About
Factory of the Future is a free online resource, intended to empower Pennsylvania manufacturers to learn more about the integration of advanced manufacturing technologies and quickly connect them to local organizations who can provide customized support.
This resource was created by the PA Manufacturing Competitiveness Collaborative, a group of more than 100 organizations working to support the growth of Pennsylvania’s manufacturing sector. The group includes manufacturing companies, public agencies, non-profits, and education partners. Convened by Team Pennsylvania, the non-profit committed to accelerating Pennsylvania’s long-term economic future, the Collaborative advances nonpartisan, public-private strategies. It builds on the work of the Pennsylvania Manufacturing Advisory Council (which sunset in 2022) and its Manufacturing Competitiveness Playbook. The Collaborative is currently focused on accelerating the integration of advanced manufacturing technologies, as an important strategy for ensuring the future competitiveness of PA manufacturers.
Innovation and modernization are more critical than ever in manufacturing, yet many small and mid-sized companies are challenged by the time, complexity, and cost to move forward quickly. Over 50% of Pennsylvania manufacturers report struggling with the complexity of integration as they work to adopt and implement advanced manufacturing technologies, and 12-15% of manufacturers in PA are not currently automating nor planning to, according to a survey of over 400 manufacturers. This resource was designed by PA manufacturers, for PA manufacturers, to consolidate helpful information for companies about advanced manufacturing technologies – with the goal of saving them time and leveraging existing resources as they take next steps.
While no two manufacturers are exactly alike, and all successful manufacturers iterate and continuously improve, Factory of the Future resource offers common steps that many successful companies take to incrementally move forward. This resource blends together tools and input from a wide array of private and public organizations (from the Manufacturing Competitiveness Collaborative and beyond).
“Factory of the Future” – also known as Industry 4.0, or Smart Manufacturing – refers to a set of advanced technologies being integrated into manufacturing operations globally, focused on integrating manufacturing operations and information technology. These changes help companies track, adapt and improve operations in real time, and further automate recurring tasks, using interconnected devices, sensors, data analytics and robotics, to name a few. Factories of the Future are staffed with highly skilled workers focused on responding to rapidly changing conditions and markets. A range of technologies are involved (Learn more at Step 01: Get Inspired).
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