When Excellence in Research is not enough: the IFAC TC5.1 Benchmarking Platform

This paper first discusses the science policies that govern our scientific and technological research. From this discussion, the need for a benchmarking platform for manufacturing plant control systems is uncovered. The main characteristics and design choice of this platform are presented accompanied by pointers to the on-line sources of more detailed information. The development of this IFAC TC5.1 benchmarking platform is work-in-progress, aiming at continuous improvement and enhancement by the IFAC TC5.1 research community and beyond.