Global Citizenship: Understanding Global Citizenship as a Competitive Advantage
Global Sourcing Spotlight: Tariffs—The New Reality
Knocking Down the Bone Pile: Gold Mitigation for Class 2 Electronics
Industry 4.0: Implications for the Asia Pacific Manufacturing Industry
November 9, 2015 | Krishnan Ramanathan, FroST & SulliVANEstimated reading time: 1 minute
Introduction to Industry 4.0
Industry 4.0 refers to a new level of organization and control of the entire value chain, across the life cycle of products. Seen as the fourth industrial revolution, Industry 4.0 seeks to merge physical and virtual worlds. This marks a significant change in the level of complexity from the third industrial revolution, where electronics and information technology were used to automate production. A brainchild of the German government, Industry 4.0 is currently widely used across the manufacturing industry in Europe, especially Germany. It is being selectively deployed across industries in the United States, but as a region, Asia Pacific has some way to go before Industry 4.0 makes an impact in the production line. Its prominence cannot be over emphasized in a world where each customer has a different preference or requirement. The increasing use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in the manufacturing sector has meant that there is not a clear distinction between virtual and real world.
Industry 4.0 in Asia Pacific— A Long Way to Go
Since Industry 4.0 integrates most parts of the value chain, its implementation will influence all elements in the production. One of the keys to successfully transitioning into an Industry 4.0 environment is to ensure a robust IT infrastructure. Unfortunately, most countries in the Asia Pacific region are not in a position to guarantee IT infrastructure that can support the digital transformation to Industry 4.0. Many countries have discrete elements of IT systems in place, but not at a level that helps them effectively use Industry 4.0. Clearly, the objective must not be to introduce or superimpose technologies on the existing set up. This is because the priorities set by business segments towards implementing such systems and introducing changes will be different.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the November 2015 issue of SMT Magazine.
Share on:
Suggested Items
Mycronic High Flex Changes Division Name to PCB Assembly Solutions
05/20/2025 | MycronicMycronic AB, the leading Sweden-based electronics assembly solutions provider, announced that its division formerly known as High Flex will now operate under the name PCB Assembly Solutions.
SEMI Reports Typical Q1 2025 Semiconductor Seasonality with Potential for Atypical Shifts Due to Tariff Uncertainty
05/19/2025 | SEMIAccording to the Q1 2025 Semiconductor Manufacturing Monitor (SMM) Report released by SEMI in collaboration with TechInsights, the global semiconductor manufacturing industry entered 2025 with typical seasonal patterns.
Lockheed Martin Expands Industrial Cooperation in Spain with New PAC-3 MSE Agreement
05/19/2025 | Lockheed MartinLockheed Martin subsidiary Lockheed Martin España S.A. signed a significant industrial cooperation agreement with the Spanish Ministry of Defense, providing the Spanish defense industry with increased engineering and production capability.
Foxconn, NVIDIA to Build AI Factory; Becomes Taiwan’s First NVIDIA Cloud Partner to Power Three Strategic Platforms
05/19/2025 | FoxconnHon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn) announced that it is partnering with NVIDIA and to build a state-of-the-art AI Factory supercomputing center in Taiwan.
Incap Celebrates 40 Years with a Focus on Future Talent and Community Impact
05/19/2025 | IncapIncap Corporation, a global Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) provider and one of the top EMS companies in Europe, celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2025 by strengthening its commitment to community engagement and youth development in the regions where it operates.