Germany was first to recognise that the world is rapidly entering into the fourth industrial revolution. A term they coined as Industry 4.0. And like industrial revolutions of the past, almost every part of our economy and society is impacted. The challenge is to effectively transition our education system, our businesses, the way we view standards, R&D and more. According to the World Economic Forum, in just two years robotics and Artificial Intelligence will see 70 million jobs displaced. It’s all part of the revolution – but is it all bad? Do we have the skills needed for the future in our education systems, governments and businesses?

Local CEO of Siemens, Jeff Connolly, has played an integral role in driving Australia’s involvement in preparations for Industry 4.0 and the Australia Germany relationship on this topic. In his role in the Australia Germany Advisory Group, led by Senator Mathias Cormann, Jeff established and chaired the Prime Minister’s Industry 4.0 Taskforce – now known as the AiGroup Industry 4.0 Forum where he is on the executive Council. Jeff has also been recognised for his contribution to Industry 4.0 through his Adjunct Professorship at Swinburne University of Technology.

At this National Press Club address, Jeff Connolly will share the story of what the fourth industrial revolution looks like, how Australia is preparing for it, and why as a nation Industry 4.0 just may just be the most critical topic of all if we are to address growth and productivity, jobs, balance of trade, scarcity of resources and even climate change.

Professor Aleksander Subic will join Jeff in a panel discussion. He has been part of this journey since the beginning and leads the Industry 4.0 workstream developing the nation’s network of Industry 4.0 Test laboratories with six strategic University partnerships. He sees that university and industry collaboration is critical to Australia’s preparations and future success and has been an instrumental voice in these discussions.