Economies in 2020

Keyindustrial trends in 2020

DistributedManufacturing

As thefourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) accelerates, manufacturers areexpected to increase investments in distributed factories. New technologiesenable small-scale and flexible production close to end consumers, which help toreduce transportation, time costs, as well as environmental impact. Distributedfactories are expected to primarily appear in economies with developedinfrastructure and large consumer markets.

ArtificialIntelligence (AI) as a Service

AI isgradually moving into business operations, as companies look for new ways toboost productivity. However, high development costs of the technology and broadscope of current AI platforms (such as Google or Amazon) have prevented AIadoption. 2020 is expected to be a breakthrough year, as specialised AIplatforms for specific needs are emerging, in turn easing the adoption andcosts for companies.

Blockchainin Manufacturing

Blockchaintechnology is already used in the financial and technology industries; however,manufacturing companies are also expected to start using this technology in2020. Blockchain could help manufacturers to trace their entire supply chain,and help to ensure quality and transparency of the production process. Thetechnology is expected to be primarily applied in the pharmaceuticals or miningindustries, where quality control and transparency are most important.