And the latest breakthrough in manufacturing is called Industry 4.0. This tag suggests that there is a fourth phase of industrial development; moving ahead from the first three phases of mechanisation, electrical and computerisation……………

Australia needs to be at the forefront of this development, but is ­in danger of slipping behind. Germany, especially, has grabbed the concept of Industry 4.0 as a blueprint for its industrial development — aided by some of the world’s leading engineering companies such as Siemens.