Abstract: This paper introduces and analyzes the related concepts and current development status of Holonic Manufacturing Systems, which are proposed by the IMS Programme as a kind of future manufacturing paradigms. Holons with characteristics of autonomy and cooperation are considered as the basic components of manufacturing systems, allowing Holonic Manufacturing Systems capability to adapt to fast environmental changes. It is concluded that Holonic Manufacturing Systems adopt a slacked dynamic hierarchy and that Holonic Manufacturing Systems are still in a phase of research and far from wide application in industries.