Section 1
Introduction
“Manufacturing 4.0 refers to a suite of technologies that are viewed as transformative in the integration of technology with manufacturing processes, supply chain inputs and outputs.”
Introduction
The emergence of Manufacturing 4.0 is the subject of intense debate in countries around the world. Manufacturing 4.0 is reshaping the ways in which firms manufacture products, the business models they adopt, and even how they innovate.
For the purposes of this Guide, Manufacturing 4.0 refers to a suite of technologies that are viewed as transformative in the integration of technology with manufacturing processes, supply chain inputs and outputs. The resulting applications have the potential to drive the introduction of new global value chains and the expansion and upgrading of existing ones. They can also be transformative through the provision of valuable data, traceability, and analytics. It is anticipated that Manufacturing 4.0 adoption will also drive novel developments in relation to the services sector; with new business models being formed to capture value from software industries, big data management, technology management and development and data analytics.
While many Manufacturing 4.0 applications and solutions are becoming cheaper, more widely available and easier to use, firms face a number ofbarriers to adapt and adopt them within their operations, particularly in small states and small island developing states (SIDS). Such barriers hinder the adoption and effective use of not only cutting-edge but also current best-practice technologies and methods.
For governments, Industry 4.0 poses opportunities and challenges in critical policy areas, including employment, education, innovation, competitiveness and inclusiveness.
Against this backdrop, the Commonwealth Secretariat, through its Trade, Oceans and Natural Resources Directorate, has conceived this report to inform strategic thinking on digital industrial policy implementation strategies, focusing on small states and small island developing states (SIDS), to best leverage new technologies and processes.
Of the 56 Commonwealth member states, 32 are small states and 25 are SIDS. These most capacity-constrained states are envisaged as benefiting the most from this Guide.
The Commonwealth
Commonwealth Countries
Commonwealth Small States
Commonwealth Small Island Developing States
How to use this Guide
This Guide is intended as a practical tool to assist policymakers across the Commonwealth in understanding the impact of Manufacturing 4.0 on their economies and to develop policy settings to take advantage of new opportunities. The content assumes no prior knowledge of Manufacturing 4.0. We take policymakers on a practical journey from basic understanding to a more intermediate-to-advanced grasp of the issues and implications of Manufacturing 4.0 for digital industrial policymaking. The goal is for Commonwealth policymakers to have enough understanding and comfort to craft appropriate policy settings to take advantage of new and emerging opportunities created by Manufacturing 4.0.
1
Tell us who you are
Complete the form below with your details. This will help us understand who is using this guide and for what purpose. For Commonwealth policymakers seeking technical assistance, it will also help us reach you and understand your needs.
2
Proceed in a linear fashion
This Guide presumes no prior knowledge of Manufacturing 4.0. We start with the basics.
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Reach out for more assistance
If you are a policymaker from a Commonwealth member state interested in further information or technical assistance, we want to hear from you.
This Guide concludes with contact details and a feedback form. Please complete this and we will be in touch.
Acknowledgements
This report was prepared under the overall guidance of Paulo Kautoke, Senior Director, Trade, Ocean and Natural Resources, Commonwealth Secretariat.
The project was led by Kirk Haywood, Head, Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda Section, and Niels Strazdins, Trade Specialist, Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda Section.
A series of project experts contributed content, to which we acknowledge and thank: Policy Links team, IfM Engage, University of Cambridge; Dr Amjad Umar, Harrisburg University of Science and Technology; regional project experts Dr Lindani Ndlovu, Dr Shumon Khalid, Ms Lisa Callender, Mr Colin Koh, and Mr Michael Deng.