Today it is both a necessity and a key concept for achieving a production model that promotes the efficient use of resources and energy. Eight years on, today's technology has everything it takes to make that happen — the real challenge lies in tackling its implementation.
The concept of Industry 4.0
According to the "Readiness for the Future of Production Report 2018" published by the World Economic Forum (WEF), Spain ranks 29th with a slightly above-average score of 6.0 out of 10 for industrial base, and 24th with 6.2 out of 10 for development potential. While our position is not bad, the reality is that the concept of Industry 4.0 is virtually unknown among small and medium-sized enterprises, and in large companies it is only discussed at middle-management or R&D leadership levels. For that reason, real government action is needed to move us toward the front of the pack, rather than settling for an uninspiring middle-ground position — a topic that arguably deserved a prominent place in the televised political debates we recently watched.
Replacing people with machines does have an impact on the labor market, that is true — but it is not something to be feared. We need to accept that today, a person operating a tractor for 8 hours, in most cases, adds zero value. People must be trained to re-enter the productive chain by adding value, working alongside machines in a collaborative environment. When the concept is properly understood and implemented, it directly drives productivity gains, higher revenues, investment, and employment. At a global level it increases competitiveness, lowers prices, and allows us to avoid offshoring production to countries with cheaper labor. At a personal level, it means working less and better — freeing up time for other pursuits.
How do we adapt to this concept?
Industry 4.0 seems like a silver bullet, but it is still evolving and has plenty of challenges left to solve: breaking down the barrier between production processes and management systems, achieving greater product customization within production chains, defining and training workers for new job roles, and ensuring the security of data transmission and storage, among others.
We are living through the fourth industrial revolution, and it is no more disruptive or significant than the ones that came before. We need to adapt our culture, mindset, and skills to this technological transformation and help those who find it hardest not to be left behind. Looking ten years out, more than half of all processes will be automated — which means getting up to speed now is essential to staying competitive and making more efficient use of available resources. We should not see change as a threat, but as an opportunity.
