UofL launches center focused on Industry 4.0

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The University of Louisville has launched a new Center for Organizational Readiness towards Enterprise 4.0 (CORE 4.0) aimed at helping companies prepare for smart and connected technology such as automation, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things.

Backed by a new roughly $500,000 grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, the center will provide research, assessment, recommendations and workforce development to industries looking to adopt — or adapt to — the disruptive technology at the core of the fourth industrial revolution.

UofL researcher Faisal Aqlan, who runs the center with colleagues Lihui Bai, Kunal Kate and Will Metcalf, said this revolution — also known as Industry 4.0 or Enterprise 4.0. — has the potential to radically transform a number of industries, and the benefits will go to companies that plan ahead.

According to a recent Industry 4.0 organizational readiness survey by Deloitte, just 10 percent of companies had a long-range strategy for integrating these technologies — and those companies were innovating and growing faster. A full two-thirds of companies surveyed had no formal strategy at all.

“Strategy is absolutely critical to success in leveraging these technologies,” said Bai, a center co-director who also leads UofL’s Logistics and Distribution Institute (LoDI). “Our goal is to help companies understand where they are in terms of readiness — maybe they’re missing infrastructure or the workforce that’s needed to integrate and maintain. Then, UofL researchers will give them a solid roadmap to where they want to go.”

CORE4.0 will engage three industry sectors including manufacturing, logistics and healthcare, through a partnership with Western Kentucky University, Metals Innovation Initiative (Mi2) and Louisville Healthcare CEO Council. The center draws on the combined research strength of the UofL’s LoDI and the Office of Research and Innovation, with the industry expertise of the Louisville Healthcare CEO Council and the Metals Innovation Initiative (MI2).

Industry leaders interested in working with the Center for Organizational Readiness toward Enterprise 4.0 can contact uofllogistics@louisville.edu.

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