Towards living manufacturing systems

Abstract The impact of the forth industrial revolution on the social and natural environment is considered significant and far-reaching, even though the interactions of the human, natural and manufactured assets are less understood, extremely complex and unpredictable. The paper discusses how present days’ – so-called cyber-physical – manufacturing systems operate in the fabrics of society and the natural environment. It is underlined that they show and – to an increasing extent – will show features and capabilities reminiscent of living beings and organizations. This view helps to understand how manufacturing interacts with the ecosystem and suggests resolutions for the dilemma of competitive and sustainable manufacturing.