Technology has changed our lives in ways that, just a few years ago, we could not even imagine. The classic utopias of science fiction stories, which showed future worlds in which robots would facilitate multiple tasks for human beings, are now a reality. Today, we are witnessing the emergence and promotion of new and fascinating possibilities, such as the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI), which will transform our way of understanding industry and production.
All this can be seen first-hand at Advanced Factories, the leading event in automation, industrial robotics and industry 4.0 in southern Europe, which returns, from April 9 to 11, to Fira Barcelona - Gran Vía. Until now, this prestigious meeting international had served to accompany SMEs in the industrial sector in their digitalization, automation and robotization processes. But now the time has come to go a step further, to address the integration of all equipment, systems and technologies. Of course, in this new comprehensive vision, AI must play an essential role, as the eighth edition of Advanced Factories will surely confirm, whose motto is, precisely, Integration Automation Systems.
For three days, more than 560 exhibiting companies will present the most advanced solutions for the industry in almost 30,000 square meters – which represents the largest exhibition area to date – before more than 27,000 managers and professionals who will come in search of industrial partners and technological. Leading national and international firms such as Accenture, Aritex, Beckhoff, Becolve Digital, Delta, Eurecat, HP, Inetum, Minsait, Mitsubishi Electric, MurrElektronik, Omron, Phoenix Contact, Bosch Rexroth, Schaeffler, Siemens, Sothis, will be present there. T-Systems, Tecnalia, Telefónica Tech, United Robotics Group or Weidmüller, to show the latest developments in robotics, automation, integrated production systems, AI, the Internet of Things (IoT), cybersecurity, Big Data, data analytics and In general, all the technologies associated with the fourth industrial revolution (that based on the creation of smart factories).
Likewise, the Industry 4.0 Congress will bring together more than 360 experts who will thoroughly address relevant issues on the five major axes of the industry's digital transformation: AI, Big Data, IoT, robotics and cybersecurity. In total, there will be more than 150 conferences spread across five simultaneous auditoriums, in which experts from fields such as the automotive, mobility and logistics, food, energy, electronics and consumer goods, pharmaceutical and chemical sectors, the steel and metal, textile and capital goods industries, among others, will share their visions and strategies to promote automation and connectivity, as well as to promote a more sustainable, green and decarbonized industry.
Among the guests, we find, for example, Xavier Ferràs, executive director of MBAs at ESADE; Alicia Molina, director of Process Engineering at SEAT; Conor Neill, owner of Vistage; or Xavier Delgado, founder and CEO of Köhler. The success stories of companies such as Frit Ravich, Nissan, Damm, Olympus, Fluidra, Puig, Celsa, Hipra and Bayer will also be announced, which will share their particular experiences in the adoption of 4.0 technologies that have served to improve efficiency and productivity of your plants.
This is not all: The congress will also host different forums and specific agendas, such as the Plant Manager's Summit, the Industrial Cybersecurity Forum, the CIO's Summit, the Artificial Intelligence Forum, the 3D Printing Forum and the National Congress of Industrial Estates. As in previous years, Advanced Factories will also host networking activities aimed at finding partners, establishing synergies and creating alliances, such as the CEO's Leadership Summit, a lunch for executives from leading industrial firms.
The Factories of the Future Awards will recognize the most outstanding work in commitment to innovation and the implementation of 4.0 technologies in production plants. The Industry Startup Forum will bring together emerging companies that offer the most disruptive and innovative solutions in the entire industrial sector. And the Talent Marketplace will have a space designed to delve deeper into the new professional profiles associated with new technologies. To all this, we must add the technological tours that will allow you to discover the latest solutions in advanced production.
This edition of Advanced Factories will also recognize the work of the community of Castilla y León, granting it the title of European Industrial Region 2024, for its weight in the industry and economy, especially in branches such as agri-food, automotive and chemicals. -pharmaceutical; and also for being a pioneer in industry 4.0, thanks to the implementation of numerous proactive measures aimed at promoting industrial digitalization. These days, a delegation of 400 businessmen and executives from the Castilian-Leonese industry will attend Fira Barcelona Gran Vía.
In short, it will be three days dedicated to covering all facets of an industry that is constantly evolving and growing. As Albert Planas, general director of Advanced Factories, points out, “the use of data to generate better customer experiences, the use of AI to make business processes much more efficient, the mutation of products to services that generate new models business, and, especially, the search for excellence in human teams” are some of the most relevant aspects that are serving to successfully address the current moment of disruption that we are experiencing, and that we will be able to experience in depth by attending Advanced Factories 2024.
