Industry is on the verge of a true revolution. The advent of increasingly evolving digital technologies is redefining the very operating mode of factories, their economic model, relationships between stakeholders, and is leading to a re-evaluation of how products are designed. Internet of Things, 3D printing, artificial intelligence, and digitalization… The entire industrial process is becoming assisted and governed by data. Germans now speak of Factory and Industry 4.0, Americans of smart manufacturing, and the French tend to speak of the industry of the future. Whatever the term used, the idea is the same: the industrial sector is on the cusp of a major revolution, and future engineers will need to demonstrate great mastery of complexity and collective intelligence, and possess extreme versatility.
Engineering is constantly renewing itself
Since the 18th century, successive innovations have transformed the industrial sector: in the 18th century, the first industrial revolution was marked by the invention of the steam engine; in the 19th, the second industrial revolution was distinguished by the use of new energy sources (oil and electricity), and the third industrial revolution by computing, telephony, and the Internet of Things. As for the fourth industrial revolution, today, via augmented reality, additive manufacturing, lean manufacturing, artificial intelligence, and smart robots, it is redefining the organization of factories and the way products and services are designed. additive manufacturing, lean manufacturing, or artificial intelligence and smart robots, the organization of factories and the way products and services are designed.
Industrial production aims to be more flexible and resources more optimized to improve competitiveness and adapt in real-time to better meet customer expectations. The industrial sector has embraced 4.0 technologies, and engineers’ work is now team-based: collaboration between different functions, creativity, agility, and open-mindedness are the watchwords.
Engineer training at the dawn of Industry 4.0
With the fourth industrial revolution, engineers must be highly versatile and focus on results rather than adhering to rigid procedures. They must design more agile yet secure technologies, ensure instant and continuous information exchange between technologies and workstations integrated into supply and production chains, but that’s not all. Beyond their technical skills, they must develop and utilize their analytical capabilities to face scientific uncertainty, technological and organizational changes, and the multiplicity of possible scenarios.
Are you interested in engineering professions? Mines Saint-Étienne offers you a wide choice of training programs and helps you adapt to tomorrow’s challenges.
