Smart Sensing and Industry 4.0 Energy Productivity guide for business

Chief Investigators

Mark Atkinson, IoTAA

Purpose of project

Industry 4.0 is the integration of digital technologies like IoT, AI and automation into manufacturing processes to create “smart production” which is more efficient, flexible, and connected. This wave of innovation is expected to impact the energy productivity of businesses too with estimates of energy savings for business exceeding $2.5 billion by 2034, as well as significant CO2 emission reductions. However, real-world limitations such as understanding, economic models and skillsets in short supply can significantly restrict these benefits for organisations.  

This project, dubbed, “Smart Sensing and Industry 4.0 Energy Productivity Guide for business (B2.3)”, proposes a practical approach to addressing these risks. The project will deliver a Productivity Guide that provides an assessment of energy productivity issues including architecture, modelling, IP, data sharing and security. In addition, the guide will include industry vertical use cases of successful implementations. 

Impact of project

Working with the Internet of Things Alliance Australia (IoTAA), this guide will provide a reference for various industry bodies to use in overcoming current barriers to progressing energy savings. By using case studies from real examples within organisations, this guide aims to teach different industries and sectors about how to adopt technological solutions across a range of uses.  

Further potential resides in the opportunity to expand this into a broader document set which addresses industry specific use cases (e.g., customised industry energy productivity guides for specific sectors), technology aspects, people and process as directed by industry demand. 

Project partners – industry and research