Is the pandemic a wake-up call to the manufacturing sector, bringing the Industry 4.0 technologies to the fore front for survival in the marketplace which requires agile and flexible production systems and supply chains. Will 3D printing, the internet of things (IoT), advanced robotics, artificial intelligence and big data bring the benefits of applying a digitization mindset to a physical business. The need for remote interaction and asset management during the pandemic has highlighted the requirement of advanced manufacturing technologies, cloudbased services and 5G solutions.