The invention relates to a process automation system (1) for determining, for monitoring and/or for influencing different process variables (G) and/or state variables (Z) in at least one industrial or analytical process (2, 3) with at least one control centre (4) and a multiplicity of field devices (5), wherein each field device (5) is provided with at least one sensor (11) for determining a measured value (Mx) of a determined process variable (G) and/or state variable (Z) and/or an actuator (12) for influencing a determined process variable (G) and/or state variable (Z) by means of a control value (Sx), wherein each field device (5) makes available the cyclically or acyclically determined measuring-device-specific measured values (Mx) and/or control values (Sx) of the process variable (G) and/or state variable (Z) to each further field device (5) of the process automation system (1) as information (I), wherein the respective current information (I) of all the determined measured values (Mx) and/or control values (Sx) of the process variables (G) and/or state variables (Z) is available to each field device (5) as a current process state vector (P).