IEN Europe: What is the expected growth pattern for smart factory automation in the coming years?
Zampolli: According to Mordor Intelligence, the global smart factory market size is estimated at $354.60 billion today, and is expected to reach $564.38 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 9.74%. I think that says everything about where industry is heading over the next five years, with Industry 5.0 at the center of this growth.
IEN Europe: What exactly does the concept of Industry 5.0 represent?
Zampolli: As we move beyond the era of Industry 4.0, characterized by automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies, a new paradigm is emerging: Industry 5.0. This next phase represents a shift from the purely automated processes of Industry 4.0 to a more integrated approach, leveraging the strengths of both human creativity and machine efficiency. The robot market is a good example of the transition to Industry 5.0. Industrial robots have been around for decades, but now we have collaborative robots (cobots), where robots and humans are able to work side by side.
IEN Europe: What does this mean for data collection and analysis?
Zampolli: Industry 5.0 means human-centric data management: from data gathering to the information display; from sensor to cloud. Optimizing this collaboration means humans require easier ways to manage data. AI is a pertinent example, where the rise of generative AI is making vast amounts of data more accessible to humans.
IEN Europe: Aside from human-centric, what are the other main pillars of Industry 5.0?
Zampolli: The other pillars are operational resilience and sustainability. ESG (environmental, social and governance) is a hot topic at the moment. One part is ecological and another is social. If we put these parts together, the human is again central to the premise of effective ESG. By optimizing the use of resources and reducing waste, Industry 5.0 supports sustainability goals. The concept is similar for operational resilience. The integration of human skills with machine precision makes production systems more adaptable and resilient to disruption. Manufacturing plants need to achieve efficiency and quality at a competitive cost. But what if one part of the supply chain is not working as it should? We saw this with unforeseen events such as the pandemic and the Suez Canal problem in 2021. You cannot predict everything – the world is not binary, it’s incredibly complex. If you want to withstand to all the challenges, you always need a risk mitigation policy, where human input is paramount.
IEN Europe: Will cyber-physical systems evolve as part of Industry 5.0?
Zampolli: System interaction with the physical (human) part of the world is gaining more and more traction. The aforementioned cobot is a notable example. Today, integration is becoming a much bigger part of the solution.
The end of the journey is the digital twin. A digital twin can monitor the performance of a cyber-physical system and provide insights to optimize its operation and predict potential failures. The two are connected and the relationship is really strong.
IEN Europe: What about products and services?
Zampolli: Industry 5.0 allows for even greater customization of products and services. Advanced technologies enable manufacturers to meet individual customer needs more efficiently, with support from supply chains that are more responsive and distributed.
IEN Europe: What technologies are you referring to?
Zampolli: There are several, but we can focus on three that, via greater integration with humans, are major contributors to Industry 5.0: AI, IoT and cybersecurity. AI algorithms aid decision-making, predictive maintenance, and the optimization of production lines, while IoT devices collect and analyse data from many sources, facilitating smarter and more responsive manufacturing systems. Then we have cybersecurity. As connectivity increases, so does the risk of cyberattacks. Robust cybersecurity measures are vital if we are to prove successful at protecting sensitive data and systems.
IEN Europe: As you mentioned before, flexibility is one of the keys in modern automation concepts. What role does virtualization play here?
Zampolli: Virtualization is emerging as a cornerstone of modern automation, revolutionizing how industries manage and optimize their processes. By abstracting physical resources and creating virtual environments, virtualization becomes a transformative technology that enhances efficiency and scalability in your automation systems. Visualization also enables manufacturers to respond more effectively to changing demands.
Virtualization in automation involves creating virtual versions of physical components, such as controllers, managed switches, and HMI. It permits multiple virtual machines (VMs) to run on just one physical machine, optimizing resource utilization and lowering costs. Put simply, virtualization facilitates the development and deployment of automated processes in a more agile and efficient way.
IEN Europe: What are the key benefits of virtualization in automation?
Zampolli: First is resource optimization. Virtualization maximizes the use of physical resources by allowing multiple VMs to share the same hardware. This leads to significant cost savings and improved efficiency. Virtualization also enhances disaster recovery capabilities by enabling quick back-ups and restorations of VMs. In addition, it ensures high availability by allowing automated failover processes.
As a further advantage, virtualization simplifies your management of automation systems by centralizing control and monitoring. This capability reduces the complexity of maintaining multiple physical devices. Then there is scalability. It’s easy to scale virtual environments up or down in line with demand.
IEN Europe: What technologies underpin virtualization in automation?
Zampolli: There are many technologies but let’s focus on three key ones: hypervisors, containerization, and orchestration tools. Hypervisors are the software layers that enable multiple VMs to run on a single physical machine. Examples include VMware ESXi or Microsoft Hyper-V. Then we have containerization, where containers such as those managed by Docker and Kubernetes, provide lightweight virtualization through the encapsulation of applications and their dependencies. We must also consider orchestration tools, which automate the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications, delivering seamless operation in virtual environments.
In the context of Industry 5.0, virtualization can create a virtual industrial realm that mirrors the physical world. Applications include manufacturing simulation, product development, and operator training. By reducing administrative overheads, increasing scalability, and cutting costs, virtualization is becoming a fundamental pillar of modern industrial automation.
IEN Europe: Thank you for sharing this information with us!
