Why Manufacturers Still Struggle with Industry 4.0—and What to Do About It
· Discrete Manufacturing

Why Manufacturers Still Struggle with Industry 4.0—and What to Do About It

At a time when Industry 4.0 conversations dominate industrial trade shows and boardrooms alike, many manufacturers still miss the mark. The problem isn’t the technology. It’s how it’s being approached.Jeff Winter, a well-known voice in digital manufacturing and VP of Business Strategy at Critical Manufacturing, shared insights at Hannover Messe 2025—cutting through the jargon to […]

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Why AI Needs IoT to Deliver Real Value in Industrial Operations
· Discrete Manufacturing

Why AI Needs IoT to Deliver Real Value in Industrial Operations

At Hannover Messe 2025, amid the buzz around generative AI and intelligent automation, Bernd Gross, CEO and co-founder of Cumulocity, offered a pragmatic lens into the convergence of AI and IoT—and what industrial leaders are still getting wrong.As co-founder of Cumulocity and an early architect of industrial IoT platforms, Gross has witnessed the sector’s evolution firsthand. His […]

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The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of AI
· Artificial Intelligence

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of AI

A Human Story Repeating ItselfThroughout history, the development of technology has been met with a blend of awe, excitement, fear, and resistance. Whether it was the discovery of fire, the invention of the wheel, the rise of the steam engine, or the more recent emergence of nuclear energy and artificial intelligence, humanity’s journey with innovation […]

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Fortinet’s OT Cybersecurity Summit: Tackling Real-World Threats and Building Resilient Infrastructure
· Cybersecurity

Fortinet’s OT Cybersecurity Summit: Tackling Real-World Threats and Building Resilient Infrastructure

On May 8, 2025, Fortinet is hosting the OT Thought Leadership Security Summit in Houston, a must-attend event for asset owners, cybersecurity professionals, and operational leaders across the energy, utilities, and critical infrastructure sectors.As cyber threats targeting operational technology (OT) environments grow more sophisticated—driven by nation-state actors, hacktivism, and geopolitical instability—the need for collaboration, strategy, and modernized security is […]

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Industrial AI Needs a Backbone—And That Backbone Is DataOps
· Discrete Manufacturing

Industrial AI Needs a Backbone—And That Backbone Is DataOps

At Hannover Messe 2025, John Harrington of HighByte offered a timely reminder: as AI races ahead in the industrial sector, the infrastructure supporting it—specifically, DataOps—needs to keep up.While AI dominates the headlines, its power is fundamentally limited without access to the right data. Harrington put it bluntly: “Data is the oxygen for AI.” But not just any data—clean, […]

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AI in Manufacturing Enters Its Third Wave: The Rise of Autonomous Agents
· Artificial Intelligence

AI in Manufacturing Enters Its Third Wave: The Rise of Autonomous Agents

At Hannover Messe 2025, AI isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a battleground of ideas. While many vendors promise intelligence, Francisco Almada Lobo, the CEO of Critical Manufacturing, offers a structured, visionary framework for how manufacturing will truly evolve in the next five years.It starts with recognizing a shift already underway: manufacturing is entering the third wave of […]

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Why Small Manufacturers Can’t Afford to Wait for the “Perfect” Transformation
· Discrete Manufacturing

Why Small Manufacturers Can’t Afford to Wait for the “Perfect” Transformation

At Hannover Messe 2025, the conversation around digital transformation in manufacturing felt more urgent than ever. But amid the excitement, Stephen Graham, Executive Vice President and General Manager at Nexus, offered a grounded reminder: for small and mid-sized manufacturers, the future will not be won by those with the flashiest technology—but by those who learn […]

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[Booklet] Manufacturing at the Crossroads 2025: Real-World Lessons from Industrial Leaders
· Discrete Manufacturing

[Booklet] Manufacturing at the Crossroads 2025: Real-World Lessons from Industrial Leaders

What does it take to make digital transformation stick—beyond pilots, platforms, and buzzwords?At Hannover Messe 2025, the conversation around industrial transformation reached a new level of clarity—and urgency. From AI and agentic automation to modular MES platforms and resilient supply chains, one message was consistent: transformation is no longer a long-term goal. It’s a right-now […]

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From Data-Driven Ambitions to Sensing Factories: A Strategic Path for AI in Manufacturing
· Discrete Manufacturing

From Data-Driven Ambitions to Sensing Factories: A Strategic Path for AI in Manufacturing

At Hannover Messe 2025, Helena Jochberger, Vice President and Global Industry Lead of Manufacturing, CGI, joined IIoT World for a timely conversation on the future of AI in manufacturing. With decades of experience guiding industrial transformation, she laid out a pragmatic roadmap for how generative AI, when implemented responsibly and supported by strong data governance, […]

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Leveraging MQTT Brokers for Scalable Manufacturing Data Exchange
· Discrete Manufacturing

Leveraging MQTT Brokers for Scalable Manufacturing Data Exchange

The ability to efficiently manage and distribute data is critical for modern manufacturing operations. As factories become more digitized, the need for real-time, scalable, and flexible data communication systems has increased. MQTT brokers provide a solution that helps manufacturers streamline industrial IoT (IIoT) data exchange while reducing complexity and improving efficiency.Challenges in Industrial Data CommunicationManufacturing environments consist […]

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Why Software-Defined Automation Is the Key to Industrial Progress
· Discrete Manufacturing

Why Software-Defined Automation Is the Key to Industrial Progress

As the conversation shifts from Industry 4.0 to 5.0, one problem remains unsolved: most industrial environments are running on legacy infrastructure. Machines last decades. Control systems are often 30 years old. But the demands placed on manufacturing—greater flexibility, lower emissions, workforce shortages—are growing quickly.The question isn’t whether the technology exists. It’s how to implement change […]

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AI at the Edge of the Factory Floor: What’s Real, What’s Next
· Discrete Manufacturing

AI at the Edge of the Factory Floor: What’s Real, What’s Next

At Hannover Messe 2025, the excitement around industrial AI was palpable—but beneath the buzz, Ozgur Tohumcu of AWS shared a candid view of where manufacturing still lags and where AI is starting to deliver measurable value.Despite years of investment, many manufacturers are still struggling to turn decades of collected data into real-time, decision-grade insight. The […]

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