What is Industry 4.0?

Industry 4.0 refers to the fourth revolution that has occurred in manufacturing.

The first industrial revolution referred to mechanisation through water and steam power, while the second centred on electricity and its use in mass production.

The third revolution was the adoption of computers and systems fuelled by data and machine learning. Now, as Industry 4.0 takes over, computers are connected and communicate with one another to ultimately make decisions without human involvement.

Prof Graham Heaslip, head of the school of engineering at ATU Galway-Mayo, sums it up well.

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“Industry 4.0 marries advanced manufacturing techniques with the internet of things to create manufacturing systems that are not only interconnected, but communicate, analyse and use information to drive further intelligent action back in the physical world,” he says.

As a result of the support of smart machines that keep getting smarter as they get access to more data, our factories will become more efficient and productive and less wasteful

—  Forbes

“This revolution is largely driven by four specific technological developments: high-speed mobile Internet; AI and automation; the use of big data analytics; and cloud technology.”

Forbes, the influential US finance magazine, says a combination of cyber-physical systems, the internet of things and the internet of systems are what make Industry 4.0 possible and the “smart factory” a reality.

“As a result of the support of smart machines that keep getting smarter as they get access to more data, our factories will become more efficient and productive and less wasteful,” it says.

“Ultimately, it’s the network of these machines that are digitally connected with one another and create and share information that results in the true power of Industry 4.0.”