Industry 4.0 for Nations Competitiveness and What it Takes
The increasing number of products and production processes that utilize information system based technologies indicate the beginning of the Fourth Industrial Revolution or Industry 4.0. The Industrial Internet of Things, Advanced Robotics, Cloud Computing, Big Data and Analytics, Machine Learning, Predictive Maintenance, and 3D printing are key technologies in the Industry 4.0 era. Many innovative products, services and processes arise from these new technologies.
The Industry 4.0 technology empowerment program was adopted by various countries as a strategy to increase their nation’s competitiveness. Since 2011, Europe – where Germany is its initiator – launched the Industry 4.0 program. In the same year The Industrial Internet of Things program was launched in America together with the establishment of the “Advanced Manufacturing Partnership”. In 2014, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong launched the Smart Nation program, while China launched the Made in China 2025 program in 2015. In 2016 Japan established its Society 5.0 program that adopts human-oriented Industry 4.0 technologies. Thailand also introduced the Thailand 4.0 program in 2016and Indonesia itself initiated the “Making Indonesia 4.0” program in April 2018.
The implementation of Industry 4.0 promotes the shifting of job types. Instead of decreasing the employability level of labors, smart technologies and advance robotic systems replace labor by doing the non-value-added activities, and at the same time develop some new jobs that need higher skills and more specific expertise.
Industrial Engineering is one of the majors that determine the effectiveness of Industry 4.0 technologies implementation since it requires the mastering of product design and development, collaborative task allocation, modern production facilities design, performance management, supply chain, simulation and visualization. Industrial Engineering optimizes integrated systems that consist of human, material, equipment, energy, and capital. Industrial Engineering also combines skills of engineering and management thus an Industrial Engineer is needed in many executive positions in the companies. The Industrial Engineering Department of Swiss German University, together with partner universities in Germany, conduct educational activities with state-of-the-art curriculum and professors with industrial experiences. By studying in the Industrial Engineering Department of Swiss German University, students will not only have the opportunity to experience studying in an international environment because of its double degree and internship programs in Germany, but they will also have Industrial exposure starting from the 3rd semester through projects and thesis-work in well established companies.
by Dr. Tanika D. Sofianti, S.T., M.T.
Head of Industrial Engineering
