Manufacturing and production systems will be completely transformed by the Fourth Industrial Revolution – a period characterized by a fusion of technologies that is blurring the lines between the physical, digital, and biological spheres.
Dr Subra Suresh, the president of Carnegie Mellon University and co-chair of the Global Future Council on Manufacturing and Production Systems, sees a future where planes fly themselves and prosthetics communicate directly with doctors. In this period of technological revolution, he says policy must keep pace with change to ensure the benefits continue to outweigh any unintended consequences.
Can you explain the critical role of manufacturing and production systems and why it is so important to discuss their future?
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What are the key themes that arise when we talk about the future of manufacturing and production systems?
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What is the role of trade and capital flows in future production systems?
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What will the world’s production systems look like by 2030?