Artificial Intelligence Advancements for Digitising Industry

In the digital transformation era, when flexibility and know-how in manufacturing complex products become a critical competitive advantage, artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the technologies driving the digital transformation of industry and industrial products. These products with high complexity based on multi-dimensional requirements need flexible and adaptive manufacturing lines and novel components, e.g., dedicated CPUs, GPUs, FPGAs, TPUs and neuromorphic architectures that support AI operations at the edge with reliable sensors and specialised AI capabilities. The change towards AI-driven applications in industrial sectors enables new innovative industrial and manufacturing models. New process management approaches appear and become part of the core competence in the organizations and the network of manufacturing sites. In this context, bringing AI from the cloud to the edge and promoting the silicon-born AI components by advancing Moore’s law and accelerating edge processing adoption in different industries through reference implementations becomes a priority for digitising industry. This article gives an overview of the ECSEL AI4DI project that aims to apply at the edge AI-based technologies, methods, algorithms, and integration with Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and robotics to enhance industrial processes based on repetitive tasks, focusing on replacing process identification and validation methods with intelligent technologies across automotive, semiconductor, machinery, food and beverage, and transportation industries.publishedVersio

The Future of Mobility with Connected and Autonomous Vehicles in Smart Cities

Cities around the world are being wrecked by the ever-increasing bur-den of traffic. Smart cities are a recent innovation perceived as a winning strategy to cope with some severe urban problems such as traffic, pollution, energy consumption, waste treatment. This concept is attracting significant interest in the world of technology and sensors. Governments can streamline the way cities are run, saving money and making them more efficient as a result. Rapid urban developments, sustainable transportation solutions are required to meet the increasing demands for mobility whilst mitigating the potentially negative social, economic, and environmental impacts. This study analyses the smart mobility initiatives and the challenges for smart cities with connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs), it also highlights the literature that supports why CAVs are essential for smart maintainable development as part of the intelligent transportation system (ITS)

Autonomous driving: a bird's eye view

[Abstract:] The introduction of autonomous vehicles (AV) will represent a milestone in the evolution of transportation and personal mobility. AVs are expected to significantly reduce accidents and congestion, while being economically and environmentally beneficial. However, many challenges must be overcome before reaching this ideal scenario. This study, which results from on-site visits to top research centres and a comprehensive literature review, provides an overall state-of-the-practice on the subject and identifies critical issues to succeed. For example, although most of the required technology is already available, ensuring the robustness of AVs under all boundary conditions is still a challenge. Additionally, the implementation of AVs must contribute to the environmental sustainability by promoting the usage of alternative energies and sustainable mobility patterns. Electric vehicles and sharing systems are suitable options, although both require some refinement to incentivise a broader range of customers. Other aspects could be more difficult to resolve and might even postpone the generalisation of automated driving. For instance, there is a need for cooperation and management strategies geared towards traffic efficiency. Also, for transportation and land-use planning to avoid negative territorial and economic impacts. Above all, safe and ethical behaviour rules must be agreed upon before AVs hit the road.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad; TRA2016-79019-R/COO

Industry 4.0 and the circular economy : melioration of business logistics sustainability

Abstract: Mining and mineral resources help provide the requirements of everyday life by contributing to essential products and services. In the era of fourth industrial revolution, the trend in logistics is toward a smart logistics system. Therefore, it becomes important to understand how Industry 4.0 enablers effect smart logistics, i.e., instrumented logistics, interconnected logistics, and intelligent logistics. This study investigates how Industry 4.0 logistics technologies influence dynamic remanufacturing and green manufacturing capability and, the effect on business logistics sustainability. Survey data were collected from 150 respondents using an online survey of South African executives in firms operating mines, quarries, and processing plants. Partial Least Squares based structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to test the hypotheses. The findings indicate that Industry 4.0 enablers have a strong effect on intelligent logistics compared to its effect on interconnected logistics and instrumented logistics. The effect of intelligent logistics are found to be very high compared to that of interconnected logistics and instrumented logistics on dynamic remanufacturing and green manufacturing capability. Finally, dynamic remanufacturing and green manufacturing capability are found to positively influence business logistics sustainability

Emerging Technologies

This monograph investigates a multitude of emerging technologies including 3D printing, 5G, blockchain, and many more to assess their potential for use to further humanity’s shared goal of sustainable development. Through case studies detailing how these technologies are already being used at companies worldwide, author Sinan Küfeoğlu explores how emerging technologies can be used to enhance progress toward each of the seventeen United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and to guarantee economic growth even in the face of challenges such as climate change. To assemble this book, the author explored the business models of 650 companies in order to demonstrate how innovations can be converted into value to support sustainable development. To ensure practical application, only technologies currently on the market and in use actual companies were investigated. This volume will be of great use to academics, policymakers, innovators at the forefront of green business, and anyone else who is interested in novel and innovative business models and how they could help to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. This is an open access book

