Best of LinkedIn: Smart Manufacturing CW 35/ 36

AI use cases advanced from pilots to line-level impact, with agentic AI and co-intelligence improving agility, throughput, and resource efficiency

Semiconductor and EDA workflows highlighted AI agents for design, root-cause analysis, and yield, accelerating data-driven engineering

Vendors emphasized foundation-model strategies and consolidation, with Siemens referenced alongside Altair and Industrial Foundation Model initiatives

Manufacturers in chemicals and electronics framed AI as a lever for workflow ROI and operational excellence, not an experiment

Trust, governance, and collaboration surfaced as prerequisites for meaningful AI change at plant scale

CNC and machining shops used Digital Twin to cut setup time, reduce scrap, and validate processes before metal cutting

Modular twins supported virtual commissioning and accurate robot modeling to de-risk ramp-up

Pharma and semiconductor examples applied twins to virtual factories and wafer-fab optimization, improving quality and revenue

Warehouse and intralogistics simulation enabled scenario testing to tune sensor layouts and flow before deployment

SAP Digital Manufacturing examples delivered execution gains such as in-routing rework loops for test and repair

Cloud MES narratives from Plex and Proficy focused on faster time to value, agility, and cost-efficient scaling across sites

Case work showed full-stack transformations with SAP plus integrator support to modernize planning, execution, and analytics

Guidance centered on composable architectures to avoid lock-in and enable incremental rollout across brownfield portfolios

Programming shifted toward low-code and no-code, lowering barriers and speeding cell deployment

Multi-robot coordination emerged, including foundation-model approaches to fleet control

Human-robot collaboration advanced with real-time safety and productivity optimization at the cell level

RPA remained relevant in back-office manufacturing workflows, with cautions on scale, integration, and governance

Real-time OT data pipelines into AI models positioned as the shortest path from sensor to decision

Lakehouse-based Industrial AI reference architectures supported performance monitoring and rapid model deployment

IT-OT network integration in regulated environments, notably Pharma, treated as a foundational enabler for digital programs

Energy resilience and efficiency linked AI scheduling, load optimization, and electrification to uptime and cost

Retrofitting strategies offered quick wins on efficiency and sustainability without wholesale equipment refresh

Data-center and AI factory narratives tied facility power, cooling, and digital infrastructure to industrial growth agendas

Plant-level safety and environmental recertifications reinforced continuous improvement and standardized practice

AI and virtual modeling targeted quality and scalability, with double-digit cost reduction claims via digital strategies

IT-OT convergence and GMP-oriented twins emphasized compliance by design and right-first-time production

Digital twins and AI applied to fab throughput, quality, and revenue maximization

Electronics manufacturing leaders evaluated workflow efficiency and ROI under volatile demand conditions

Simulation and sensor-level experimentation enabled higher-velocity decision-making in fulfillment and storage

Coordinated robotics and smarter layouts pursued higher picks per hour and safer operations

Cultural barriers, analysis paralysis, and fear of change flagged as primary blockers, especially in aerospace

Playbooks stressed digital continuity, visibility, empowerment, and incremental wins to move beyond mid-maturity plateaus

Customer-back planning and tiered meeting rigor linked lean practices to faster problem solving on the shop floor

Security surfaced alongside connectivity and model deployment, emphasizing governance and role-based controls

Manufacturers balanced openness for analytics with standards alignment in regulated operations

Market development opportunities highlighted the Gulf region’s Industry 4.0 push, inviting European collaboration and entry strategies

Analyst and vendor reports positioned leaders as those translating Industry 4.0 into measurable outcomes despite macro headwinds

Industrial AI reference architecture announced on a lakehouse platform for real-time monitoring and rapid AI deployment

Schneider Electric invested in a new smart manufacturing facility in Scarborough to support the UK energy transition

Honeywell Aerospace launched a multimillion-pound R&D program in the UK to advance aerospace technologies

Thermo Fisher expanded capacity by acquiring Sanofi’s Ridgefield site for sterile fill-finish manufacturing

CoolIT Systems showcased advanced CDU manufacturing capacity aligned to AI factory demand and NVIDIA-class workloads

TRUMPF promoted new production capabilities ahead of FABTECH, linking shop-floor technology to near-term buying cycles