Industry 4.0 conference attracting cross-discipline attention

Thought leaders from eight disciplines will converge to explore the future of manufacturing, including modeling & simulation.

A Detroit-based business association is putting together a new conference focused on the eight technology disciplines at the heart of Industry 4.0. The Integr8 conference from Automation Alley is attracting C-level speakers and a diverse cross-section of manufacturers and technology vendors.

**Detroit will be the site of Integr8, a new conference focuses on Industry 4.0 technologies and strategies. (Source: Flickr, photo by Mike Sweich)**

The conference is billed as “the country’s first cross-discipline global conference focused on Industry 4.0 technologies.” Eight technologies are targeted for attention:

Cybersecurity
Big data and artificial intelligence
Additive manufacturing,
Advanced materials
Robotics
The Industrial Internet of Things,
Cloud computing
Modeling, simulation and visualization.

Confirmed keynote speakers include Howard Heppelmann, divisional vice president and general manager of Connected Operations Solutions at PTC; and The Honorable Kenneth E. Hyatt, deputy undersecretary for International Trade, U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration, who advised leading private sector organizations in the automotive, banking, consumer goods, entertainment, insurance and travel and tourism sectors prior to his trade appointment. Other confirmed speakers include Industry 4.0 thought leaders from GE, General Motors, Lear Corporation, FACTON Inc., Carnegie Mellon University, Fraunhofer Institute, University of Michigan and Omron Automation.

The conference will be in Detroit on Nov. 9. Tom Kelly, Automation Alley’s CEO and executive director, says the conference serves as a call to action for the manufacturing industry to “mobilize for the tremendous technological changes driving the global industrial economy toward digitization.”

Integr8 will also feature a targeted technology expo, panel discussions, and breakout sessions with recognized Industry 4.0 experts focused on advancements in manufacturing, how to overcome obstacles to adoption, financial ROI and blueprints for successful Industry 4.0 implementation in the eight disruptive technology areas.

Integr8 sponsors include PTC, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Omron Automation, ASK, LHP Engineering Solutions, Oakland County, Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center, RSM, Oakland Community College, Behco-MRM, FACTON Inc., NovaStar Solutions, JustBots, Walsh College, Harness Dickey and Hirotec America.

What do we think?

The whole notion of smart, connected factories seems to have caught many manufacturers by surprise. Independent of each other the eight targeted technologies will have an impact on manufacturing. Combined they will reshape manufacturing or wreak havoc on those who prefer business as usual. As they say, knowledge is power.