An electronically-controlled work center for processing glass plates, plates of stone material or plates of synthetic material, comprising: - a stationary structure, defining a horizontal working surface, - a plurality of locking devices, for retaining a plate in a horizontal position above, and at a distance from, the horizontal working surface, - at least one working head carried in an elevated position above the horizontal working surface and capable of relative movements - with respect to a plate retained by said locking devices - in a longitudinal horizontal direction, in a horizontal transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and in a vertical direction, - wherein said plurality of locking devices is carried by one or more motorized carriages, movable along said longitudinal horizontal direction with respect to said stationary structure, and - an electronic controller programmed to control the movement of said motorized carriages carrying the locking devices in said longitudinal direction, so as to move a plate in the longitudinal direction in a working area, during the execution of a work cycle, in such a way that, during the processing of a plate retained by means of said locking devices, the relative movements of the working head with respect to the plate along said longitudinal direction are obtained by means of a movement of said one or more motorized carriages, said work center being characterized in that said electronic controller is programmed to move said motorized carriages through said working area of said work center, starting from a first end portion of said stationary structure, wherein a plate can be loaded onto, or unloaded from, said one or more motorized carriages carrying the locking devices, up to a second end portion of said stationary structure, wherein a plate can be unloaded from, or loaded onto, said one or more motorized carriages carrying the locking devices, in such a way that said motorized carriages are used also to move a plate in the longitudinal direction in order to take it from the plate loading area to the working area, and also to move a plate in the longitudinal direction in order to take it from the plate working area to the plate unloading area. - a stationary structure, defining a horizontal working surface, - a plurality of locking devices, for retaining a plate in a horizontal position above, and at a distance from, the horizontal working surface, - at least one working head carried in an elevated position above the horizontal working surface and capable of relative movements - with respect to a plate retained by said locking devices - in a longitudinal horizontal direction, in a horizontal transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and in a vertical direction, - wherein said plurality of locking devices is carried by one or more motorized carriages, movable along said longitudinal horizontal direction with respect to said stationary structure, and - an electronic controller programmed to control the movement of said motorized carriages carrying the locking devices in said longitudinal direction, so as to move a plate in the longitudinal direction in a working area, during the execution of a work cycle, in such a way that, during the processing of a plate retained by means of said locking devices, the relative movements of the working head with respect to the plate along said longitudinal direction are obtained by means of a movement of said one or more motorized carriages, said work center being characterized in that said electronic controller is programmed to move said motorized carriages through said working area of said work center, starting from a first end portion of said stationary structure, wherein a plate can be loaded onto, or unloaded from, said one or more motorized carriages carrying the locking devices, up to a second end portion of said stationary structure, wherein a plate can be unloaded from, or loaded onto, said one or more motorized carriages carrying the locking devices, in such a way that said motorized carriages are used also to move a plate in the longitudinal direction in order to take it from the plate loading area to the working area, and also to move a plate in the longitudinal direction in order to take it from the plate working area to the plate unloading area.