Where Next for Industry 4.0?
10 July 2023 — Mr Kenneth Lim, Assistant Chief Executive (Industry & Transformation) at the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), has been on the frontlines of the digital and Industry 4.0 transformation efforts for more than a decade. He has seen how technology has driven port transformation, with advances in areas such as yard crane automation, drone delivery systems, 3D-printing of maritime components, the digitalisation of ship ordering, and digital twin technology.
“Technology is an enabler, and it has changed our daily lives,” he notes. “For example, smart devices and applications have enabled us to work more productively. In that sense, it is only natural that we should strive to use technology to make the maritime sector safer, more transparent, and more efficient.”
Artificial intelligence (AI), automation, sensors, drones and 5G networks are all being implemented to transform port and maritime operations. For example, Singapore port waters covering all anchorages and ports, including Tuas Port, will boast the artificial intelligence-enabled Next Generation Vessel Traffic Management System with Smart Collision Detection and Proactive Traffic Management to enhance navigational safety, and the digitalPORT@SGTM to strengthen the efficiency of port operations by streamlining port processes through a one-stop platform. Meanwhile, automated yard cranes and automated guided vehicles at Tuas Port will enable safer and more efficient operations while creating better jobs for port workers.
The Human Element in Industry 4.0 Transformation
Mr Lim believes having human workers is still vital to the maritime ecosystem, despite concerns voiced by some parties that machines and systems will take over jobs and displace workers. While Industry 4.0 transformations often spotlight changes and improvements to hardware, software, and processes, this does not necessarily mean that the importance of the people involved is diminished.
“Job re-design must be part of the transformation so that our colleagues are involved in the change,” he says, pointing out as an example how MPA port control has evolved with technology. “We need to uplift staff capabilities, company capabilities and ecosystem capabilities to ensure that the transformation is sustainable and beneficial.”
As the demands of work change, the people doing the work must also be prepared to upgrade their competencies. The Skills Demand for the Future Economy 2022 report has highlighted that in order to implement Industry 4.0 effectively, workers need to be cross trained so that they develop competencies that stretch across multiple disciplines. Mr Lim totally agrees that green and digital competencies are important skillsets to have in Industry 4.0 transformation.
The traditional model of talents with in-depth skills and knowledge in a single discipline has been replaced by the T-shape model, where in addition to depth, a talent also has a broad but shallower spread of skills and knowledge across many other disciplines. Even the T-shape model is being challenged today, as talents are developing deep competencies in more than one discipline, so that they fit into the comb-shaped model.
What this means for the people on the ground is that they need to invest in learning across multiple disciplines and commit to upgrading themselves to keep up with change over time through lifelong learning. The payoff to this is that the multidisciplinary skills and knowledge they develop will allow them to be more adaptable, as their competencies may now be transferrable across more than one area of work, or even more than one economic sector.
Beyond Manufacturing and Industry
Just as how multidisciplinary talent can span economic sectors, so too can many of the innovations driving Industry 4.0. What began in manufacturing and industry need not necessarily remain confined within those sectors.
Mr Lim sees the advances made in AI, optimisation, digital twin, 3D printing, sensors and cybersecurity being adopted outside of the sectors normally associated with Industry 4.0.
“I see the opportunities from Industry 4.0 having spillover effects, especially into the area of green technology,” he says.
Indeed, AI and sensors have been key in some of the latest green technology innovations. Smart building systems can now monitor environmental factors like temperature, and respond to changes by automatically adjusting the operating parameters of relevant systems such as increasing power to air-conditioning systems as needed, or adjusting the angle of sunshades on building exteriors. This is not only more efficient from an operational point of view, but also has an impact on energy consumption and overall sustainability efforts.
The Continued Relevance of Industry 4.0 into the Future
It seems that Industry 4.0 transformation is perhaps now reaching its apex. Does this mean that it will soon be entering the tail-end of the trend? Should individuals keen to participate in Industry 4.0 look to the next big thing instead?
“Innovation is a journey, and we will be awed by the new innovations that take place every day,” Mr Lim answers with a smile. “New innovators must be grounded on good foundations and hence going through a disciplined educational programme and graduating from it will equip oneself with the right mind set, attitude and ethics to do good with technology.”
In other words, a good Industry 4.0 educational programme should not only equip learners with skills and knowledge, but also help them grow holistically, so that they can build the necessary foundation to continue performing (and even excelling) in their careers. Change will ever be the constant, so the readiness and ability to adapt to change is the key to success.
NUS Postgraduate by Coursework Masterclass Series 2023
Mr Lim will be speaking at the NUS Postgraduate by Coursework Masterclass Series 2023 (NUS PGCMS 2023) on 29 Jul at the Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre.
Conceptualised as a series of talks by NUS academics and experts on how individuals can prepare for the Future Economies (as identified by SkillsFuture Singapore), the NUS PGCMS 2023 aims to attract learners, engage them and make them aware of the opportunities offered by NUS’ featured self-funded postgraduate by coursework programmes.
Extending on the Postgraduate by Coursework Fair 2022’s theme “Become a Master of the Future Economies”, the NUS PGCMS 2023 will be focusing on programmes classified under the following future economies:
1. Digital
2. Care
3. Green
4. Industry 4.0
The following speakers will be presenting Masterclasses on topics relating to the Industry 4.0 future economy:
- Mr Kenneth Lim, NUS Centre for Maritime Studies Board Member: Riding the Green Wave with Digital Maritime
- Dr Rimi Khan, Senior Lecturer at Department of Communications and New Media (NUS Faculty of Arts & Social Science): Unleashing the Power of Creativity for the Future Economy
- Ms Claire Cheong, Associate Director at NUS Enterprise Academy: Shaping the Landscape for a Future Economy
Other industry experts and NUS lecturers will be speaking on key topics relating to the remaining three future economies, ranging from artificial intelligence and virtual reality in strategic communication, and the impact of biomedical informatics on healthcare, to the need to integrate green initiatives into urban development.
For more information about the NUS PGCMS 2023 and to register for the event, click here: https://www.gevme.com/site/NUS-PGCMS-2023.