Opinion | Monday, 20th April 2020

Coronavirus: How is COVID-19 accelerating the uptake of Industry 4.0?

Dr Carl Diver explores how the virus is impacting upon Industry 4.0, now and in the future

The Fourth Industrial Revolution, or Industry 4.0, is a broad term for the adoption of digitally-connected Internet of Things (IoT) equipment and software that improves and shapes the future of industry by boosting efficiency and profitability.

It encompasses concepts such as Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, smart cities and sensor networks and has leapt into public consciousness during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, thanks to the broad media coverage of how 3D-printing is helping meet the shortfall in safety equipment in our health and care services.

Dr Carl Diver, Industry 4.0 Lead at Manchester Metropolitan University, explains how Coronavirus (COVID-19) is fast tracking the tech industry and changing the behaviours of businesses and individuals alike. But, are these changes here to stay?

Finding digital solutions

Businesses of all kinds are being forced to find new ways of working to remain operational – with many turning to technology to make this possible.  

Whether it is putting in the functionality to enable remote working, or giving themselves an online or digital presence in order to keep operating or providing a service; they have had to adopt digital technology quickly, or risk having to close their doors entirely for the foreseeable.

What we are seeing is one of the most rapid transitions to digital operations in history, and on a massive scale.

For some, this digital transformation might have always been in the pipeline, but has now been fast-tracked as a result of the restrictions the virus has brought.

Others will have been forced to abandon their traditional processes, purely to keep their doors open and their staff in posts.

Regardless, we are in the midst of a huge shift in how businesses operate, individuals work and how consumers behave – and we have already seen a huge change in a relatively short period of time.

Firstly, restrictions on travel and the current lockdown have seen a transition for many to remote working, with this being made possible by video conferencing platforms.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, company sources have reported a 70 per cent increase in the use of Facebook Messenger’s video call function, and in just one record day, applications like Skype, Zoom, WhatsApp and Google Hangouts received approximately 600,000 downloads, according to the New York Times.

We have also seen more online sharing and multiple editing of documents on services such as SharePoint and Google Docs.

But, this isn’t the only change we have seen regarding how businesses are now operating. 

Everything from how we pay for things, to how we access services has changed, from GP appointments to services provided by our gyms.

More retailers are now online, and digital waiting rooms have been put in place to handle the high demand for online shopping services. We are seeing this across the board, from our chemists and supermarket chains, to our DIY stores.

Gyms and leisure centres, which have been forced to close for the time being, are now utilising digital platforms by streaming workouts, and even the culture sector has embraced tech, with places like museums now offering virtual tours from the comfort of your own home.

In fact, in almost every industry we have seen an uptake in tech, including the theatre sector, travel and even education.

Here at the University, assessments and teaching have gone online, with visit days and open days also being facilitated virtually.

Overall, these changes have been made out of necessity. But, in some cases it has provided the opportunity for businesses to grow, improve their services and their functionality – allowing them to flourish.

Going forward, some of the manual tasks, which are time-consuming, might be eliminated and Industry 4.0 solutions put in place instead. I think we will see these challenging times result in organisations growing in confidence when it comes to adapting to digital solutions – and hopefully help them realise that the associated risk can be managed.

Accelerating technological development

The longer the lockdown and restrictions on businesses continue, the more digitalisation we will see, and the more important it will become.

For now, many companies are using tech as a stopgap to keep going, but as restrictions are extended, there may well be the need to invest in new technologies for the long term and implement new infrastructures.

With that in mind, COVID-19 is likely to help us push the accelerator pedal on Industry 4.0.

2020 will be remembered for many reasons, and one of them will hopefully be the development of tech, both in its use and in its production. 

COVID-19 has already highlighted the possible uses and benefits of virtual reality.

Whether this is for consumers, who are now looking to tech more so than ever before – from a social aspect, or in their working lives, entertainment choices and even virtual travel, or businesses who want to simulate realistic working environments.

The pandemic is also raising debate as to the growing need for 5G as a key enabler in helping to avoid delays in communication and to help minimise bandwidth issues.

With more reliance than ever on strong wi-fi connections and data speed, the near-instant communication and better connectivity that will come with 5G are now more appealing than ever.

Investment in smart technologies is also likely to grow.

Industry 4.0 technology is playing a huge part in the fight against COVID-19.

In China, police are using drones with thermal sensors to identify members of the public with a fever. Smart phone applications are being introduced to help track people with symptoms of the virus, aiding in mass data collection, and governments are turning to additive manufacturers to find solutions for mass-producing PPE for frontline workers.

This dependency is only likely to see further investment going forward. 

Post COVID-19

This virus has clearly brought devastation across the globe. But, one of the few silver linings may be the dawn of a new digital reality.  

Although I do not believe we will stop all of our old habits in favour of these alternative methods of working, socialising and living all together, I do believe that is some ways we might change.

Travel, for example, might be reduced. Instead of spending time and money on travel, we may well see digital solutions favoured going forward.

Likewise, we might see less dependency on paper and printing.  

COVID-19 has seen many shops halt cash payments and instead are encouraging online payments, contactless transactions and payments via mobile apps.

Limits on contactless payments have even been increased, and this could well be a sign of how things will be done in the future.  

Remote working may well become more of the norm, and businesses could reduce the volume of office spaces needed. Home offices and spaces are likely to pop up in residential buildings instead.