It is approaching stealthily, but at a rapid pace: The merging of the real and virtual world, the networking of humans, machines and products. In short: Industry 4.0. The Internet has opened the door to flexible production processes: You would like to order your new car online in your favorite color, perhaps with your name engraved on the hood? No problem, thanks to intelligent machines: You book capacities on various machines, procure the necessary parts yourself, download the required data from the manufacturer, control production and also notify the carrier of the delivery date – welcome to the factory of tomorrow.
As an industrial state, NRW is predestined to be involved in shaping the future of industrial production. And it is precisely here that NRW finds itself in the middle of the chase: From uniform mass production to flexible production processes – and the intelligent factory.