Preface Our future is the world we are going to live in, attracting our fantasies, speculations, fears and hopes. We really would like to know something about it and want to be prepared. Therefore, we observe trends. An obvious trend is that our world gets more and more connected. Information is seamlessly following and doing this quickly. We learn that data can build business and influences people and society. AUTOMATION brings people together who are interested in the future of automation. Many of us already shape this feld in factory automation and process automation, we create methods and synergies, digital business models, we use artifcial intelligence and autonomous systems and latest communication technologies like 5G in automation. Let us learn together how existing businesses can be changed and new businesses can be created by a couple of enablers clearly at sight when you know how and why to look for them.