The dawn of a new industrial identity
Holistic energy management:
Olivier Blum, Chief Executive Officer at Schneider Electric discusses how organizations need to adopt the latest technologies, including AI, IoT and digital twins, to optimize their energy and reduce waste.
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Disclaimer: The Reuters news staff had no role in the production of this content. It was created by Reuters Plus, the brand marketing studio of Reuters. To work with Reuters Plus, contact us here.
Produced by Reuters Plus for
Disclaimer: The Reuters news staff had no role in the production of this content. It was created by Reuters Plus, the brand marketing studio of Reuters. To work with Reuters Plus, contact us here.
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“Digitization is fueling innovation in the industrial manufacturing production process, enabling firms to achieve high-quality standards without sacrificing process time,” adds consulting firm BCG in a recent blog post.
For example, Livetech, a high performance robotic packaging specialist for the food industry, uses the latest carrier system and digital twin technology from Schneider Electric to generate a 50% faster changeover time while also reducing costs by 30-40%.
In Italy, water services provider Padania Acque digitally monitors and controls its entire water supply system to ensure reliable and sustainable operations for its customers. Using advanced remote control, plant automation and water simulation technologies from Schneider Electric and AVEVA, it has been able to cut water loss to almost half of the national average, resulting in a 22% increase in EBITA over three years.
Schneider Electric is not only a leading industrial tech supplier, but it also has an extensive manufacturing network of its own. Recently named The World’s Most Sustainable Company by Time magazine and Statista, Schneider Electric uses their own automation technology with IoT connectivity, AI, and predictive analytics to optimize operations for its award-winning Smart Factories and Distribution Centers around the world. For example, by automating and digitizing its 60-year-old manufacturing plant in the US, it has achieved a 20% reduction in mean time to repair, a 5% reduction in downtime and a 3.5% year-over-year energy savings.
More sustainable working practices
Increased productivity and cost reductions are not the only benefits of the shift to more digital industrial environments. The integration of technology combined with more sustainable working practices are also starting to attract Gen Z and Gen Alpha workers to careers in industry. Says Schneider Electric’s Frei: “The focus on sustainability has significantly impacted public opinion of industrial companies -- by highlighting our potential to be environmentally responsible, innovative, and socially conscious. This has led to many seeing industry as a driver of positive change.”
However, it’s a process that will take time. Disappointingly, only 14% of the 2,000 US Generation Z workers surveyed by Soter Analytics in its 2023 Gen Z Industrial Work Report said that industrial work is a career they’d currently consider, although 17% said they would be incentivized to consider an industrial job if they knew someone who was working in the space and liked it. Nearly one in three (32%) also said they’d consider working in industry if there was a ‘clear path to a corporate position’ while nearly the same number (29%) said they’d be interested if it paid above average for an entry-level worker.
Inevitably there are still some concerns that young people have around working in industry, particularly that it’s less flexible than other work (cited by 26% of respondents). According to Schneider’s Frei this is a ‘perception that needs to be corrected.’ “The pandemic showed that remotely managing operations is not only possible but is beneficial,” she says. “The days of operators needing to be onsite, right next to a machine are quickly diminishing. Automation, simulation, predictive analytics – where an operator is alerted before a problem occurs – are reshaping not only the way that work gets done but also the actual work itself.”
Increasing digitization
One way industry can continue to revamp its image to make itself more relevant to Gen Z and Gen Alpha employees is by increasing digitization and giving more visibility to the cutting-edge technologies used in modern smart factories. One of the findings of the Soter Analytics study is that 27% of Gen Z wants to work for a company that’s at the forefront of new technologies and products, including drones, connected devices, AI and virtual reality.
“Increasingly, these technologies are now finding their way into industry through digital transformation which is helping to attract a new generation of digital native workers,” says Schneider’s Frei. “There is opportunity to bring Gen Z into the industrial workforce, but employers will need to shift in a few key ways to make this transition possible,” Matthew Hart, founder and CEO of Soter Analytics admitted in Fast Company magazine last year.
“Industry is the best place to be when it comes to innovation and cutting-edge technologies,” adds Schneider’s Frei. “But it’s even more: by aligning with sustainability principles, we can foster an economy that creates economic growth and wealth in our society without compromising our planet's future. I’m convinced we could attract many more young people if they knew!”
Addressing the skills shortage
Importantly, increased automation and digitization can also help to address the workplace skills challenge which has resulted in 600,000 unfilled manufacturing jobs in the US, claims the US Department of Commerce. Indeed, according to Omdia’s The Future of Work In Industry report, in partnership with Schneider Electric, the higher level of automation makes the workplace more accessible to workers without the traditional skill sets.
“A key objective of digitization is to develop and support a more empowered, highly skilled and engaged workforce, with employees viewed as the main asset of a company,” claims the report. “There is also evidence that automation improves employment stability, brings higher wage growth and increases cumulative earnings,” the report adds.
