Preparing the next generation workforce to take advantage of the benefits of Smart Manufacturing (SM) environments starts with colleges and universities. This month’s episode explores how academic organizations are teaching students the importance of integrating OT and IT to maximize SM skills.

Our panelists are sharing their strategies and what manufacturers can learn to drive Industry 4.0 and digital transformation, enhancing productivity, real-time analytics, and workforce development.

Top 5 Takeaways

1. It’s important to approach the relationship with your IT team as more than just requesting software. In many cases, IT and OT are working together to build a larger network before even bringing the OT labs online.
2. As an OT professional, invest some time to upskill on modern networking topics. Meeting the IT team where they are will help you to clearly communicate the OT needs and ultimately gain a better outcome.
3. When planning your OT lab, a key to preparing students for their future is using full scale controllers – like Rockwell Automation or Siemens. While high-tech devices are difficult to sustain for a university, this approach will help students when they transition to industry.
4. Bridge the gap between technology and education by giving students access to real manufacturing data. This greatly enhances their ability to learn and understand manufacturing use cases.
5. Keep up with emerging technologies like AI tools, Machine Learning, digital twins, cloud, connected workers, and more. Research is essential for these topics and more as the industry continues to evolve and innovate.