EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Developed countries are investing a lot of effort in advancing the concept of the smart factory. They expect it will enable them to maintain superior production efficiency and keep production jobs. But what is a smart factory? This white paper focuses on the details and reviews some of the concepts that help make a factory smart. The breakthrough strengths and technologies of the smart factory include shop-floor connectivity, advanced robotics, flexible automation, automation standards, virtual and augmented reality and energy management.