The prospects for morphological manufacturing communities examining the potential of production systems

This paper presents a futuristic view of the contemporary techno-economic environment faced by local, trans-national and global manufacturers and their associated supply and demand networks. Theoretical constructs in evolutionary biology are used as a basis for the comprehension of the global economic context and these ontological ideas are subsequently applied to the contemporary and emergent techno-economic paradigms. The role of autonomous production systems in the realisation of a complex-adaptive economic context is discussed and generic recommendations for future research and development in autonomous agent technologies are proposed for the benefit of manufacturing system designers and technologists. The paper is intended as a "thought stimulus" and a basis for development of integrative innovations in agent-based applications.