Smart factories and Industry 4.0. Two terms utterly connected with each other. Also known as intelligent factories, they are perfect places to allow artificial intelligence to flourish. The difference between AI and automation is the fact that the second does not have the ability to make complex decisions.
Smart factories use AI to speed up the process of manufacturing by allowing machines to make the right decisions based on cyber-physical systems that allow them to make millions of calculations withing seconds and reach the appropriate decision for a manufacturing process.
Industry 4.0 made all of this possible. Smart factories play a very important role in the worldwide economy. The faster these factories evolve, the higher the economic profit. As a result, industries all around the world are aiming to change their current form to a smart factory.
The potential is endless. Fast production, smart production, and products that will speed up the way to technological and scientific evolution. Smart factories are being promoted by governments and every year, large sums of money are given as funding for projects involving smart factories and Industry 4.0
Such a project is the RESTART project. The aim of this project is to Involve the industrial sector in the transformation of VET systems, in order to meet the need for digital skills consistent with the technological developments in industries.
The project targets Entrepreneurs and companies staff, public administration staff, VET Providers staff & students, professionals that intend to train or re-train in order to acquire specific skills on Industry 4.0. etc.
Implementing a smart factory has made it possible for the manufacturing process to be revolutionized. More and more factories emerge, that are adding smart factory features to their manufacturing process. It is believed that, although in a much wider scale smart factories are beneficial for the economy, they will affect the labor market negatively.
This is a concept that remains to be seen. For now, smart factories seem to be making our lives easier than ever!
