This episode examines how manufacturing is changing as factories adopt more automation and connected equipment. It starts by setting out what a digitally connected supply chain means, then explains the idea of smart manufacturing and why it matters for production.
The conversation then turns to people. It asks how automation affects those who work on factory floors and whether fears of robots replacing workers are justified. It also considers whether smart factory technology is only realistic for large global producers or whether smaller firms can gain from it, and it looks ahead to the biggest changes likely to reach factories over the next five to ten years.