This paper describes an innovative approach to adopt the next-generation manufacturing paradigm based on flexible production units and eco-systems that can be quickly reprogrammed to provide fast time-to-market responses to global consumer demand, address mass-customisation needs and bring life to innovative products. The approach utilises the capabilities offered by digitalisation to facilitate (i) in-depth (self-) monitoring of machines and processes, (ii) decision support and decentralised (self-) adjustment of production, (iii) effective collaboration of the different IoT-connected machines with tools, services and actors (iv) seamless communication of information and decisions from and to the plant floor and (v) efficient interaction with value chain partners. The paper presents the conceptual architecture under development to support those functionalities for two specific domains in manufacturing.