Asia has long led the global manufacturing race. Populous nations like China have relied on an abundance of cheap labor to drive growth in their manufacturing sector. However, with the rise of the industrial internet of things (IIoT) an opportunity has arisen for Europe’s factories to gain a competitive advantage over their Asian cousins. It is an opportunity they have not yet taken. By flooding our plants and factories with sensors and connectivity, we have brought about a new era of industrial efficiency and productivity. Where once the height of machinery was purpose built equipment, designed to do one thing well and quickly, things have now changed. A multi-axis robot arm can now easily be programmed to perform a variety of tasks, for example, combined with a greater understanding of the whole production line we are finding new avenues for improvement. This trend reduces the dependence on slower, error-prone human labor, saving the human mind […]