Information Technology in Automation: Development Platforms and Frameworks: .NET, J2EE; Programming languages: Java, C#, etc.; Operating Systems; Databases and Web Interfaces; Mobile Computing, Network Computing, Client/Server Computing; Distributed Objects and Components: CORBA, COM, COM+, DCOM, etc.; Groupware.

Industrial Communication Systems: Real-time Communication and Applications; Dependability aspects: Safety / Security; Middleware for Industrial Communication Systems; Vertical Integration aspects: webbased setup, maintenance and configuration; Internetworking; Formal Description Techniques; Fieldbus Networks; Cell Networks; High Speed Networks; Wireless Networks; Intranet and Internet Access; Factory Applications and Case Studies.

Real-Time and (Networked) Embedded Systems: Design and Implementation; Environments and Tools; Models of Computation and Formal Methods; Hw/Sw Co-Design; IP Cores and Platforms; System on Chip; Network Embedded Systems Technology; Real-Time Executives and Operating Systems; Languages; Case studies.

Intelligent Sensors and Sensor Networks: Design and Implementation; Development Environments and Tools; Energy Control; Hardware/Software; Data Integration and Fusion; Algorithms; Wireless Integrated Networked Sensors; Wideband Networked Sensors; MEMS Sensors; System Architecture; Power Supplies; Communication Modes; Case Studies.

Automated Manufacturing Systems and Enterprise Integration: Architectures and Operations: FMS, CIM, IMS, ADS, MES, ERP, SCM, CAD/CAE/CAM, Scheduling, Reliability, Human Factors, Simulation, Queuing Networks, Perturbation Analysis, Concurrent Engineering, Rapid Prototyping, Data base technologies, Data Mining, Data Warehouses. Automation Systems and Control. Discrete and Continuous Manufacturing, Supervisory Control, Industrial Automation, Process Automation, Programmable Logic Control, Virtual Reality & Telesensation, Multimedia, Prototyping, Rapid Prototyping.

Continuous Automation Systems: Continuous Manufacturing; Industrial Automation; Process Automation; Virtual Reality and Telesensation; Multimedia; Prototyping; Rapid Prototyping; Advanced control: intelligent control, adaptive and optimal control, robust control, computational advances in industrial process control; Model based predictive control; Failure detection, diagnosis, and appropriate control strategies; Integrated control and supervision; Synergy of different control strategies.

Distributed Intelligent Control for Flexible Manufacturing: Modular and incremental approaches for formal modelling of manufacturing and process systems; Synthesis methods for flexible logic control; New applications of discrete event simulation; Supervisory control; Batch Process Control; Integration of different aspects of automation, and control, supervision, human operation, diagnostics, visualization, etc.; Logic programming and verification of control systems; Design methodologies and design patterns for re-configurable systems; Design and implementation of distributed control systems; Recent developments in standardization; Test cases, benchmarks, tools; Applications and experiences in practice.

Computational Intelligence in Automation: Expert Systems, Fuzzy Systems, Neural Networks, Genetic Algorithms, Petri Nets, Chaos, Artificial Intelligence and Expert Systems, Industrial Applications of Intelligent Systems.

Intelligent Robots & Systems: Machine Vision and Intelligence, Actuators and Motion Control, Multisensor Fusion and Integration, Intelligent Robots and Systems.

Emerging Issues: Recent advances in fields not covered by the tracks listed above which might nevertheless be interesting for the conference; new trends, new technologies, new application domains (e.g., Automotive, X-by-Wire Technologies, Building Automation, Traffic Control, Security and Survivability, etc.).