Tagicakiverata: Industry 4.0 a ‘Game Changer’
Industry 4.0, widely seen as the fourth industrial revolution, is slowly but surely making an appearance in Fiji.
One local expert believes it will be a “game changer” for Fijian businesses once it arrives, provided the country is prepared for it.
Director at Fiji National University’s National Training and Productivity Centre (NTPC), Isimeli Tagicakiverata, says training centres have to be familiar with the new trend. He was speaking at a training workshop attended by 15 employers at the Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation headquarters in Suva yesterday.
Industry 4.0 involves a high degree of automation – and very little human input. Mr Tagicakiverata said: “Industry 4.0 is aimed at revolutionising the manufacturing industry by switching from centralised to de-centralised networks under which connected devices communicate with each other to analyse and respond to information received.
“It incorporates advance censors, machine-to-machine communication, 3d printing, robotics, artificial intelligence, big data analytics and cloud computing.”
Mr Tagicakiverata said businesses risked “losing out” or being “phased out altogether” if they did not adapt to the changing business landscape.
“The reality of globalisation is that manufacturing companies and industry in general are facing new challenges and the demand for quality and convenience is pushing quality to greater heights,” he said. “Those organisations that are determined to be competitive must adopt strategies to increase efficiency and productivity in line with global trends and technology.”
While Industry 4.0 presents business leader with radical ways to boost productivity, the trend has a few inherent challenges.
A Forbes magazine report says data security issues are bound to increase when new systems are integrated and allowed greater access to.
The report says there is concern about the loss of high-paying human jobs, expensive technical problems, and issues with maintaining the integrity of the production process with less human oversight.
The workshop in Suva was facilitated by Lorenz Granrath, an industry advisor based in Tokyo, Japan with the Asian Productivity Organisation.
Mr Granrath will give a keynote address at the Top Executive Conference (TOPEX) that starts today at the Sofitel Fiji Resort and Spa on Denarau Island, Nadi.
Adapting to the rapidly changing business environment will be a key part of the discussions at the annual conference.
Mr Tagicakiverata said businesses risked “losing out” or being “phased out altogether” if they did not adapt to the changing business landscape.