Certain example embodiments described herein relate to techniques for test automations in emergent systems. More particularly, certain example embodiments provide a mechanism for dynamic recognition of combinations of services/components, monitoring of their real-time usage, and automatic generation and running of tests for the combinations at appropriate times (e.g. when part of a combination is updated). The tests for individual (and, if available, combinations of) services are associated with the services using a registry. A taxonomy or ontology can be used to denote the semantics of the services, providing an array of options for assessing how and when to run tests and actions. It also is possible to detect similar combinations of services automatically. It therefore becomes possible to automate the detection and running of tests for a combination of services/components, even in emergent systems where such combinations cannot always be predicted in advance and where services/components are addable/modifiable over time.