Methodology: Every two weeks we collect most relevant posts on LinkedIn for selected topics and create an overall summary only based on these posts. If you´re interested in the single posts behind, you can find them here: https://linktr.ee/thomasallgeyer. Have a great read!
If you prefer listening, check out our podcast summarizing the most relevant insights from Smart Manufacturing CW 43/ 44:
AI and Analytics
AI moved from pilots to production with concrete factory use cases and event demos highlighting Generative and Agentic AI improving products and operations
NVIDIA marked a manufacturing milestone with advanced AI chips produced in the United States, signaling momentum for domestic AI supply chains
NVIDIA and Samsung collaborated on an AI factory concept aimed at accelerating global industrial AI adoption
Industry 5.0 narratives emphasized human-AI teaming for mass customization and operational resilience
Practical “AI-copilot” approaches emerged around MES contexts, focusing on assistance, decision support, and faster issue resolution
MES, ERP, and Digital Backbones
SAP best practices highlighted configuring installation points in S/4HANA BOM and applying them in SAP Digital Manufacturing
MES was positioned as the key IT-OT layer for contextualized tracking and execution discipline
Siemens was recognized for MES leadership with an example from Nordic Defence adopting advanced digital manufacturing solutions
Cloud transformation themes reappeared at innovation forums as a competitiveness imperative for manufacturing IT stacks
A new SAP Digital Manufacturing 2511 release introduced feature and API enhancements to extend integration and developer workflows
Digital Twin and Virtual Commissioning
Siemens and HELLER demonstrated precision manufacturing benefits from digital twin workflows for CNC machining
Virtual pharmaceutical factory design with Siemens software reinforced faster iteration and efficiency gains before line changes
Siemens offered digital twin training for CNC manufacturers to translate simulation gains into on-line quality and throughput
Showcases in Ontario illustrated bridging virtual and real worlds to compress time-to-value on the shop floor
Automation and Robotics
Calls to upgrade legacy equipment and adopt modern automation framed competitiveness in 2025 and beyond
TI-backed perspectives pointed toward increasingly autonomous factories as sensor density and control maturity rise
A sector view from India spotlighted robotics integrator headwinds from tariff structures and export frictions
A new highly automated kitchen factory by Nobia in Sweden showcased integrated automation as a standard setter
IoT, Connectivity, and Edge
Amazon’s Kuiper program was positioned as future backbone for secure, high-speed factory connectivity in remote or bandwidth-constrained sites
AWS events emphasized practical IoT plus AI combinations that tighten feedback loops from machine data to action
Peer exchanges at Amazon FRA7 focused on lean manufacturing, automation, and digital transformation patterns transferable across plants
Cloud and Data Platforms
Guidance stressed establishing a durable digital backbone before layering advanced technologies to avoid brittle deployments
Cloud-first MES and data services discussions centered on integration discipline, reusable interfaces, and maintainability over time
Quality, Inspection, and Operational Excellence
Quality improvements were consistently tied to simulation-driven setup, CNC twin training, and closed-loop MES record integrity
Operational visibility themes linked 10–20 percent efficiency potential to systematic data capture and line-level transparency
Lean practices resurfaced in multiple forums as complements to analytics, ensuring that insights translate to floor-level routines
Workforce, Skills, and Change
Upskilling and talent planning for Industry 4.0 were framed as near-term priorities rather than long-range aspirations
Training programs around digital twin and MES usage targeted faster adoption cycles and reduced time to proficiency
Human-AI collaboration narratives emphasized augmenting operators and engineers rather than replacing domain knowledge
Sustainability and Energy
Smart manufacturing for pharma highlighted speed, quality, and sustainability goals co-optimized through digital workflows
Energy efficiency appeared as a cross-cutting outcome from better process control, simulation accuracy, and MES-driven standard work
Partnerships and Ecosystem
Siemens and Capgemini deepened collaboration to co-develop AI-driven solutions for industrial transformation at scale
Siemens and HELLER showcased a partnership around digital twin use in precision part manufacturing, turning virtual gains into real throughput
Ecosystem gatherings at AWS connected manufacturers, solution engineers, and operations leaders around applied AI and IoT patterns
Product Release
SAP Digital Manufacturing 2511 delivered new features and APIs to broaden extensibility and integration paths
U.S. manufacturing of advanced NVIDIA AI chips signaled capacity expansion relevant to industrial AI availability and lead times
Want to see the posts voices behind this summary?
This week’s roundup (CW 43/ 44) brings you the Best of LinkedIn on Smart Manufacturing:
→ 62 handpicked posts that cut through the noise
→ 36 fresh voices worth following
→ 1 deep dive you don’t want to miss