The manufacturing industry is undergoing a technological transformation. To better understand how next-generation technologies are being used in the sector, SME Media collected perspectives from several industry experts that currently hold leadership roles in some of the top manufacturing companies.
There’s consensus among these experts that the industry is seeing more demand for technologically advanced manufacturing equipment, both to improve production performance and mitigate workforce challenges. Manufacturing companies are increasingly focused on automation, digitalization, and having some lights-out production capabilities – all to maintain competitiveness in a changing industry.
However, these industry leaders also agree that challenges still exist to effectively adopting advanced technologies. Change management was the most discussed issue, with several experts saying that humans in the manufacturing workforce must be more open and willing to work alongside these new technologies.
There was also significant discussion of AI and machine learning, with some experts calling it overhyped, others saying they have long-term plans to implement the technology, and a few highlighting the current capabilities. But most seemed to agree that AI has a long way to go before it can meaningfully improve operations.
Other prominent discussion topics included sustainability in the industry, additive manufacturing, the skills gap, and capital investment outlooks. It’s clear from these expert perspectives that the manufacturing industry is on a precipice – and the only way forward is to embrace smart technologies.