This paper was presented at the Second IEEE International Conference on Digital Ecosystem and Technologies (IEEE DEST 2008), based in Phitsanulok (Thailand) from the 26 to the 29 February 2008.

Abstract: This paper presents research from the Process Definition Tools implementation at Loughborough University, which is an automated manufacturing testbed that has been integrated into a Service Orientated Architecture (SOA). The enablement of this SOA in terms of Digital Business Ecosystem (DBE) research presents new applications to SME’s that support, require and supply automated manufacturing systems. These new applications and characteristics in the context of Digital Ecosystem tools, technologies and general architectural changes are examined. In particular new opportunities in virtualisation of automation and integration at both lower and higher levels of distributed applications are presented in a transformed view of a DBE.