While the world still seems undecided on which terminology to use, the new industrial revolution has started and is already transforming the way we plan our future. Fuelled by the need to optimize the complete production lifecycle, make wiser use of natural resources, respond to fast-paced market changes, and level profitability across the globe, the new concept of Smart Factories was born.

We see several research hubs, laboratories, and aggregators in action across the globe, where private, public, and academic entities are collaborating to define the guidelines, best practices, and use cases for the new smart manufacturing world. The topic is still hotly debated, but it has already defined some fundamental building blocks:

• Telecommunication – for the estimated 500 connected devices for every person that are expected to exist by 2020, we need fast, secure, and widespread distribution of internet access points and datacenters
• Big Data – for decision management platforms to expand at a foreseen CAGR of 60% through 2019, we need enhanced data processing and security algorithms
• Security in the most pervasive way – being secure, vigilant, and resilient is the new black in the connected age

The Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC) was founded in 2014 to promote the discussion between the leading vendors in IIoT and guide the future generation of intelligent manufacturing. 

In their exclusive presentation, Dr. Richard Soley, IIC Executive Director, and Oliver Winzenried, CEO and founder of Wibu-Systems, are sharing:

• An outlook on today’s and tomorrow’s manufacturing notion
• The role of IIC in coordinating a vast ecosystem of initiatives
• The surge of Smart Factories in the IIC agenda
• The security implications of the rise of AI in an industrial context
• The reasons behind an endpoint security approach
• The projects WIBU is engaged in for the development of secure smart factories
• The turnkey technologies that are already available for safeguarding and monetizing the intellectual property of intelligent device manufacturers

The new generation of embedded system developers is essentially in the same predicament that ISVs of traditional PC applications found themselves in years ago. Let’s openly share the state of the union and forge secure and connected supply chains together.