Deindustrialization is a worldwide trend with significant impact on our future wealth and society. While some countries focus on cost leadership to counter it, a differentiation strategy is more attractive for Belgium. Industry 4.0 technologies could enable the manufacturing sector to create this sustainable competitive edge, but we have to act now.

Companies should start now by assessing their current status and readiness for Industry 4.0. To help them with this exercise, we have developed a simple self-test. This test measures the maturity of the company on each of the eight Industry 4.0 domains. Based on the results, they should identify which steps in their value chain can benefit from the application of Industry 4.0 technology. Benefits can be either increased differentiation or cost reductions, but of course the aim should be aligned with the strategic intent. Finally, its viability should be confirmed with a business case.