Report Outlook

Industry 4.0, also known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, is poised to revolutionize the global industrial landscape. While in its most basic concept, enabling the digital representation of industrial processes and allowing to use this information right away to optimize manufacturing, it encompasses a range of technologies such as artificial intelligence, autonomous fabrication, the Internet of Things (IoT), big data analytics, cloud and edge computing, 5G networks, low latency communication, distributed sensors, digital assistance systems and blockchain. This essay will explore the concept of Industry 4.0 and the transformative impact it has on manufacturing processes, supply chains, and business operations from the perspective of ITRIs research partner organisation in Germany, the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, with its institutes IZM and IPK cooperating with others on this high-impact field.