Opportunities and challenges in the petrochemical industry and the emergence of massive disruptive technologies have triggered a new revolution that has the power to fundamentally change industrial processes including manufacturing, engineering, materials, supply chains, lifecycle management. Recently, the newly arisen smart factory adopted a disruptive manufacturing methodology and has become a key part of the petrochemical industry. The smart factory, which is different from the original production systems used in the petrochemical industry, needs to assess and position its future research agenda including its definition, intension, framework, and technology. Systems thinking and systems problem solving for the smart factory must be prioritized. Based on an analysis of the driving force for smart factory development, this paper proposes a lifecycle blueprint and consensus-based operating and technology roadmap. The definition and features of a smart factory in the petrochemical industry are presented. Furthermore, a summary of the technical systems and future-proof research field of the smart petrochemical factory from an academic and industrial viewpoint is presented. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.