Scientists from the Silesian University of Technology at the New Industry 4.0 Conference

The problems and challenges faced by entrepreneurs, as well as how scientists can help solve these problems, were discussed during the New Industry 4.0 Conference, which took place on October 3-4 at the International Congress Centre in Katowice.

The New Industry 4.0 conference was held again in Katowice. The event was addressed mainly to those interested in the future of industrial production in Poland and the technological changes that determine the prospects for its development. The event agenda included many debates in which representatives of the largest industrial companies in Poland, market analysts and representatives of the Silesian University of Technology shared their knowledge.

The topics discussed during the two-day event included breakthrough technologies in modern production. Participants discussed not only new possibilities for planning plant operations or production automation, but also about how entrepreneurs find their way in this new reality. Many still feel afraid of having to make changes. This topic was raised by dr Eng. Anna Timofiejczuk, prof. SUT, the Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering.

- We see that there is a need to show new technologies and present the positive effects of their implementation. As a university, we must cooperate closely with entrepreneurs to implement these innovations in their plants. On the other hand, we need to talk about what competencies are needed in new employees today. With such knowledge, we are able to create an education program tailored to the needs - said Dean Anna Timofiejczuk during the inaugural panel, at the same time assuring that when it comes to educating staff for industry, the Silesian University of Technology is doing well.

- We keep up very closely with changes in the industry. The situation is so dynamic that we must constantly adapt to this new reality. As the Silesian University of Technology, we can boast of at least several fields of study that we have introduced due to the demand of entrepreneurs from specific industries. We are prepared to guide and specialize people who are already professionally active, because we have a rich offer of postgraduate studies where people from industry lecture and share practical knowledge - emphasized Anna Timofiejczuk. The Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering emphasized that people who are just starting their education at the Silesian University of Technology can count on study visits to plants at the beginning of their journey, thanks to which they immediately have contact with the environment of their future work and see what it is like to work in modern plants. The Silesian University of Technology has modern laboratories, a centre for testing solutions for Industry 4.0 and is the only university in Poland with its own 5G network. The basis for educating the engineers of the future is therefore enormous.

In addition to new forms of education, which are expected to have a strong impact on the future economy and the quality of work in companies, many discussions during the Conference were devoted to the safety of plants, including small ones.

- It's good that events like this are taking place today, because we often talk about cybersecurity in the context of individual users, but we forget that this problem should also be widely discussed in enterprises. We need to raise awareness that using the possibilities of artificial intelligence brings many benefits to companies, but also creates new threats - said dr hab. Eng. Paweł Kasprowski, prof. SUT, coordinator of POB Artificial Intelligence and Data Processing.

The Silesian University of Technology deals with these topics on a daily basis, among others: at the Industry 4.0 Centre. Dr. Andrzej Soldaty, director of the Centre, emphasized the role of scientists in implementing new technologies in enterprises.

- In our Centre, we try to focus on transferring knowledge. We participate in many conferences and events dedicated to this. We try to talk about Industry 4.0 in a neutral way. What does it mean? We are not a solution provider, but a team that, knowing the trends and situation in the world, presents an objective assessment - said dr Soldaty.

Representatives of the largest companies in Poland - managing directors, experts from many technological industries and equipment manufacturers - listened to debates and lectures with the participation of experts from the Silesian University of Technology.