The future of manufacturing is digital. New technologies combined with innovative business models offer manufacturers unprecedented opportunity to enhance their value proposition. Industry 4.0 is rapidly changing the global manufacturing landscape. While creating new opportunities for Australian manufacturers through connected, more efficient production and new business models, Industry 4.0 impacts the market dynamics across the entire sector, affecting in particular SME manufacturers along the value chain.

The Research and Innovation workstream will focus on the following objectives:

• Analysis of key Industry 4.0 research and innovation focus areas needing development in Australia, together with where Australian research can benefit through international collaboration. These will include
  • Sensors and data analytics
  • Advanced materials
  • Automated and assistive technologies
  • Additive manufacturing
  • Virtual and augmented reality
• Analysis of the research and innovation capability within Australia, and how this can be further enhanced both locally and through international collaboration including with Germany and other leading industrial nations.
• Recommendations regarding the initiatives that are needed to foster the transfer of technology throughout the entire manufacturing sector, and particularly for SMEs
• Analysis of the barriers and obstacles to innovation and the uptake and implementation of Industry 4.0, particularly with SMEs.
• Development of linkages between research and innovation initiatives and the Industry 4.0 test lab strategies and industry use cases and exemplars.

 

Relevant reports and links to resources

CSIRO Advanced Manufacturing Roadmap
https://www.csiro.au/en/Do-business/Futures/Reports/Advanced-manufacturing-roadmap

IMCRC Industrial Transformation Program
https://imcrc.org/manufacturing-innovation/