76 SMT007 MAGAZINE I FEBRUARY 2018
1
Is UK Manufacturing Ready for the
Fourth Industrial Revolution? E
The new fourth
Industrial Revolu-
tion (4IR) is driving
the transformation
of manufacturing
across the world,
e n c o m p a s s i n g
breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, big
data, the Internet of Things and 3D printing.
2
Positive Outlook for European
EMS Industry E
After a few
years of very
slow growth,
the mood in
the European
EMS indus-
try is more
buoyant in 2017 and the prospects for further
growth are good.
3
Customers Drive Investment
Decisions E
In our recent
survey on invest-
ing in new equip-
ment, one ques-
tion we asked
is what or who
influences the
research into new equipment to buy for their
factories. A majority, 77% of respondents, say
that addressing customers' needs is the primary
influence in their research for new equipment,
followed by market conditions or trends.
4
Top Reasons for Investing in
New Equipment E
In our recent survey, a majority of respon-
dents said they consider increasing capacity
and improving their existing manufacturing
capability as top reasons for investing in new
equipment for their production lines.
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