Digital transformation in the footwear industry : assessing the potential of IoT on portuguese SMEs in the footwear industry

In the last few years, manufacturing companies, from the most diverse industries and sectors, have been investing in industry 4.0 technologies. One of these technologies is the Internet of Things (IoT), which has been revolutionising industries, namely manufacturing, healthcare, energy, retail, and agriculture. Manufacturing firms are adopting IoT not only to improve quality, production and reduce costs but also to enhance the logistic chain and improve customer experience. However, very little progress has been made in the Portuguese footwear industry towards the implementation of the Internet of Things, particularly in the SME segment. This dissertation has analysed the potential operational and production advantages of IoT, the associated economic impact, as well as the limitations of this technology and the challenges for its implementation in Portuguese footwear SMEs. Finally, this dissertation aims to present an adoption roadmap. The results provided positive indicators of operational and productivity gains translated into cost reduction in work insurance, energy, travelling, acquisition of raw materials and decrease of inventory units, and production waste. Nevertheless, the associated potential of each IoT use case is dependent on the capacity of Portuguese footwear SMEs to invest and acquire the necessary technical resources. The main barriers to the adoption of IoT derive from the limitations of the technology and the specific challenges associated to the Portuguese footwear SMEs economic and technical framework. Nonetheless, the technological advances, the cross collaboration among the different footwear stakeholders, and a well-defined implementation strategy can overcome these barriers and bring operational and economic benefits.A Internet of Things (IoT), uma tecnologia da indústria 4.0, tem revolucionado indústrias como a da manufactura, saúde, energia, retalho e agricultura. As empresas de manufactura estão a adoptar a IoT não apenas para melhorar a qualidade dos productos, eficiência produtiva, e reduzir custos, mas também para aprimorar a cadeia logística e melhorar a experiência do cliente. Contudo, poucos foram os progressos feitos referentes à IoT na indústria do calçado Português, principalmente no segmento das PMEs. A seguinte dissertação analisou as potenciais vantagens operacionais e productivas da IoT e os seus impactos económicos, bem como as limitações da tecnologia e os desafios de implementação para as PME do calçado Português. Por último, é apresentado um plano de implementação da tecnologia. Subsequentemente os resultados mostraram indicadores favoráveis de ganhos operacionais e produtivos, que se traduzem na redução de custos com seguros de trabalho, inventário, desperdícios de produção, custos de manutenção, encargos com deslocações, custos de energia e custos de aquisição de matérias-primas. Contudo, o potencial de cada caso de uso de IoT depende da capacidade das PMEs do calçado Português para fazer o investimento financeiro e adquirir os recursos técnicos necessários. As principais barreiras à adopção da IoT derivam das limitações da própria tecnologia e dos desafios relativos ao quadro económico e técnico das PMEs Portuguesas do calçado. Não obstante, os avanços tecnológicos, a colaboração entre os diferentes intervenientes e uma estratégia de implementação bem definida podem superar estas barreiras e garantir a adopção e trazer ganhos operacionais e económicos

Digital supply chain transformation: emerging technologies for sustainable growth

This book shows how organisations can leverage emerging digital technologies to achieve operational effectiveness, build new capabilities, and develop innovative business models to underpin transformation in their supply chains. The contributing authors provide deep insights not only on how these emerging technologies work, but also how to use them to create value for multiple stakeholders and deliver sustainable supply chain outcomes. The book will be of great value to practitioners, students and academics who want to learn about state-of-the-art digital developments in the supply chain field. It helps readers to appreciate how various digital paradigms and tools can be used to create innovative products and services with supply chain viability. It also develops the reader’s critical ability to assess the range of technological solutions used to address contemporary supply chain issues and problems

Digitalisation For Sustainable Infrastructure: The Road Ahead

In today’s tumultuous and fast-changing times, digitalisation and technology are game changers in a wide range of sectors and have a tremendous impact on infrastructure. Roads, railways, electricity grids, aviation, and maritime transport are deeply affected by the digital and technological transition, with gains in terms of competitiveness, cost-reduction, and safety. Digitalisation is also a key tool for fostering global commitment towards sustainability, but the race for digital infrastructure is also a geopolitical one. As the world’s largest economies are starting to adopt competitive strategies, a level playing field appears far from being agreed upon. Why are digitalisation and technology the core domains of global geopolitical competition? How are they changing the way infrastructure is built, operated, and maintained? To what extent will road, rail, air, and maritime transport change by virtue of digitalisation, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things? How to enhance cyber protection for critical infrastructure? What are the EU’s, US’ and China’s digital strategies?Publishe

Internet of Things Strategic Research Roadmap

Internet of Things (IoT) is an integrated part of Future Internet including existing and evolving Internet and network developments and could be conceptually defined as a dynamic global network infrastructure with self configuring capabilities based on standard and interoperable communication protocols where physical and virtual “things” have identities, physical attributes, and virtual personalities, use intelligent interfaces, and are seamlessly integrated into the information network