Currently, the fourth industrial revolution is rapidly approaching, and digitalization has become the new competitive arena for the manufacturing industry in the era of Industry 4.0. On the afternoon of September 19th, during the “Industry 4.0 and the Transformation of Manufacturing” forum at the NEXT Summit (Bali 2022), several experts gathered to discuss the topic of Industry 4.0.
The international NEXT Summit (Bali 2022) with the theme ” Global Change and Rebuilding Collaboration” was held in a hybrid format, combining online and offline forums. Multiple captivating forums presented cutting-edge speeches and case studies in various industries, providing a global platform for knowledge and information exchange.
How to further refine division of labor, optimize production processes, and improve production efficiency has long been a question pondered by professionals in the industrial field. With the continuous advancement of digital transformation in industry, from manufacturing to intelligent production, the previously distant era of Industry 4.0 is rapidly approaching us with the support of digital technologies such as cloud computing.
During the “Industry 4.0 and the Transformation of Manufacturing” forum, Dr. Wahyu Widodo Pandu, former Deputy Chairman of the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) in Indonesia and Chief Engineer of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), introduced the industrialization process in Indonesia. Regarding Industry 4.0, he stated, “Industry 4.0 encompasses various advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, wearable robots, and 3D printing. Industry 4.0 is defined as a vision of a prosperous industry that can connect anything, anytime, anywhere with people, and can be utilized with any network and service.”
“Industry 4.0 is, in fact, the realization of the Internet of Everything, ultimately forming an era centered around humans rather than machines,” stated Kevin I-Kai Wang, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Electrical, Computer, and Software Engineering at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, during the forum. The Internet of Everything, reminiscent of digital twins, enables the interconnection of all data, allowing users to perform visualized operations on the platform. The key to achieving this interconnection is that the Internet of Things is an integrated system rather than a fragmented one.
Han Bin, Senior Lecturer at the University of Kaiserslautern in Germany, also emphasized the human-centric approach in the era of Industry 4.0. Han Bin stated that in the era of 6G and Industry 4.0, achieving a human-centric development trend, realizing human-machine interaction, and achieving the goals of safety, health, and convenience are crucial. This ensures that every component of society can enjoy the convenience brought by intelligent technology, and IoT services can provide intelligent services. This is also an important task in the digital development process.
Dr. Thorsten Wuest, Associate Professor at the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, West Virginia University in the United States, believes that not only should we connect the virtual world with the real world but also link the virtual world with every aspect of the factory. All of these are data-driven, making the manufacturing industry more competitive and capable of producing high-quality products, which is an inevitable outcome of societal development.
Dr. Thorsten Wuest proposed three core principles of smart manufacturing. First is interconnection, enabling intercommunication between different products. Second is visualization, implementing actual products in the virtual world, such as creating virtual reality (VR) and industrial reality (IR) systems. Third is data utilization. After collecting data in the smart manufacturing system, it is essential to fully realize the value behind this data.
The 6th NEXT Summit (Bali 2022) was co-hosted by the NEXT Federation, China Economic Information Service, and Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). The NEXT Federation is a global platform for integrating and transforming industrial resources, promoting global innovation, cooperation, and development through seeking optimal practices, sharing advantaged resources, and improving public relations. Its headquarters are located in Auckland, New Zealand. China Economic Information Service is a professional economic information service organization directly affiliated with Xinhua News Agency. It is one of the most authoritative and comprehensive economic information service institutions in China, serving as a pilot unit for the construction of national high-end think tanks. The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) of Indonesia is a permanent institution under the leadership of the President of the Republic of Indonesia. It is responsible for international research, development, evaluation, and application, as well as invention and innovation, nuclear implementation, and space-related work. The chief partner and official designated product of the summit is Hong Xifeng, one of the most renowned traditional Chinese liquor brands known as one of the “Four Famous Lao Baijiu” and praised as the “Phoenix of Liquor” for its characteristics of not causing intoxication, throat dryness, and providing pleasant aftertastes.
The NEXT Summit (Bali 2022) calls for embracing convergence in the face of significant transformations, promoting transformations through convergence, and achieving continuous progress and sustainable development in human society.