Industry 4.0 represents the start of perhaps what will prove to be the biggest change within manufacturing since the mid- 20th century.
The question for industry stakeholders in relation to this is both when and where. We explore which countries are best placed to make the most of Industry 4.0, and lead the next mass-revolution within industry.
Malaysia
Examples of Malaysia’s preparedness for 4.0 come from state-sanctioned training programmes and government investment into high technologies in aerospace, railways and shipbuilding. This arrives as the country looks to move away from industries that depend on cheap labour, where up to three million migrant workers help keep pay low and working conditions underdeveloped.
The country’s Human Resources Development Fund has allocated RM203mil for three broad programmes: professional training; empowering women through ICT and leadership data science; as well as the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC)’s development programme on critical ICT skills.
Japan
Japan’s place as a world player in technology has been cemented by decades of dominance. This prominent place in the tech world has created a readily adaptable economy.
Indeed, the overall strategy of Japan appears to be extending existing platforms from operational technologies (OT) into Extended IT. Of the many notable institutions preparing for Industry 4.0, the Industrial Value Chain Initiative (IVI) is perhaps the most prominent. The IVI forms part of Japan’s push towards ‘Society 5.0’, and is unique establishing a structure that will create common communications standards for linking factories and facilities, as well as standardizing security technology.
Finland
Finland consistently finds itself ranked in lists of the top countries ready for Industry 4.0. Commentators often reference Finland’s relatively long industrial tradition in relation to this. For example, it has already been 20 years since forest machinery provider Ponsse first began utilizing IoT in their daily operations.
Inspired by Germany’s Industrie 4.0 vision, Finland’s own 2020 vision is generating waves among experts. The strategy envisions Finland becoming the Silicon Valley of the Industrial Internet – an adaptable economy where regulation, education, infrastructure and taxes all work together to encourage experimentation with new business models by companies.
Many countries are now adopting their own version of Germany’s heralded Industrie 4.0, and time will tell whether the three mentioned here fulfil their potential and make their mark on the manufacturing revolution.
Where We Fit In
Industry 4.0 will create substantial efficiencies for companies all over the world. However, a lack of device security and standardized data exchange makes implementation difficult. The Augmate Connect Infrastructure Platform plus IOTA’s blockchain-less tangle and micropayment approach unifies the tools and processes for the fourth industrial revolution. This is accomplished through secure transactions that aggregate and create accessible (yet tamper-proof) records.
Click the link here to read more about our unique platform, and how it can help your company engage with the fourth industrial revolution.
