Grefen, PaulPaulGrefenZimniewicz, MichalMichalZimniewiczVanderfeesten, IreneIreneVanderfeestenTraganos, KostasKostasTraganosBecue, PieterPieterBecuePedersen, AndersAndersPedersenRivera, Genessis PerezGenessis PerezRivera2026-04-152026-04-1520260278-6125https://imec-publications.be/handle/20.500.12860/59094Context Organizations in the smart industry domain face an increasing complexity of their functions and processes, both in the intra- and inter-organizational scopes. This has a direct effect on the digital systems that support their operations: they grow more complex too. At the same time, the organizations need to increase their agility: they must be able to flexibly adapt their processes to market changes. Especially SMEs in the manufacturing domain get lost in this combination of complexity and changeability. Objectives To help SME organizations in the smart manufacturing domain with their digital transformation, we develop the SHOP4CF modular reference architecture for digital manufacturing support. Methods We develop the SHOP4CF base architecture in an iterative way by application and evaluation in 36 real-world industrial cases, organized in three waves. We base our design partly on successful existing work, specifically the outcomes of the HORSE EU project, and align it with main manufacturing standards like ISA-95 and RAMI 4.0. We next distill the SHOP4CF reference architecture by abstracting the SHOP4CF base architecture, based on explicit design principles. We then specialize the reference architecture for process-oriented and data-driven manufacturing. Results The result of our work is a modular, flexible software reference architecture for smart manufacturing solutions. To facilitate its use, the reference architecture is coupled with manufacturing software life cycle models. Centered on a component marketplace, the life cycle for functional module developers is linked to the life cycle for module users, including explicit attention to the role of technology integrators. To illustrate its applicability, we describe three application cases in this paper. Conclusion The reference architecture provides a demonstrated point of departure for SMEs in the manufacturing domain to design their digital support in a complex and dynamic industry ecosystem. The modularity of the architecture and its coupling to software life cycles provide a new level of flexibility.engJournal article10.1016/j.jmsy.2026.01.010WOS:001674822900001INDUSTRIAL INTERNETFRAMEWORKDESIGNMANAGEMENTSERVICESSCIENCESYSTEM