Join the team
changing the game!

For far too long proprietary automation systems have been restricting innovation. Joining UniversalAutomation.org means becoming part of a one-of-a-kind organization sharing a common technology that will unleash innovation by enabling application portability.

What is universal automation?
It is the combination of two parts:

 

  • A technology enabler based on the IEC 61499 standard which defines how to design distributed applications using “plug and produce” software components which are independent from the hardware on which they execute.

     

  • A community of automation users, technology vendors and academics organized around an independent non-profit association: UniversalAutomation.org.

     

    UniversalAutomation.org is open to new members willing to change the game of automation.
  • Why join us?
    Members of UniversalAutomation.org get access to the next generation of universal automation technology, working collaboratively within an ecosystem of innovative technology vendors and thought-leading users.
    Real time - Right time

    Plug & Produce

    Real time - Right time

    Application Portability & Interoperability

    Real time - Right time

    IT/OT Convergence

    A new automation paradigm is required!

    Traditional Automation world
    IT Applications
    Difficult
    Proprietary Control Node
    Vendor 1
    Vendor 2
    Vendor 3
    Vendor 4
    • Locked to a vendor
    • No portability & limited application interoperability
    • Difficult to interface with IT systems
    • Labor-intensive to engineer & operate
    • Prevents innovation & evolution of installed base
    Universal Automation
    IT Applications
    Easy
    Hardware independent Application
    Universal Automation Control Node

