Edge Computing and Blockchains for Flexible and Programmable Analytics in Industrial Automation

The advent of Industry 4.0 has given rise to the introduction of new industrial automation architectures that emphasize the use of digital technologies. Here we present a novel, standards-based Reference Architecture for industrial automation, which combines the benefits of edge computing and blockchain technologies for flexible and reliable orchestration of automation workflows and distributed
data analytics. Accordingly, we illustrate a practical implementation of the Reference Architecture for scalable and programmable data analytics, along with its deployment in an Industry 4.0 pilot plant.