Manufacturing leaders from across Ireland gathered at the Dell Technologies Customer Solution Centre Innovation Lab in Limerick in recent weeks for a conference to investigate how emerging technologies and the power of data can help accelerate the development of smart manufacturing in Ireland.
Leaders from across the pharmaceutical sector and beyond took part in the event focused on how the fourth industrial revolution is reshaping production lines. Artificial Intelligence, Edge Computing, Digital Twins and 5G are the breakthrough technologies underpinning this transformation.
Attendees were provided with insights into current technology trends and how accessing data from sensors and devices allows organisations to drive productivity on the factory floor, ensure quality control and increase energy efficiency at every step of the production line.
As manufacturers become more connected, they also become more vulnerable. That was the main message from cybersecurity experts at Dell as they outlined the steps and strategies that can help Ireland’s pharmaceutical and medical technology (MedTech) sectors to strengthen their cyber resiliency.
With over 227,000 people employed within the sector, Ireland has emerged as a global manufacturing hub for the pharma and MedTech industries. By working in partnership, technology experts and industry leaders can accelerate the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies and help achieve the ambition of the Government’s Industry 4.0 Strategy to position Ireland as a competitive, innovation-driven manufacturing hub at the forefront of the fourth industrial revolution by 2025.
Jeff McCann, Director of the Customer Solution Centre Innovation Labs at Dell Technologies Ireland said “The emergence of a new wave of emerging technologies is spurring a radical transformation across the manufacturing sector – a scale of transformation often referred to as the fourth industrial revolution or Industry 4.0.
“Underpinning this transformation is the power of data. From Edge and 5G through to Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, data is revolutionising manufacturing, and is already helping forward-looking enterprises to supercharge productivity, optimise their supply chains and accelerate innovation. As a global manufacturing hub for the pharmaceutical and med-tech sectors, Ireland stands to gain significantly.
But from speaking to customers around the country, it’s also clear that firms of all sizes are facing challenges in adopting these technologies. That’s why it is crucial for industry leaders to come together with technology experts such as Dell to deliver on the promise of smart manufacturing and reinforce Ireland’s leadership. This becomes even more important in light of the Government’s Industry 4.0 Strategy 2020-2025, which sets out an ambition for Ireland to be a competitive, innovation-driven manufacturing hub at the frontier of the fourth industrial revolution by 2025.
“At Dell we recently hosted an event in our Customer Solution Centre Innovation Lab in Limerick. Focused on the ways in which emerging technologies can support the development of smart manufacturing, the event showcased how Ireland’s manufacturing industry can make better, data-driven decisions with the help of new technologies. By working in partnership, together we can realise the opportunities of Industry 4.0 and further enhance Ireland’s role as a competitive and innovative leader in the manufacturing space.”
The event took place at the Dell Technologies Customer Solution Centre in Limerick, where the innovation lab team works with customers to explore and unlock the full potential of smart manufacturing and deliver on their digital transformation goals.