On 28th June, we were delighted to work in partnership with InvestSK[1] on an event aimed at uncovering the mysteries around Industry 4.0. This event, which took place in the very grand council chambers on St Peter’s Hill in Grantham, was our first LIBS Connect Seminar to run outside of Lincoln, and with 25 delegates was a great success and provoked much discussion around the impact technology and digitalisation will have on our economy at an organisational and economic level.
We learned that Industry 4.0 refers to the combination of several major innovations in digital technology which are coming to maturity right now and which are set to transform the engineering, technology and manufacturing sectors in particular. This change builds on the automation that characterised the Third Industrial Revolution, but goes far beyond. It meshes industrial processes with breakthroughs in advanced technologies such as data management, machine learning and the Internet of Things.
Carl Baxter, from the National Centre of Food Manufacturing, University of Lincoln, was first to talk and gave the 25 delegates an overview of the Principles of Industry 4.0 and related this to the food industry and the positive impact Industry 4.0 will have on food security.
Following Carl’s talk, Jake Norman from the OAL Group demonstrated how investment in technology can have a significant impact on business success and how robotics have transformed the way OAL achieves its objectives.
Dr Debbie Lock from Lincoln International Business School challenged us to think about the implications of digital transformation on roles and leadership, and the types of jobs that will exist in the future and how we can prepare for them. Debbie argued that 21st century leaders are more likely to oversee diverse, geographically dispersed teams, assess workers performance with new forms of analytics; that there will be shifting job roles & evolving demand for skills; and that leaders need to focus on reskilling and retraining as a priority.
Finally, Jade White from Grantham based business, RecruitMe who advised businesses to prepare for the revolution through investment in yourself, your employees and tour recruitment and talent strategy showing how the University of Lincoln Executive Development programmes are supporting the developing for talent not only for RecruitMe but their clients and candidates as well.
Our next event with InvestSK will be on 26th September from 0930 to 1230, and focus on professional development for leaders and managers including a taster workshop from one of our programmes, including our new degree and master’s level programmes funding via the apprenticeship levy. To reserve your place at this next event please go to:
[1] InvestSK is a multi-disciplinary team tasked by South Kesteven District Council with driving ambitious economic growth, inward investment and physical regeneration projects across South Kesteven.