Industry 4.0: The Next Industrial Revolution Arrives in the US

Industry 4.0 is bound to change manufacturing significantly. It is time to introduce smart manufacturing technologies and every company must act now to stay competitive. Germany has a pioneering role globally in the realm of digitization and the term Industry 4.0 is ubiquitous. In the US however, it is a fairly new concept for the technology and manufacturing industries.

According to the nationwide report Technology Industry Report – Industry 4.0 is here. Are we ready? Issued by Automation Alley in 2017, only a quarter (27%) of manufacturing executives and 32% of executives in the tech space know the term Industry 4.0. 85.4% want to invest in technological processes to increase productivity and decrease cost. Production is the most important field for investment in technological innovation with 73.2%, followed by R&D with 54.9%.

Top technologies for investments are the cloud, cyber security and big data, as well as the analytics thereof. Members of Automation Alley who are already active in Industry 4.0 plan on investments in the fields of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT) and simulations, followed by autonomous robots, horizontal and vertical system integration as well as the cloud.

Potential in MichiganThe Detroit metro region offers immense potential for German-American cooperation in the fields of Industry 4.0, automation, instrumentation & control engineering as well as electronics. Southeast Michigan in particular is an important industry location, having the reputation of being the home of the most innovative technologies worldwide since the time of Henry Ford.

With the “Big Three” and countless other well-known automotive companies and OEMs, the region is ideally positioned to lead its companies into the 4th industrial revolution and install technological investments. While topics such as big data and cyber security are the focus globally, Michigan’s manufacturing mecca looks to robots and sensor technology that allows the collection of large amounts of data. This data can then be analyzed to optimize production processes and support preventive maintenance measures.

Skilled Workforce 4.0Many companies see the advantages of technological progress but are hesitant to implement Industry 4.0. Reasons include the complexity of solutions, costs of implementation and employees that are opposing the change. Additionally, companies often lack a correspondingly trained workforce. A majority of baby boomers are planning to retire in the near future, which will reinforce the existing skills gap.

It is therefore essential to win over younger workers for careers in manufacturing and to set up the infrastructure needed for appropriate training and education. GACC Midwest is working towards that goal with the dual apprenticeship program ICATT, which aims to train workers for the future of manufacturing.

Industry 4.0 and GACC MidwestThe future of new technologies and their impact on both traditional and new business sectors promise dynamic growth and investments. GACC Midwest offers information, events and services for German and American companies that are interested in Industry 4.0 and want to enter partnerships with companies on the other side of the Atlantic.

In case of any questions, please contactMark Tomkins, President & CEO of GACC Midwest (tomkins@gaccmidwest.org)

More information about Industry 4.0: www.gaccmidwest.orgMore information about dual apprenticeship programs: www.thinkicatt.com

Please find the full Automation Alley Report here.

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