Page 36 - European Energy Innovation - Spring 2016 publication

36 Spring 2016 European Energy Innovation

SMART MANUFACTURING

Smart Manufacturing

By Pilar del Castillo, MEP, Industry, Energy and Research Committee (ITRE)

Digital developments are
truly transforming and
enabling technologies
(such as 3D printing,
Cloud computing, big Data, Machine
to Machine communications and
very soon 5G), which can improve
efficiency, effectiveness, productivity,
competitiveness and customerisation
across the economy as a whole. This
process affects all sectors, from energy
to health, from transport to education,
etc. Its potential is so great that it is
estimated that digital technologies
could cut global total economic costs
by $4.9 trillion: $1.2 trillion from
reduced electricity expenditure, $1.1
trillion from reduced fuel expenditure.

Being an integral part of our economy,
manufacturing cannot be an exception.
In fact it is even more pressing in
this area. Not just because of its
importance. Manufacturing represents
the major share of investment in R&D
(62.3% in 2013), it's a key source of
exports (80% of total EU exports) and
in terms of employment it has been
demonstrated that each additional
job in this sector creates between 0.5
to 2 jobs in others. In addition Europe
has shown that it has found difficulties
in maintaining a strong industrial
base and a competitive position at
international level (in the last 6 years
the share of manufacturing in GDP has
fallen from 15.8% to 15.1%).

For all of these reasons we must
move away from past and current
mainstream thinking and practices
regarding industrial policy. There is
an urgent need for a shift towards a
coordinated approach at all levels,
that is: between Member States,
across industry, between public and
private entities, and even between the
different directorates-general of the
European Commission.

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