NTT: 2022 Connected Industry Report

Industry 4.0 is a term that describes initiatives to improve efficiency and optimize processes in the manufacturing industry by activating data and connecting intelligence across the entire value chain, from design and production to retail trade and maintenance.

Today, “Connected Industry” is an expanding vision, with all-encompassing technological innovations including the Internet of Things, 5G connectivity, data management, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) derived from the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) bringing industrial benefits to everyone and the world.

In this framework, businesses and governments collaborate to create new added value and solutions to business and societal challenges by connecting all aspects of modern life – including people, machines, systems and companies.

It is embodied in a human-centric and solution-oriented approach to ultra-intelligent, ultra-connected technology. It is an environment that fosters new levels of cooperation and collaboration between individuals and companies through the ultra-fast dissemination of insights and skills.

As we emerge from the pandemic we will find ourselves living in a digitally saturated world.

Here, the physical and digital are more symbiotic and interdependent than ever before.

We have entered the era of connected industry, where new value is being created through digital networks between people, companies, devices, machines and places.

Around the Internet of Things (IoT), edge-to-cloud, 5G connectivity, data management, AI and ML, and security, the connected industry is envisioning new solutions to social and environmental challenges.

The connected industrial age provides a non-negotiable foundation for protecting business survival. Any business that wants to not only survive the disruption caused by the pandemic, but also thrive, must consciously build its digital vitality.

To thrive in the connected industrial age, businesses need to be digitally ready. This requires thought, courage, diligent practice, and constant experimentation and iteration. Ultimately, the “digital essential” businesses will be the most prosperous, sustainable, and resilient, and will continue to lead as the world continues to change.