This article first appeared in IndustryWeek.

I do my best to stay attuned to manufacturing trends. There is a confusing barrage of articles and opinions on Industry 4.0. Some articles create new terms, others provide competing definitions around similar concepts, and others seek use cases to justify new technologies. Some are already talking about Industry 5.0 while 4.0 is still in its infancy and ill-defined.

Manufacturers across the state are taking advantage of IMEC’s Illinois Manufacturing Innovation Voucher program! Just last November, IMEC announced a leading-edge economic development program to help small and medium-sized manufacturers accelerate technology adoption in their products and processes. Awarding up to $25,000 in matching funds, Illinois manufacturers can obtain external technical assistance to solve technology adoption challenges.

It is awe-inspiring to walk into today’s manufacturers and see the efficient and productive way things are made. Yet, even though the United States remains one of the most productive countries, manufacturing productivity has remained flat over the past decade. This should be a major concern. Productivity is a vital foundation for stronger companies, rising standards of living, and vibrant communities.

This is an original article written by Stephanie Neal, Director of DDI's Center for Analytics and Behaviorial Research.

As we kick off 2020, expectations are high for the changes the decade ahead will bring. According to top HR and leadership influencers, this year will challenge leaders to face a new level of workplace transformation. Hot leadership topics for 2020 will continue to be shaped by accelerating technology change, increasing consumer expectations, and hyper-connectivity.

This is an original article written by Shekhar Chandrashekhar of California Manufacturing Technology Consulting, part of the MEP National Network.

Today, most manufacturers are engaged in activities that could be considered part of “Industry 4.0.” (70% according to the World Economic Forum’s [WEF] white paper, “Fourth Industrial Revolution: Beacons of Technology and Innovation in Manufacturing”).

This is an original article by Aaron Fox, President of Oregon MEP.

If industrial manufacturing had a buzzword of the decade, it might be “Industry 4.0.” The concept is inescapable, yet it can be hard to define, especially for small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs). After all, SMMs’ capabilities, needs, and budgets look very different from the large companies who often drive the latest innovations and trends. However, Industry 4.0 is so pervasive that many smaller manufacturers know more about the technologies than they might think. Below, we define Industry 4.0, then explore ways that SMMs can and do implement it already.

Imagine the strides your company will make as keep pace with manufacturing technology.

Exciting things are in store for Illinois’ small and mid-sized manufacturers (SMMs) in the coming year! If you haven’t heard already, IMEC recently announced the revolutionary Illinois Manufacturing Innovation Voucher program for SMMs to invest in R&D and technology adoption.

SMMs are vital to the economic well-being of Illinois, and to continue a thriving manufacturing industry in the state, the Illinois Manufacturing Innovation Voucher will lead to a total of $2.5 million in investments to assist with approximately 50 projects in the next year.

This is an original article written by Elliot Forsyth, Vice President of Business Operations at the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center (The Center), part of the MEP National Network.

Contributed by our partners at John Wood Community College.

Regional companies will learn practical ways to adapt for the future at the “ABC’s of a Thriving Workforce” conference set for Tuesday, September 24 from 9a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at John Wood Community College’s auditorium in Quincy.

IMEC partnered with Fusion to host the Cobots: Solving the Manufacturing Labor Challenge event. The fun and informative afternoon featured educational sessions led by cobot vendors and experts, all in the name of helping manufacturers understand the benefits of implementing cobots at their facility: improved productivity, safer working environment, and more efficient installation than traditional automation.