Factories of the future

Extracted Attributes

• Goal

  Abundance

• Characteristic

  Greater agility and flexibility

• Key Technology

  Hyperautomation

• European Initiative

  Factories of the Future Public-Private Partnership (PPP)

• Projected State by 2040

  Factories will self-optimize, self-correct, and self-learn

• European Initiative Goal

  Realizing Factories 4.0

• European Initiative Focus

  Advanced manufacturing research and innovation

• European Initiative Funding

  €1.15 billion

Timeline

• The European Union established the 'Factories of the Future' public-private partnership (PPP) as its main program for advanced manufacturing research and innovation, operating within the Horizon 2020 framework. (Source: web_search_results)

  2014

• Yan Stramic, CEO of California Forever, presented an ambitious plan for the Solano Foundry in Solano County, California, which aims to be the largest high-tech manufacturing park in the United States, featuring 'Factories of the future' powered by AI and robotics. (Source: Document 7a059342-3aae-477f-851c-8fc643bdecc1)

  Ongoing

• Accenture projects that by this year, the most advanced factories will be orchestrated by AI, utilize digital twins for decision modeling, and feature humanoid robots that adapt without human intervention, shifting manufacturing to fully autonomous, demand-responsive ecosystems. (Source: web_search_results)

  2040

Factory

A factory, manufacturing plant or production plant is an industrial facility, often a complex consisting of several buildings filled with machinery, where workers manufacture items or operate machines which process each item into another. They are a critical part of modern economic production, with the majority of the world's goods being created or processed within factories. Factories arose with the introduction of machinery during the Industrial Revolution, when the capital and space requirements became too great for cottage industry or workshops. Early factories that contained small amounts of machinery, such as one or two spinning mules, and fewer than a dozen workers have been called "glorified workshops". Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production. Large factories tend to be located with access to multiple modes of transportation, some having rail, highway and water loading and unloading facilities. In some countries like Australia, it is common to call a factory building a "Shed". Factories may either make discrete products or some type of continuously produced material, such as chemicals, pulp and paper, or refined oil products. Factories manufacturing chemicals are often called plants and may have most of their equipment – tanks, pressure vessels, chemical reactors, pumps and piping – outdoors and operated from control rooms. Oil refineries have most of their equipment outdoors. Discrete products may be final goods, or parts and sub-assemblies which are made into final products elsewhere. Factories may be supplied parts from elsewhere or make them from raw materials. Continuous production industries typically use heat or electricity to transform streams of raw materials into finished products. The term mill originally referred to the milling of grain, which usually used natural resources such as water or wind power until those were displaced by steam power in the 19th century. Because many processes like spinning and weaving, iron rolling, and paper manufacturing were originally powered by water, the term survives as in steel mill, paper mill, etc.

Web Search Results

• Factories of the Future - EFFRA

  effra Home Made in Europe # Factories of the Future ‘Factories of the Future’ is the European Union’s €1.15 billion public-private partnership (PPP) for advanced manufacturing research and innovation. It is the European Union’s main programme for realising the next industrial revolution: materialising Factories 4.0. Learn more about the Factories of the Future PPP: ## Introduction [...] ‘Factories of the Future’ is industry-led with participation by small, medium and large enterprises, universities, research organisations and associations from across Europe who cooperate in pre-competitive, cross-broader projects focusing on production technologies from multiple sectors. [...] ‘Factories of the Future’ is aimed at organisations active in production technologies research, development and innovation. Participation in ‘Factories of the Future’ is governed by the Horizon 2020 Rules for Participation. ## Progress Report Monitoring the progress of the PPP is one of EFFRA’s main responsibilities; every year EFFRA publishes a progress monitoring report. Click here to view the latest progress report.

• The top 6 paradigms shaping the factory of the future - IoT Analytics

  Respondents shared that three automotive companies in particular are prime examples of transforming their factories for the future: BWM, Tesla, and Hyundai. ### 1. BMW > “BMW is very much ahead in the adoption of containerization. They have reduced their operational expenses by approx. 50 %, I believe, which is very appreciable, and digitally, they have achieved a very big milestone.” > > – Corporate IT director at a Singapore-based lifting and handling equipment manufacturer ### 2. Tesla [...] Amid record-high spending on factories, 6 paradigms currently define the factory of the future, according to the 52-page Accelerate Industrial Transformation: How Manufacturers Prepare Shop Floors for a Future with AI report, a Microsoft report with IoT Analytics the research partner. The automotive industry is setting the pace on industrial digital transformation, with BMW, Tesla, and Hyundai being prominent examples. Why it matters [...] Automation augments and even replaces manual processes. 70% of respondents rated automation—using technology to perform tasks that were previously done manually—as either very or extremely important for their future factories. Automated factories can operate with minimal human interaction, leading to higher consistency and productivity. Automation also enables real-time data tracking and continuous improvement through advanced analytics. Voices from the industry

• Rethinking the Course to Manufacturing's Future | Accenture

  By 2040, the most advanced factories won’t be managed—they will be orchestrated. AI will govern production in real time, digital twins will model every decision before execution and humanoid robots will adapt without human intervention. Manufacturing will shift from forecast-driven to fully autonomous, demand-responsive ecosystems. Factories will self-optimize, self-correct and self-learn, ensuring seamless coordination across supply chains, production networks and customer demands. [...] of the factory managers surveyed consider workforce transformation as the most critical factor for success. Most of the factory workforce of the future will move away from working in production towards working for production, which means they will move from manual labor to process oversight, decision-making and optimization. [...] By 2040, hyper-automated factories will provide more agility and flexibility while enabling a step change in productivity. According to our survey of 552 factory managers, most are still focusing on digitalization measures that should, arguably, already be in place. Taking steps now in workforce transformation, automation, AI optimization, and digitalization is key to tomorrow's most competitive factories. Read the full report ## What will define the most competitive factories in 2040?

• The Future Factory®: Business Transformation Training

  # Trusted by Global Industry Leaders Our clients include some of the world’s most influential organisations, spanning a diverse range of industries. These brands turn to The Future Factory for bespoke leadership development and transformative training that drives real, measurable impact. Join our growing network of innovators and disruptors. Let’s work together to unlock the full potential of your organisation. # Bespoke Training Built Around Your Organisation [...] Cultivate strong, impactful brands with strategies that align with your vision, engage your audience, and drive long-term value. Streamline workflows, eliminate inefficiencies, and foster a culture of continuous improvement to achieve operational excellence and superior performance. Embrace the future of manufacturing and supply chains with smart technologies, automation, and interconnected systems that define the fourth industrial revolution. [...] Unlock new growth opportunities through cutting-edge frameworks and strategies that drive innovation, fuel creativity, and position your business as a market leader. Harness the power of artificial intelligence and machine learning to optimize processes, enhance decision-making, and create future-ready solutions. Build robust data strategies and leverage advanced analytics to uncover insights, streamline operations, and propel your organization into the data-driven future.

• Top 16 Future Technologies: Impacting 40+ Industries [2026-2030]

  Tesla’s Gigafactories: Tesla’s Gigafactories are highly automated production facilities that manufacture electric vehicles (EVs) and battery packs. Robots handle various tasks, from assembling car bodies to installing seats and painting vehicles. This significantly increased production efficiency and consistency while reducing the need for human labor. [...] Heavy Industries: Quantum computing and hyperautomation improve production efficiency while generative AI automates design processes for autonomous factories, real-time process optimization, and sustainable energy integration. Process Industries: Technologies like neuromorphic computing, synthetic biology, and hyperautomation improve product customization, the development of bio-based products, and enable automated quality control.