Industry 4.0: Italy's great chance

We are hearing expressions such as Industry 4.0, Factory of the Future, Digital Manufacturing, Industrial Internet, etc. more and more frequently. Conferences, workshops and seminars are following on the heels of one another, flaunting copy-paste titles, these words are peeping out from behind the wings, sometimes in rather unnatural positions. As part of its research for 2017, the first and main objective of the Industry 4.0 Observatory is to explain the concept plainly, offering models that can interpret the facts and events taking place in a clear manner. This is especially true in this historical moment following the Italian government’s publication of its National Plan for Industry 4.0. Among the many aspects analysed are the diffusion of applications and the value of the Industry 4.0 market in Italy, the identification of skills and professional figures (existing or emerging), the analysis of standards, architecture and approaches for interoperability within the Industry 4.0 factory, the implications of the National Plan for Industry 4.0 and the prospects of open innovation for start-ups operating in the 4.0 world, to give a few examples.