The World Expo recently shut its doors in Milan after six months of flamboyant displays and multifaceted discussions that kept its almost 30 million visitors and broader audience off-site tuned to the official theme of “Nurturing the planet”
Policy makers attended from around the world debating global concerns such as responsible agriculture and farming. They referred to innovation as the central element in all actionable roadmaps leading to a more sustainable food industry and supply chain, calling for smarter ways to use and generate resources,
thereby avoiding their reckless exploitation.
This year’s editions of Cartes in Paris and of the Productronica biennale in Munich will illustrate other manufacturing scenarios in which innovation, data intelligence and smart processes act as a vector for competitiveness. And the talks will definitely not focus exclusively on the best practices by which to be inspired.
In terms of pertinent issues that have hit the headlines in recent months, the VW emissions scandal directly impacts on the automotive industry’s standing and outlook. In the aftermath of the revelation surrounding ‘dieselgate’, analysts have been trying to work out just how badly it will hit the company and possibly even Europe’s car manufacturing industry more widely Policy makers, investors and consumers are reminded that trust models need to be strengthened at all times, for data intelligence
not to be abused.
Meanwhile, the possibility of regulations designed to mandate the neutrality of the Internet continues to be a subject of animated debate around the world. Internet regulation is basically restricting or monitoring access to certain aspects or information. It means censorship of data, as well as controlling aspects of the Internet such as domain registration, IP address and more. This takes on an even more relevant role, when looking at the emergence of big data and the need to manage it for
improving efficiencies, if nothing else.
All this as we progress towards Industry 4.0 – a scenario based on the idea of adaptive automation in the factory: machine-to-workpiece communication using cyber-physical systems as the hardware core. Punters say that this fourth industrial revolution is not based on a new technology or business discipline in particular. Industry watchers claim it is in fact a new approach to achieve results that simply were not possible 10 years ago thanks to comprehensive, global advancements in technology over the past decade.
In all these contexts, the move towards digitization involves three key parts, according to pundits. One is the Internet of Things and cyber-physical systems such as sensors having the ability to collect data that can be used by manufacturers and producers. Secondly, the advancements in big data and powerful analytics means that systems can trawl through the huge sets of data and produce insights that can be acted upon quickly. Thirdly, the communications infrastructure backing this up is secure enough to
be used by heavy industries.
So we see the emergence of the smart factory bringing a much higher level of both automation and digitization. But if self-optimization, self-configuration and even artificial intelligence can complete complex tasks in order to improve cost efficiencies and better quality goods or services, regulation, responsibility and a commitment to trust cannot be left behind.
Sophie Boyer de la Giroday