Manufacturing is facing growing disruptions. Within an uncertain, cost-constrained economy, the industry must balance energy, sustainability and localization restrictions, all while accelerating its shift to digital ecosystems. Eviden is constantly in touch with innovations and technological challenges faced by its clients. In this blog, we will highlight the main trends transforming this sector. Main challenges facing manufacturers today Energy prices: High energy prices directly impact profitability and competitiveness. Geopolitical instability: Events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, recent growing international tensions such as economic warfare, and the resurgence of war have disrupted supply chains and increased the costs of raw materials. Sustainability: Stringent environmental requirements and regulations are pushing companies to adopt more sustainable practices. Today, there are significantly more discussions on how to reduce CO2 emissions, minimize waste or optimize processes to save energy. Workforce skills: As technologies evolve, the workforce must adapt. The growing skills gap, driven by an aging population and a shortage of technical and digital expertise has created a gap between supply and demand. Companies are challenged not only to attract new talent, but also to upgrade the skills of existing employees. Key trends in the manufacturing industry Digitalization: The transition to Industry 4.0 is characterized by the integration of digital technologies into manufacturing processes. Innovations such as IoT, AI and robotics are transforming factories into smart factories. Companies are trying to strike a balance between modernization and the costs and disruption this entails. New technologies, especially those based on AI, are powerful tools in optimizing business processes. AI-powered technologies include machine learning, data analytics, predictive maintenance and autonomous robots, which are revolutionizing the industry. Industry 5.0: A new era, Industry 5.0, is emerging, where humans are augmented with advanced technology and AI-driven robots to improve work. As a result, cybersecurity has become a major priority. It’s no longer an option, but a necessity. Sustainability: Companies are becoming increasingly committed to the environment and more attuned to consumers’ desire for more sustainable production models. Participating in ecological initiatives not only minimizes environmental impact, but also offers long-term economic benefits. Relocation and resilience: Considering the geopolitical instability, having a flexible and resilient supply chain can tip the balance in an uncertain environment. Some companies are choosing to relocate to reduce the impact of these disruptions on their production. E2CC project is combining cloud technologies with edge computing to enable efficient, secured and sustainable data processing on the cloud-edge continuum. What is E2CC? The Eco Edge to Cloud continuum (E2CC) project is one of 19 projects approved by the EU for the Common European Interest on Next Generation Cloud Infrastructure and Services (IPCEI CIS). Funded through the France 2030 investment plan, the objective is to support research, development and first industrial deployment of advanced cloud and edge computing technologies across multiple providers in Europe. E2CC intends to deliver an end-to-end standardized integration layer enabling interoperability and creating a continuum from the edge to the cloud. This will be developed within an important collaborative ecosystem of partners, including four direct partners (i.e., a partner leading its own IPCEI CIS project) and 18 indirect partners (partners contributing directly to E2CC). What is E2CC working on? The E2CC project provides: Edge servers and an associated abstraction layer monitor, secure, orchestrate, standardize and optimize infrastructure usage by edge-to-cloud services. This is an important achievement as there is a lack of support of edge in terms of orchestration and standardization. Machine learning operations (MLOps) with better data privacy, accuracy and trust, and performance and energy efficiency. Today, MLOps solutions are cloud-centric, lacking in data protection, and are not satisfying the emerging requirements for trustworthy and greener AI systems. A decarbonization platform to help deal with sustainability and regulatory challenges by automating carbon emission data collection from both cloud-edge infrastructure and applications, combined with platform-AI and orchestration capabilities. Enhanced security, including identity and access management (IAM) for users and objects, data protection, and threat detection and response on continuum environments. Our focus here is on innovative solutions such as Prescriptive IAM, decentralized and as-a-service identity management, container security for DevSecOps, and a Data Sanctuary. I’m honored to participate in Eviden’s project to apply our expertise and Industry-360 portfolio to addressing these challenges and trends; in particular, those related to cybersecurity, compliance, sustainability and AI. This is what E2CC is about. How will E2CC help? E2CC will implement edge-to-cloud continuum on a smart 4.0 learning factory. It enables analytics to be distributed between the edge and the cloud, close to data sources where the objects can be simulated and enhanced with artificial intelligence features centrally. Implement a digital twin of the assembly line to enable the creation of its dynamic replica to experiment digitally “what-if” scenarios. Fully integrate the IoT and the manufacturing execution system to monitor the line remotely and securely. Allow engineering schools and affiliates to control it remotely and securely for training purposes. Increase the line’s reactive control thanks to the edge network. Enable training and testing of AI models in a virtual environment to predict key measures such as line output and machine breakdowns. Monitor the line’s environmental impact and identify the means to reduce and optimize it. The potential impact of Eviden’ IPCEI-CIS project on the manufacturing sector is significant — and pervasive. Improved automation and efficiency: By embracing advanced technologies and the project’s solutions, industry can increase automation, leading to improved efficiency in industrial processes. Enhanced data-driven decision-making: The availability of secured data on the cloud-edge continuum and advanced analytics will enable data-driven decision-making, allowing manufacturers to optimize value chains, tailor products and services to meet customer needs more effectively. Seamless collaboration: The project’s emphasis on secure data exchange to foster seamless collaboration among different stakeholders in manufacturing industry, leading to stronger partnerships and collective innovation. Connectivity and safety features: The solutions provided by the project cater to the sector’s needs for robust connectivity and computation features, essential for next-generation safety elements, sensors and navigation systems. Scalability and performance: The project’s focus on scalability and low latency ensures the solutions can handle the large volume of connected devices and high-performance data processing. Competitive advantage: Embracing cutting-edge technologies through the project’s solutions can offer the manufacturing sector a competitive edge in the global market, driving growth and innovation. As the E2CC project progresses, it is poised to pave the way for a more resilient, sustainable and digitally advanced manufacturing ecosystem. E2CC is ensuring that the sector is well equipped to meet future challenges and opportunities.