Industrie 2015

In 1970, 40% of the working population was employed in industry. Professor Paul De Grauwe predicts that by 2030, less than 10% of the working population will be employed in industry.

Of course, it is true that in recent years some industrial companies have closed down in our country. But this only partly explains the significant reduction in the number of people working in industry. During the same period, productivity has indeed risen significantly. Automation and further optimisation have led to a reduction in the number of people needed to produce the same amount of goods.

Although industry is therefore no longer the strong engine for employment growth as it used to be, policymakers are increasingly aware that industry must still remain the cornerstone of our economy. After all, many service jobs are directly dependent on this industrial activity. Moreover, recent studies have shown that innovation and research jobs also follow the locations of production activity.
Further deindustrialisation is therefore not a good idea...

This is why there are a number of initiatives to support industry at European, national and regional level. Think for example of the Marshall Plan 2.vert in Wallonia and VIA - New Industrial Policy (Nieuw Industrieel Beleid) in Flanders, the Smart Industry in the Netherlands, Industry 4.0 in Germany and Factories of the Future at European level. All these programmes aim to give a new impetus to producing even more intelligently. Smart factories should therefore reverse the trend of deindustrialisation.

A new industrial revolution

Dr. Siegfried Dais - chairman of the Industry 4.0 Steering Committee in Germany - predicts that the Internet and communication technologies will trigger a fourth industrial revolution. New web technologies will make it possible for machines, supplies and parts to communicate with each other. The "internet of things and services" will lead to engineering being inextricably linked to IT.

In any case, a new form of cooperation between these two disciplines will have to develop. The next big step will be to take into account the interdependencies between the equipment and the production environment, the products and materials manufactured, and the IT that links everything together. This requires a high degree of standardisation so that the machine knows what to do with a particular product, and the products can confirm that the machine has done it. This IT link goes far beyond current production. In short: "we need smart factories to make smart products in a smart supply chain."

Already a reality today 

The above ideas may sound futuristic, but many innovative applications are already a reality today. For example, wireless sensors are increasingly affordable and accessible. Big data applications can analyse real-time production and condition monitoring data to optimise product quality, energy consumption, and equipment reliability and longevity. Flexible robots with intelligent vision systems work side by side with operators and soon perhaps even in maintenance. Flying drones are used to inspect and map industrial assets. Advanced 3D printers make customised spare parts, etc.

Such innovations can already be implemented in your company today. So there is a lot of development going on and there is no shortage of possibilities to get (financial) support from the government for innovative applications.

A promising future for technical professionals

In the coming years we will be faced with many fun and interesting engineering challenges. All these great applications and ideas need to be developed and translated into reality by us, the technical professionals. And once in the field, these complex assets will have to be well maintained and managed. The industrial worker of the future will undoubtedly be a multi-skilled technician or engineer who also has the necessary IT skills.

So there is a lot of opportunity for everyone involved in the technical field, no doubt including yourself, dear reader. That is reason enough not to be pessimistic in 2015, but rather optimistic, and to continue investing in your (technical) knowledge and skills.

Wim Vancauwenberghe
Maintenance Evangelist and director of BEMAS vzw
Twitter: @MaintEvangelist
E-mail: wvc@bemas.org 

PS: Are you interested in realising an innovative project concerning maintenance or reliability? Do not hesitate to contact BEMAS...