    Controller

    Vendor 1
    PLC

    Controller

    Vendor 2
    DCS

    Controller

    Vendor 3
    Instruments Actuators

    Controller

    Vendor 4
    Edge Computers
    • More cost-effective – write once, re-use regardless of vendor
    • More reliable & safer using proven-in-use, reusable software libraries
    • Software can be incrementally improved over the lifecycle
    • End-of-life proof – re-use software, even when automation hardware is obsolete
    • Embed & reuse IP to protect competitive edge or to get better ROI on increasing software investment
    They joined us
    We joined UAO because we strongly believe that we have to decouple the application from the hardware. The value of our automation is not in the hardware and (yet today) we design every plant in hardware-centric way.  That is no longer possible with the regional complexities of cyber security, more maintenance, more complex software requirements. On our current path towards Industry 4.0 that hardware-centric approach no longer good. So in short, we must decouple hardware & software to make sure that we are able to survive as an industry in Europe.
    Dominic de Kerf
    Plant Systems and Controls COE
    We are excited to be part of UniversalAutomation.org because it promises to be a complete game changer. It opens up a new world of possibilities for organisations like ours. Unlocking valuable data currently buried in proprietary systems, making the connectivity and deployment of new technologies like Artificial Intelligence quick and simple. As part of UniversalAutomation.org we are actively collaborating with and supporting like-minded organisations to create an exciting new open era in operations and automation.
    Valeriy Vyatkin
    Professor of Electrical Engineering at Aalto University
    I think now is a great time to disrupt the industry, really become hardware agnostic and let the end user decide what hardware they want to use. Customers can basically choose the hardware they want using just one automation platform, so they become very versatile and are not bound to one particular vendor. Universal Automation provides precisely the level of flexibility that a competitive and sustainable industry requires. For our customers, this is exactly what they are looking for today.
    Nicholas Holland
    Managing Director - EMEA Broad Market
    There is a huge room for improvement on the way runtimes are managed and orchestrated today. By joining UAO we aim to contribute to make large runtime deployments more scalable and secure through modern Edge Management functions. Our participation in UAO represents another significant step in our commitment to delivering open and flexible solutions based on industry standards, enabling industrial organizations to innovate more rapidly and with reduced risk.
    David Purón
    CEO and Co-founder at Barbara
    As a university, we’re committed to preparing the future workforce by aligning our curriculum with industry needs. Our courses, developed in collaboration with industry partners, blend cutting-edge theory with practical experience. With Universal Automation leading the next wave of industrial transformation through IT convergence and digitalization, our membership empowers us to stay at the forefront and drive this change in Australia.
    Dr. Octavian Bass
    Senior Lecturer - Electrical Engineering
    At our hydro plants, we’re modernizing technology from the 1950s. UAO’s IEC 61499 standard lets us decouple software from hardware and build reusable function libraries across assets. This shift to a function-first approach is a game-changer, and our teams quickly embraced it. We're excited to unify diverse machines and PLCs under one standard.
    Laurent Bacon
    Head of Industrial Information and Control​
    UniversalAutomation.org marks a new era in automation technology, set to transform software development over the next five years. We're proud to contribute to the “plug and produce” vision, supporting flexible manufacturing. As more members join and embrace collaboration and openness, industry-wide change is inevitable.
    Dmitrii Drozdov
    Chief Technology Officer at Flexbridge
    Open automation like UAO helps us deliver innovative systems faster and more affordably—boosting manufacturing efficiency and accelerating green solutions. We're starting with IEC 61499 to build on existing tech, and long-term, better integration across OEMs will be transformative. If you're tired of being locked into costly, outdated PLC platforms—UAO is the way forward.
    David Campain
    Global Product Manager, Process Control Systems
    I joined UAO because by being open, by being an international standard, by being already supported by quite a certain number of relevant companies, it paves the way for a new generation of not just automation systems, but a new way of conceiving automation systems. Because in the end it leaves behind the problem of hardware and unleashes the power of software, which has not yet happened in automation.
    Franco Cavadini
    Chief Technical Officer
    As a teacher in Electrical Engineering, I believe it’s vital to expose students to future-ready technologies. Today’s hardware-centric automation limits flexibility and interoperability, making evolution costly and complex. In contrast, IEC 61499 enables software-centric, open automation that bridges OT and IT, supporting agile, data-driven industry needs. INSA Lyon joined UniversalAutomation.org to give students hands-on experience with this modern, interoperable approach.
    Mady Guillemot
    Professor and Researcher
    Joining UniversalAutomation.org provides the collaborative and open ecosystem we have been looking for to advance industrial automation. With our work on IEC 61499 and the open-source project Eclipse 4diac, we aim to support the adoption of standards and technologies that enable seamless connectivity, data exchange, and innovation across industrial automation systems.
    Dr. Alois Zoitl
    Univ.-Prof. Johannes Kepler University Linz
