The Importance of Global-Local Collaboration in Automation
The beginning of 2024 witnessed two major robotic partnerships, as highlighted by Automation World. One was Accenture's partnership with Mujin, and the other was Honeywell’s partnership with Hai Robotics. What those events represented was a need for more industry collaboration. With AI and automation’s continued rise, that need has only continued to grow stronger. Global-local partnerships will be an important part of initiating more and more operators into the automation space, allowing them to solve three key challenges - progression in manufacturing, overcoming the vulnerabilities that come with outdated systems, and the potential arrival of Industry 6.0.
Progression of Manufacturing
In an article for Supply Chain Dive, Kelly Stroh explained, “Automation is at the forefront of many supply chain strategies as logistics companies re-evaluate and strategize their warehouse networks amid a tougher market environment.” Beyond just supply chains, automation is what will allow companies to remain competitive at large no matter the environment. Automation powered by AI can improve visual inspection systems and traceability among many other aspects.
Priyansha Bagaria wrote for Fast Company that “In aerospace and automotive manufacturing, AI quality systems have achieved remarkable results. Some major manufacturers have implemented AI vision systems that have reduced defect escape rates massively while increasing inspection speed many fold.” Like in the aerospace and automotive industries, AI and automation are enhancing tasks in ways that not only make them more efficient and safer but are ushering in the next generation of operations. Fostering global-local partnerships only boosts the potential for new avenues of integrating these technologies.
Upgrading Outdated Systems
According to a study by Intoware, 74% of manufacturing and engineering companies still rely on outdated legacy systems. These systems can take up a lot of time to maintain and repair and can be difficult to integrate with newer systems. But companies often lack the resources to fully replace them or update them. With global-local partnerships, companies can identify other industry players that can assist them in supplementing the areas where they lack such resources.
Industry 6.0
Lastly, manufacturers and operators are faced with the reality that Industry 6.0 is already on its way. Industry 6.0 is predicted to take hold around 2050. In the meantime, elements of this new era are likely to unfold, including higher levels of intelligence integration. While this future is even more dependent on AI and automation, it will still require human guidance. In order to establish a clear path toward achieving that balance, there will need to be proper regulatory and other frameworks. As Shinichiro (SHIN) Nakamura pointed out in a piece for Automation.com, this will require collaboration across borders, which can come in the form of localized and international partnerships.
Sources:
● “Robotics Partnerships Grow to Solve Specific Industry Issues” - Automation World
● “Warehouse automation partnerships are becoming more strategic” - Kelly Stroh, Supply Chain Dive
● “There will be no manufacturing renaissance in the U.S. without AI and automation” - Priyansha Bagaria, Fast Company
● “Why Waiting to Upgrade from Legacy Systems is not an Option” - Rachael Brown, Manufacturing Digital
● “Industry 6.0: How the Next Industrial Revolution Will Reshape Manufacturing” - Shinichiro (SHIN) Nakamura, Automation