5 Key manufacturing trends and digital implications

Driven by geopolitical changes and accelerated by the pandemic, systemic transformation of the manufacturing industry is now fully underway. Leaders in the manufacturing industry are not merely seeking new technologies but a new way of driving the next generation of manufacturing. Ideas like globalisation, adoption of machine intelligence and edge computing and the rise of new technologies like 5G, AR/VR and 3D printing offer manufacturing enterprises the opportunity to stabilize supply chains, increase productivity, improve worker safety and much more. While the promises are attractive, success depends on how effectively manufacturers can align the business outcomes they seek with a sharply focused approach to strategic investments. In this paper, we present the key manufacturing technology trends from the lens of a digital ecosystem enabler. We also highlight key considerations that manufacturing technology leaders need to take into account as they ride the wave of new trends.