S&FT in this field. Indeed, research
is called in this area to link the modelling with the cost evaluation. A quite widespread element among the
sampled cases is the use of virtual factory models. Their utility in the design and management of production
system is evident, yet their development and maintenance require too much effort to be affordable by the
smaller companies.
To sum up, the sectorial-driven perspective adopted in this section add some more elements to map the
European stakeholders as far as S&FT advancements are concerned. State-of-the-art applications in their
sector of adoption have been analysed to provide an overview of where to look for advances solutions to be
then applied in other contexts.
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Aerospace & Defense
Food & Beverage

Pharmaceuticals
Engineering &
Automotive
Electronics
Chemicals
Total (%)
Metals
Total
S&FT Gaps
G1.1
G1.2
G2.1 1 1 2 2,30%
G2.2 2 1 3 3,45%
G2.3 1 1 1,15%
G2.4 2 1 3 3,45%
G3.1 3 8 2 1 5 2 2 23 26,44%
G3.2 3 3 1 2 9 10,34%
G3.3 1 2 3 3,45%
G3.4
G4.1 1 2 1 1 5 5,75%
G4.2 2 1 1 4 4,60%
G5.1 1 1 1 4 2 9 10,34%
G5.2 1 2 1 2 1 7 8,05%
G5.3 2 4 1 2 1 10 11,49%
G6.1
G6.2 1 1 1,15%
G6.3
G7.1
G7.2 2 3 1 1 7 8,05%
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G8.1
G8.2
Total (NO.) 13 28 14 6 11 8 7 87 100,00%
Total (%) 14,94% 32,18% 16,09% 6,90% 12,64% 9,20% 8,05% 100,00%
Summary of S&FT gaps coverage by each sector. In the cells the number of cases found in the
corresponding sector dealing with that gap (full name of gaps is deta

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Version 1: June 2014

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ......................................................................................................... 4

2. WORKING-GROUP MEMBERS AND TECHNICAL EXPERTS ............................................... 7

3. ICT IN MANUFACTURING ...................................................................................................... 8

4. EU COUNTRIES PERSPECTIVE OVER SF&T ROLE .......................................................... 11

5. PATHFINDER VISION – A THREE LAYERS APPROACH ................................................... 38

6. PATHFINDER ROADMAP ..................................................................................................... 45

7. INDUSTRIAL SECTORS ANALYSIS .................................................................................... 75

Pathfinder White-Paper June 2014

Pathfinder Advisory Board

Pathfinder Core Group

European Commission Support and Counselling Group

Pathfinder White-Paper June 2014

3.1. Numbers in ICT

Fig. 1 – forecast on GDP increase level

Pathfinder White-Paper June 2014

3.2. What we know - statements

3.3. Simulation and forecasting within ICT

3.3.1. The Historical Trends of the Evolution of Simulation

3.3.2. Types of Simulation Models

4.1. Regional initiatives

Country Title Link Date of issue

4.1.1. Austria – BMVIT INNOVATION: Solutions for the future

Pathfinder White-Paper June 2014

EU Countries perspective over S&FT 12

4.1.2. Denmark – Manufacturing 2025

13 EU Countries perspective over S&FT

an advantage in global competition by exploiting the special competences and business

4.1.3. Finland – Finland’s regional development strategy 2020

EU Countries perspective over S&FT 14

15 EU Countries perspective over S&FT

EU Countries perspective over S&FT 16

4.1.5. Germany – Industrie 4.0

17 EU Countries perspective over S&FT

EU Countries perspective over S&FT 18

4.1.6. Ireland - Making it in Ireland: Manufacturing 2020

19 EU Countries perspective over S&FT

to manufacturing, maintenance and disassembly/recycling; and facilitate better real-time decision

EU Countries perspective over S&FT 20

4.1.7. Latvia – Sustainable development strategy of Latvia until 2030

4.1.8. Netherlands – Global Challenges Dutch solutions

21 EU Countries perspective over S&FT

Time horizon 2020

EU Countries perspective over S&FT 22

23 EU Countries perspective over S&FT

4.1.10. Sweden – Swedish production research 2020

EU Countries perspective over S&FT 24

25 EU Countries perspective over S&FT

4.1.11. United Kingdom – The future of manufacturing

EU Countries perspective over S&FT 26

4.1.12. Local Initiative compared with Pathfinder’s Areas

27 EU Countries perspective over S&FT

for high-tech performance RA1

Multi-level S&FT integration RA4

Crowdsourcing-based S&FT RA8

Smart, Intelligent and self-

based learning &training

S&FT for life-cycle