Industrie 4.0 Goes Mainstream as AI Shows the Manufacturing Way Ahead

Industrie 4.0 is not some vision of the future but established practice in Germany’s production sector. Ninety-seven percent of industrial companies currently make use of at least one Industrie 4.0 application. Conducted on the occasion of the annual Hannover Messe industry trade show,  the Bitkom survey of 555 manufacturing companies with at least 100 employees reports that 81 percent of those surveyed also consider Industrie 4.0 as being very important or even indispensable to international competitiveness. More than 80 percent of respondents consider Industrie 4.0 as providing a window of opportunity – compared to just 16 percent who see it as a potential risk. 

Artificial intelligence and humanoid robotics are transforming manufacturing and production, with  40 percent of companies surveyed already using AI for intelligent control and planning purposes, with a comparable number planning to deploy AI in the future. “Digital twins” are used by 45 percent of industrial companies, with 26 percent of the remaining companies planning to adopt them. “AI is no longer just a single application, it is currently becoming the most important basic technology in industrial development, production and operation" said Bitkom Vice President Dr. Tanja Rückert. 

Seven out of ten companies surveyed believe that Germany should quickly develop its own humanoid robots, with more than 60 percent also of the mind that humanoid robots make industry more productive. Opinion nevertheless remains divided:  Around one in three companies consider humanoid robots to be a passing trend, with 41 percent of those surveyed of the mind that the technology is cost prohibitive. There is, however, almost universal agreement (97 percent of respondents) that humanoid robots will be widely used in production in the long term. "A good ten years after the term was introduced, Industrie 4.0 is part of everyday life in factories” according to Dr. Tanja Rückert. "Now it's important to open a new chapter in Industrie 4.0 with digital twins, AI and, in future, humanoid robots."

According to a recent Cisco study, German industry is the European leader in terms of AI implementation – 65 percent of industry companies deploy AI in their ongoing processes compared to just 56 percent in Europe and 61 percent internationally. Initiatives like the Federal Ministry  of Research, Technology and Space’s “Global Minds Initiative” – with total funding to the tune of EUR 600 million through to 2029 – include significant funding for early-career researchers and international academic talent recruitment to strengthen the country’s AI infrastructure.