Industry 4.0 and 5G in the COVID Pandemic

2020 was the “Annus Horribilis” for manufacturers, whose operations and supply chains have been severely disrupted by the COVID-19 global pandemic. What has been the impact of this disruption on the longer term Industry 4.0 efforts?

During the year 2020 manufacturers have struggled to maintain production as a result of disruptions to their supply chains and operations caused by the global pandemic. ARC and Wind River collaborated on a survey of manufacturing leaders which was conducted in mid-2020. We find that their Industry 4.0 initiatives are now focused on remote operations and supply chain management, but efforts in other areas continue, and so do their plans to adopt 5G technologies in pursuit of Industry 4.0 objectives.