For Schneider Electric—which recently announced a $23.8 million investment into its South Carolina manufacturing operations as well as 280 new production jobs in the state, in addition to a new cutting-edge factory in Bengaluru, India—digitization is key to changing the perception of industry among Gen Z and Gen Alpha workers. Concludes Frei: “The integration of technologies such as AI, automation, virtual reality, and robotics is attracting a new wave of talent. While challenges exist in overcoming some of the old stereotypes, digital transformation is helping to attract record numbers of younger workers into the new industrial environment.”
Find out more about Schneider Electric's transformative industrial
solutions HERE
The industrial landscape has undergone a dramatic shift over the last few decades, leaving the old stereotype of dirty and unsafe factories consigned well and truly to the past.
Instead, today’s manufacturing industries are adopting cleaner, safer and more agile ways of working, driven largely by the adoption of the latest digital technologies such as automation, artificial intelligence (AI) and IoT.
“The industrial sector plays a vital role in driving innovation, creating jobs, and growing economies in our society. And it touches our day-to-day lives more than we maybe realize,” says Barbara Frei, Executive Vice President, Industrial Automation, Schneider Electric.
Why Gen Z and Gen Alpha should look to industry for high tech careers.
Barbara Frei
Executive Vice President, Industrial Automation
Schneider Electric
“The industrial sector plays a vital role in driving innovation, creating jobs, and growing economies in our society.”
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Delivering greater efficiency
and sustainability
The dawn of a new industrial identity
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Disclaimer: The Reuters news staff had no role in the production of this content. It was created by Reuters Plus, the brand marketing studio of Reuters. To work with Reuters Plus, contact us here.
ARTICLE
Retrofit for Net Zero Buildings
80% of the UK’s buildings that will be use in 2050 already exist today. Make sure you don’t get left behind on net zero targets or caught up with ever-growing regulations.
READ MORE
REPORT
2023 Sustainable Development Report
The Next Frontier: Industrial Tech for Sustainable Impact.
READ MORE
REPORT
Schneider Electric Net-Zero Commitment
Schneider Electric is as an Impact company, committed to bridge progress and sustainability for all.
READ MORE
ARTICLE
Will you join us?
Creating impact needs an ecosystem of people, communities, and partners. Impact Makers lead the way to a resilient, electric, and net-zero future.
Be an Impact Maker
REPORT
Explore 4000+ C-suite decarbonization insights
Companies are allocating 2% of annual revenues to decarbonization over the next 3 years. Discover sustainability benefits and lead the change now.
Read Full Report
REPORT
How is digitalization shaping the future workforce?
73% of companies say automation & digitalization improve work conditions, boost efficiency, and address better work conditions. Discover more in the Omdia report.
READ MORE
ARTICLE
Retrofit for Net Zero Buildings
80% of the UK’s buildings that will be use in 2050 already exist today. Make sure you don’t get left behind on net zero targets or caught up with ever-growing regulations.
READ MORE
REPORT
2023 Sustainable Development Report
The Next Frontier: Industrial Tech for Sustainable Impact.
READ MORE
REPORT
Schneider Electric Net-Zero Commitment
Schneider Electric is as an Impact company, committed to bridge progress and sustainability for all.
READ MORE
ARTICLE
Will you join us?
Creating impact needs an ecosystem of people, communities, and partners. Impact Makers lead the way to a resilient, electric, and net-zero future.
Be an Impact Maker
REPORT
Explore 4000+ C-suite decarbonization insights
Companies are allocating 2% of annual revenues to decarbonization over the next 3 years. Discover sustainability benefits and lead the change now.
Read Full Report
REPORT
How is digitalization shaping the future workforce?
73% of companies say automation & digitalization improve work conditions, boost efficiency, and address better work conditions. Discover more in the Omdia report.
READ FULL REPORT
ARTICLE
Retrofit for Net Zero Buildings
80% of the UK’s buildings that will be use in 2050 already exist today. Make sure you don’t get left behind on net zero targets or caught up with ever-growing regulations.
READ MORE
REPORT
2023 Sustainable Development Report
The Next Frontier: Industrial Tech for Sustainable Impact.
READ MORE
REPORT
Schneider Electric Net-Zero Commitment
Schneider Electric is as an Impact company, committed to bridge progress and sustainability for all.
READ MORE
ARTICLE
Will you join us?
Creating impact needs an ecosystem of people, communities, and partners. Impact Makers lead the way to a resilient, electric, and net-zero future.
Be an Impact Maker
REPORT
Explore 4000+ C-suite decarbonization insights
Companies are allocating 2% of annual revenues to decarbonization over the next 3 years. Discover sustainability benefits and lead the change now.
Read Full Report
REPORT
How is digitalization shaping the future workforce?
73% of companies say automation & digitalization improve work conditions, boost efficiency, and address better work conditions. Discover more in the Omdia report.
READ MORE
More from Schneider
Holistic energy management:
Olivier Blum, EVP Energy Management at Schneider Electric discusses how organizations need to adopt the latest technologies, including AI, IoT and digital twins, to optimize their energy and reduce waste.
READ MORE
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