The ManuFuture Technology Platform Vision 2030 (https://bit.ly/3AECy3uha) been set up in the European Union to plan industrial development and foresee steps to maintain European leadership in manufacturing.
Estonia also played a role in developing this vision, whereas the 2017 EU annual conference Manufuture2017 http://manufuture2017.eu/ took place at Tallinn University of Technology.
Industry 4.0 programs in Europe also prompted the People's Republic of China to create its own strategy "Made in China 2025", which envisages China becoming the world's leading industrial country by 2049 through the development of new technologies.
In the USA, a network of 14 leading research institutes "Manufacturing USA" has been established https://www.manufacturingusa.com/ , which focuses on industrial innovation and the development of cooperation on digital manufacturing, additive manufacturing, robotics, cyber security, composites, etc.
Industry 4.0 most common focus areas are:
• preparation, manufacturing and quality control of complex prototypes, incl. by additive manufacturing
• development of digital twins, application of VR & AR technologies
• industrial robotics
• self-driving vehicles in production logistics
• preventive maintenance and optimization of smart production
• secure and sustainable energy supply for smart production (smartgrid)