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Not all understand/agree exactly what Industry 4.0 is, but there is little doubt that interest in it has grown. This feature presents a range of perspectives.
WIRE JOURN AL JULY 2016
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Looking back provides an industry springboard forward
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In 2016, two WJI features presented observations from four individuals about Industry 4.0. WJI revisited them to ask about what changes they have seen since that time.
WJI: How has your activity in Industry 4.0 most changed since the 2016 report?
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WJI July In 2016, it felt like we had to do a lot of education and evangelization about Industry 4.0, 2016 Cover. but now we don’t have to introduce the topic anymore. Our company and client base has grown exponentially, and we’re seeing bigger audiences at our speaking engagements and webinars. However, the one thing I’m very excited by is that we’re moving deeper and deeper in the Industry 4.0 technology to deliver more value. We’ve hired a vice president of data science, Deepak Turaga, who led IBM’s AI and Machine Learning group, so we can move further and truly deliver on the promise of Industry 4.0 with predictive quality and predictive maintenance. Other industries and media, outside of manufacturing, are catching on to the potential of Industry 4.0. I’ve been asked to be a contributor to forbes.com on the future of manufacturing and Industry 4.0. Additionally, we just closed a new round of funding with Atomico, and throughout the process we saw just how much venture capitalists and large financial institutions are seeing the tremendous value data analytics can provide manufacturers. Willem Sundblad, CEO, Oden Technologies. Sundblad Editor’s note: Willem Sundblad was chosen for Forbe’s 2018 “30 under 30” list.
As a software/solutions provider we’ve run many webinars and user conferences the past two years where we’ve highlighted Industry 4.0. Other than that our activity is mostly unchanged as we feel we’ve been delivering “Industry 4.0” type solutions for more than 20 years. In my opinion, Industry 4.0 messaging has created an “awareness” of something; however, exactly what I cannot say. I certainly haven’t seen a huge demand for “Industry 4.0” type applications. At the same time, the “digital age” has been pounded into anyone and everyone who will listen. One positive from that focus is that it has engaged IT (Information Technology) and operations people. In many cases operations people have been asking for the data and engineers have been willing to provide it but IT has been standing in the way of making it possible. So for Industry 4.0 messaging to result in actual change, it first has to resonate with the people in IT. Kevin Blais, vice president of New England operations, Wonderware North.
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