Abstract

Most of our predictions refer to the continuous changes and aspirations of global manufacturing players. The predictions in this document will guide their technology investment and priorities. To consolidate their strategies in smart manufacturing, they can leverage these predictions to plan a cohesive and integrated strategy with specific timebound objectives and targeted investments. The predictions are founded on a set of chosen representative drivers depicting the existing economic environment that is periodically adjusted and revised to reflect changes in the geopolitical stability and business atmosphere.

This IDC study examines IDC's top 10 predictions for the worldwide smart manufacturing industry in 2019.

According to Lorenzo Veronesi, research manager, IDC Manufacturing Insights, "Today, we see three main drivers for smart manufacturing: a renewal in perspective that places the factory at the center of business initiatives, the fact that data are going to be everywhere in the production process, and lastly, the understanding that people and machines will have to work together and not in opposition. These trends are opening a window of opportunity for companies willing to differentiate though superior factory processes."

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