Seizing the Manufacturing 4.0 Opportunity, A Strategic Plan for Iowa's Manufacturing Industry, January 2021

(2021) Seizing the Manufacturing 4.0 Opportunity, A Strategic Plan for Iowa's Manufacturing Industry, January 2021. Iowa Economic Development Authority

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Abstract

Iowa has a proud history and impressive legacy in manufacturing. Just as the state has long fed this nation as a leading agricultural producer, its manufacturers have supplied global markets with value-added food products, farm and construction machinery and equipment, advanced materials, chemical products, aerospace electronics, medical devices and more. Iowa has remained competitive by moving toward advanced manufacturing products and processes that incorporate innovative technologies. Because this sector represents a major pillar of Iowa’s economy, it is critical for the state to examine the present and look toward the future to ensure it remains a globally competitive manufacturing leader. Manufacturing faces a technology revolution that emphasizes automation and smart technology. This fourth Industrial Revolution, known as Industry 4.0, will usher in advances and disruptions to manufacturing on a similar scale as those brought over time by water and steam power, mass assembly and computing and robotics. Industry 4.0 includes the Internet of Things, additive manufacturing, advanced robotics, augmented reality and cybersecurity. Digital technologies may not replace jobs, but they will transform how work is performed – how products are designed, fabricated, used and serviced.