    We prefer systems built on open standards over vendor-locked solutions. IEC 61499 opens up our architecture and makes it future-ready, helping avoid obsolescence and giving us the freedom to choose the best vendors. UAO not only provides the standard—it delivers a robust implementation through a quality-driven, guarded-source community.
    Sølve Raaen
    Principal Architect OT
    Our customers want open systems—and so do we. With IEC 61499, one interface works across all controllers, making integration easier and more flexible. You can mix systems across locations and they’ll still work together. While process automation has been conservative, a new tech-savvy generation is embracing change. After 20 years in the field, this is the most exciting shift I’ve seen.
    Andre Fritsch
    Senior Product Manager
    Penguin Solutions is proud to support open, vendor-independent automation through UniversalAutomation.org. UAO’s open approach lets users choose the best hardware-software combinations, backed by reliable, secure platforms with virtualization and fault tolerance. Our membership helps businesses scale, innovate, and accelerate time to market across multi-vendor environments.
    Rudy de Anda
    Head of Strategic Alliances
    At UFRN, joining Universal Automation reflects our commitment to advancing next-generation industrial automation. We see IEC 61499 as key to enabling openness and flexibility in industry, and our long-standing partnership with Smar strengthens this vision. Through this membership, we aim to drive innovation, connect academia with industry, and help shape the digital future.
    André Maitelli
    Professor
    At the University of León, the SUPPRESS Research Group focuses on automation, control, and advanced monitoring of industrial processes. We integrate IEC61499 into our curriculum and apply data-driven strategies and industrial cybersecurity in our research to support the future of Universal Automation.
    Manuel Domínguez González
    Director of the SUPPRESS research group
    I joined UniversalAutomation.Org to be part of a vibrant community that fosters collaboration between academia and industry. UAO offers a unique platform for networking, learning from global experts, and sharing our research and technical insights to help shape the future of open automation. It’s an exciting opportunity to contribute to a movement that values openness, innovation, and collective progress.
    Mohsen Yahyaei
    Professor
    We operate several thousand third-party installations, so we find ourselves with a large volume of equipment from different brands. This requires great complexity of skills to maintain them. This is why the association’s approach interests us greatly: to simplify the multi-vendor complexity. Pooling the skills of our employees on a limited number of platforms is a guarantee of operational efficiency, and a vector of success for the dissemination of standards.
    Michel Arroyo
    Operations and Performance Director
    Wood is excited to be part of defining the future of automation and transforming profitability and productivity for the customers in our industrial markets. UniversalAutomation.org technology will enable business innovation, increase digital adoption and agility with its open, interoperable and portable solutions- building business resiliency and empowering our clients to be future-ready.
    German Carmona
    Global President of Wood’s Digital Consulting business
    Dominic de Kerf
    Valeriy Vyatkin
    Nicholas Holland - AnalogDevices
    David Purón
    Dr. Octavian Bass
    Laurent Bacon
    Dimitrii Drozdov
    Dave Campain
    Franco Cavadini
    Mady Guillemot
    Dr. Alois Zoitl
    Sølve Raaen
    Andre Fritsch - R.Stahl
    Rudy de Anda
    André Maitelli
    Manuel Domínguez González
    Mohsen Yahyaei
    Michel Arroyo - Veolia - Operations and Performance Director
    German Carmona
    • ExxonMobil
    • TriSystems
    • IDA Process Control Technologies
    • Analog Devices
    • BASF
    • Bucher automation
    • Bilfinger
    • Schneider Electric
    • Inovance
    • KTL - Korea Testing Laboratory
    • JW
    • Cargill
    • The University of Warnwick
    • Bihl+Wiedemann
    • Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology - SIMTech
    • UFRN - Universidade Federal do Rio grande do norte
    • Onify
    • ODOT Automation
    • Indeff
    • ICT Group
    • Raster Industrial Automation
    • Hyundai
    • Isae-Supméca
    • RoviSys
    • Platinum Electrical Engineering
    • Laplace Control Solutions
    • Huazhong University of Science and Technology
    • Upstate Automation
    • ProFace
    • Postech - Pohang University of of Science and Technology
    • Unionscience Technology Group
    • Westcon
    • OpenEmbed
    • UFCG - Universidade Fedral de Campina Grande
    • INSA Lyon
    • The University of Queensland
    • HBLFA Francisco Josephinum
    • JKU
    • Universitat Jauime I
    • Mayer Electric
    • Flexbridge
    • GR3N
    • KPI Automation
    • ISAAC Engineering
    • Autodriver
    • Enterprise Automation
    • Crescent Electric
    • MatriBox
    • SUPSI
    • NMIS
    • Meisterschulen am Ostbahnhof
    • Universidad Nacional de Colombia
    • Institut Teknologi Bandung
    • Fare Ingénierie
    • AFRY
    • ASRock Industrial
    • Technical University of Kosice
    • ENG
    • Kyland
    • Arts et Métiers Institute of Technology
    • https://summit.com/
    • Master Systèmes
    • Honeywell
    • Taotech
    • Radical Ingenuity Group
    • Stahl
    • Morson Projects - Ematics
    • Armony System
    • Sciyon
    • Endress+Hauser
    • Kongsberg
    • Nottingham Trent University
    • AIMIRIM
    • Veolia
    • TenLink
    • eDF
    • Omron
    • BPX
    • FLSmidth
    • Accenture
    • Universidad Sevilla
    • ESME
    • Universidad de León
    • Cognex
    • AAC
    • SDU - University of Southern Denmark
    • University of Reims
    • Barbara
    • Graybar
    • Pontificia Universidad Javeriana
    • HNAC Technology
    • NeoDyne

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