Part 1: Lean ProductionInternational audienceBased on an analysis of research and industrial trends, the paper introduces the basis of a conceptual research framework for an innovative methodology dedicated to design, implement and manage Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems (RMS). The authors present key challenges extracted from the literature and key industrial needs for RMS, drawn from expert interviews via an industry study. A conceptual framework for reconfigurability management is proposed, which opens several avenues for future research