Setting the gears of smart manufacturing in motion

THE nations within the Asia-Pacific and Japan (APJ) have long been predicted to drive a new wave of smart manufacturing solutions. Although most of these producers have embraced new techniques to create differentiated products, only 40 per cent rate their manufacturing capability as advanced. The broad consensus among economists is that the manufacturing sector in Singapore will emerge as a key growth driver throughout 2018. The sector has in recent months notched up robust growth. With technology redefining new sectors and upgrading old ones, what directions should companies explore in an industrial landscape that is becoming dominated by robotics, Internet of Things (IOT) and artificial intelligence (AI)?