Getting smart about manufacturing technology

illustrations © Ico Maker: ADOBE STOCK

92% of manufacturers believe smart manufacturing will be the main driver for competitiveness over the next three years

85% of respondents believe their smart manufacturing initiatives will:

-transform how products are made

-improve agility

-attract new manufacturing talent

At the facility or network level, 57% of manufacturers are using cloud computing and leveraging data analytics, 46% are using industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) solutions, and 42% are leveraging 5G

Top investment priorities in the next two years

Factory automation hardware – 41%

Active sensors – 34%

Vision systems – 28%

The need for upskilling

Between 69% and 72% of respondents reported moderate to significant challenges in hiring skilled workers for information technology (IT), operational technology (OT), data science and engineering, application development, and cybersecurity

Additional concerns include cybersecurity and operational risks: 68% reported performing a cybersecurity risk or maturity assessment of their smart manufacturing technology stack in the last year

The bottom line: smart manufacturing and operations are among the top priorities for manufacturers, who are focusing on workforce upskilling and building dedicated internal teams to adapt to the Factory of the Future.