Industry is at the doors of a new revolution known as Industry 4.0. The virtual and real worlds are combining to transform the traditional industrial processes and improve productivity and turning manufacturing companies into highly-competitive smart work places.
While Industry 4.0 is a well-known moniker within the manufacturing community, less well-understood is what it actually means, nor the technologies involved or their application and benefits, etc. WHAT IS INDUSTRY 4.0?
INDUSTRY 4.0
Previous industrial revolutions have been made possible by a series of tools and technological advances; the first was the steam engine, the second was globalisation and mass production and the third was brought about by computers, electronics and renewable energy. Today, new technological concepts we call “digital enablers” such as big data*, robotics, smart sensors and the Internet of Things are revolutionising industry.
Industry 4.0 refers to the fourth industrial revolution which is incorporating new digital technologies into industrial processes: the digital transformation.
AITEX’s “Industria 4.0 Textil” initiative was created out of the need to reduce the effect of these obstacles to digital transformation. The aim is to create the most favourable environment possible for the adoption of digital technology by Valencian textile companies.
The project’s overall goal is to identify, assess, support and initiate a series of initiatives for companies in the Communidad de Valencia aimed at making digitalisation for Industry 4.0 more specific and tailored to the needs of the textile sector.
The ability to maintain a competitive edge depends on the capacity for adaptation to this evolutionary step. It depends on the ability to transform digitally.
Article published in AITEX review, May 2017
