SINGAPORE - Manufacturers in the semiconductor and pharmaceutical industries have been identified as front runners in their adoption of Industry 4.0 initiatives in Singapore, said the Economic Development Board (EDB) on Tuesday (Oct 22).
This was among the findings that emerged in EDB's Smart Industry Readiness Index (SIRI) manufacturing transformation insights report, based on data from 200 manufacturers, across 12 major industries here, who underwent the SIRI assessment between March 2018 and August 2019.
The report, which analyses how much industries have progressed in their transformation, said manufacturers from the semiconductor and pharmaceutical industries scored well across 16 dimensions assessed - ranging from shop floor automation to enterprise connectivity.
"They demonstrated improvements in key capabilities such as processes, technology adoption and change management, thus ensuring a uniform acceptance and adoption of Industry 4.0 in their organisations," said the EDB.
In the pharmaceuticals industry, platforms such as the Biopharmaceutical Manufacturers' Advisory Committee were strong catalysts driving transformation in the sector, the EDB added.
Companies under the committee banded together to consolidate their SIRI scores, identify common problems and prioritise areas they could work on together, helping them tackle industry challenges.
While manufacturers which were advanced in their transformation had a higher level of inter-connectedness across their physical assets and software systems, the report recommended that companies implement intelligent systems as well.
"This will allow them to more effectively process and analyse the data generated from connected systems for actionable insights, such as predicting equipment failures and adjusting production in real time to meet demand," said the EDB.
SIRI was created by the EDB in partnership with leading technology companies, consultancy firms, as well as industry and academic experts. It was launched two years ago.
On Tuesday, the Singapore Standards Council (SSC), Singapore Manufacturing Federation-Standards Development Organisation, as well as Enterprise Singapore enhanced their "standards for Industry 4.0 tool" also, aligning it to key performance indicators in SIRI.
The aim is to guide companies to adopt standards that are in line with areas they want to address, said Enterprise Singapore and the SSC in a statement.
The online tool includes more than 60 international and national standards related to Industry 4.0 solutions, and users can view case studies on how implementing the standards have benefited others.
"Collectively, these resources will equip companies and users with industry best practices in areas including connectivity, cyber security, and the adoption of new technologies such as robotics and additive manufacturing," the statement added.
The tool is available online at www.standardsi40.sg
