The UK is suffering from a skills shortage, particularly in manufacturing, something that is likely to get worse over the coming years but something that can be solved by joining the revolution of Industry 4.0.
Industry 4.0 will help businesses grow using automation and artificial intelligence to fill this gap left by the lack of low skilled workers (as seen in the Deloitte study – https://goo.gl/TwRer6 ) and the introduction of collaborative robots, which can work safely alongside humans. Using cobots will ensure that the dull, dirty and dangerous work can still continue and that members of staff can be upskilled and redeployed to increase productivity. Research has suggested that capitalising on Industry 4.0 can help improve competition among manufacturers, but on the world stage, the UK is one of the last countries to jump on board.
Surveys have shown that many firms are saying that they have a lack of funds, skills and support to move forward with automation, which is where companies like Active8 can help with the integration of robots, the development of tooling and training.
It has been reported that employee engagement is critical for companies wanting to embrace the future and deploying cobots (as this KPMG report shows https://goo.gl/Cv5RDt), which are quick and easy to repurpose and safe to work alongside people, is a cost-effective way for businesses to move into the future of manufacturing. What other measures do you think are stopping manufacturers from moving into Industry 4.0?
