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For a few years, the concepts of modular automation have been seen as a key technology for highly flexible operation in the process industry. The basic idea of this concept is that fully automated modules, so-called Process Equipment Assemblies (PEAs), with specified functionalities can be combined to form modular process plants. Recently, the attention for this topic has increased in industries far beyond the process industry. There’s research to use those concepts e.g. in production-related logistics for the supply and disposal of production plants, in shipbuilding for the integration of the various sub-systems into a ships’ information system, and in manufacturing industry in the context of machine capabilities and skills. Starting some years ago as German standard VDI/VDE/NAMUR 2658, the concepts are now on the threshold to international standardization in the form of a New Work Item Proposal for IEC 63280. In addition to that, other standardization activities such as OMAC PackML, the Open Process Automation Standard, the Industry 4.0 base system BaSys or the concept of the Asset Administration Shell are related to the VDI/VDE/NAMUR 2658 as they also act in the area of modular automation. Next to those standardization efforts, industry associations such as the BioPhorum or the VDMA are taking up the basic concepts of the VDI/VDE/NAMUR 2658 and develop them further within the framework of industry-specific extensions, concretizations and adaptations. With this proposal the organizers would like to provide a first international platform for work in this community and to support the international dissemination of the VDI/VDE/NAMUR 2658 concepts with regard to the beginning standardization within IEC 63280