Knowledge in the IST (Information Society Technologies) field envisions a technology bifurcation in the field of intelligent automation systems and real-time middle-ware technologies in the next 5-10 years. This technology bifurcation extends networked embedded intelligence at the real-time production control and re-scheduling levels further than is currently possible, allowing for a completely new range of intelligent automation products and services. Such products and services enables new paradigms of production and new concepts of product-services and new intelligent production automation concepts, which are more agile, flexible and integrated, based on agent-based technology. The scope of the journal considers the industry’s transition towards more knowledge-based production and systems organization and considers production from a more holistic perspective, encompassing not only hardware and software, but also people and the way in which they learn and share knowledge. Such a framework accommodates ideas related to: radical shifts in industrial structures with capabilities in networks and mastering; new hybrid technologies; development of new processes and devices and flexible and intelligent manufacturing systems; tools for the control of complex distributed production systems; realization of an ambient intelligence landscape at industrial level. The journal focuses on the following main topics: Flexible, collaborative factory automation, Distributed industrial control and computing paradigms, Internet-based monitoring and control systems, Real-time control software for industrial processes, Java and Jini in industrial environments, Control of wireless sensors and actuators, Systems interoperability and human machine interface.

IST（信息社會技術(shù)）領(lǐng)域的知識預(yù)示著未來5-10年智能自動化系統(tǒng)和實(shí)時中間件技術(shù)領(lǐng)域的技術(shù)分歧。這種技術(shù)分歧將網(wǎng)絡(luò)化的嵌入式智能擴(kuò)展到實(shí)時生產(chǎn)控制和重新調(diào)度級別，比目前可能的更進(jìn)一步，從而允許全新的智能自動化產(chǎn)品和服務(wù)范圍。這些產(chǎn)品和服務(wù)使基于基于基于代理的技術(shù)的新的生產(chǎn)模式、新的產(chǎn)品服務(wù)概念和新的智能生產(chǎn)自動化概念更加靈活、靈活和集成。期刊的范圍考慮了行業(yè)向更多基于知識的生產(chǎn)和系統(tǒng)組織的轉(zhuǎn)變，并從更全面的角度考慮生產(chǎn)，不僅包括硬件和軟件，還包括人和他們學(xué)習(xí)和分享知識的方式。這種框架適應(yīng)了以下方面的思想：具有網(wǎng)絡(luò)和掌握能力的工業(yè)結(jié)構(gòu)的根本轉(zhuǎn)變；新的混合技術(shù)；新工藝和設(shè)備的開發(fā)以及靈活和智能的制造系統(tǒng)；復(fù)雜分布式生產(chǎn)系統(tǒng)的控制工具；實(shí)現(xiàn)工業(yè)水平的環(huán)境智能景觀。該雜志主要集中在以下幾個方面：柔性的、協(xié)作的工廠自動化、分布式工業(yè)控制和計(jì)算范例、基于互聯(lián)網(wǎng)的監(jiān)控系統(tǒng)、工業(yè)過程實(shí)時控制軟件、工業(yè)環(huán)境中的Java和Jini、無線傳感器和執(zhí)行器的控制、系統(tǒng)互操作性和人機(jī)界面。