Manufacturing in the United States and Canada is marked by negative stereotypes left behind from 1955. Repetitive and simplistic duties in grimy workplaces, without a chance to change or advance a career, are the images most people see when they imagine what it means to work in a factory. But, a new future for manufacturing is here: It’s called Industry 4.0.

Industry 4.0, or the smart factory, represents a paradigm shift from the assembly lines popularized by the U.S. automotive industry. Whereas the values typified by those initial factories prioritized profitability over people and safety standards, modern manufacturing has evolved to place an equally high value on clean technology, renewable energy, robotics, and on-demand yet affordable customization. What this means for manufacturing is not only a new way of production, but also new skill requirements for workers.

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