4 Things Industry 4.0 -- July 8th, 2024

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Good morning, innovation enthusiasts! Hope your July 4th was filled with fireworks, BBQ, and maybe a patriotic nap or two. As we dive back into the workweek, we’ve got some sizzling updates and intriguing trends you won't want to miss. From surprising shifts in how the youngest generation consumes information to groundbreaking advancements in the tech and manufacturing world, we’ve packed this edition with insights that’ll keep you on your toes. So, grab your coffee, sit back, and let's get into it!

 Mysterious Deaths Cast Shadow Over Northvolt's $12bn EV Battery Project

Northvolt, the Swedish battery start-up, faces scrutiny following a series of tragic incidents at its Skellefteå factory. Recent deaths include a contractor killed by a crane accident and three other unexplained fatalities. The factory, hailed as "Europe’s first homegrown battery factory," is under investigation. Despite setbacks, Northvolt remains crucial to Europe’s strategy for reducing reliance on Chinese batteries, boasting significant investment and orders from major car manufacturers like BMW and Volkswagen.

 NorSun Invests $620M in Oklahoma Solar Wafer Plant

Norwegian solar energy company NorSun is set to build a $620 million solar wafer manufacturing plant in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This facility, expected to begin construction in 2024 and start production by 2026, will create 320 jobs and produce 5 GW of silicon ingot and solar wafers. The investment aims to support the growing demand from U.S. solar cell and panel manufacturers. Oklahoma's competitive business environment and robust clean energy initiatives played a key role in NorSun's decision.

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Boeing’s Search for a New CEO Shifts Focus to Spirit AeroSystems’ Shanahan

As Boeing looks for a new CEO following Dave Calhoun's announcement of his departure, Patrick Shanahan, the current CEO of Spirit AeroSystems, emerges as a strong contender. With his extensive experience at Boeing, including his role in the 787 Dreamliner program, Shanahan's candidacy is notable despite concerns about his long association with Boeing's existing culture. The search for a new leader comes amid Boeing's plans to acquire Spirit AeroSystems to address ongoing safety and operational challenges.

Ford CEO Urges Americans to Ditch 'Monster Vehicles'

At the Aspen Ideas Festival, Ford CEO Jim Farley called for American consumers to shift away from large, fuel-guzzling vehicles towards smaller, more affordable electric vehicles (EVs). Farley emphasized the necessity of this change to ensure profitability and competitiveness against global rivals, especially from China. He highlighted that oversized EVs are costly and inefficient, urging a cultural shift towards compact EVs to meet sustainability goals and secure the automotive industry's future.

Industry 4.0 Highlights

Boston Metal Unveils Clean Steel Production Technology

Boston Metal is revolutionizing the steel industry with its new molten oxide electrolysis process, which eliminates the need for pollution-heavy blast furnaces. This innovative method uses renewable electricity to convert ore into high-quality steel without producing harmful byproducts. The technology promises to cut down the 10% of global air pollution traditionally generated by steel production. With $282 million in funding and a $50 million government grant, Boston Metal plans to commercialize this process by 2026, creating jobs and reducing environmental impact significantly.

Tech Giants Bet Next-Gen Optical Networks Will Boost AI and 6G Transition

Tech giants like Microsoft, Google, and several telecom firms are investing heavily in next-generation optical networks, aiming to fully deploy an "all-photonic" network (APN) by 2030. These networks use light instead of electrical impulses to transmit data, promising lower energy consumption and enhanced efficiency. The IOWN Global Forum, a consortium including companies like NTT, Ericsson, Nokia, Intel, and SK Hynix, is developing technical standards for these networks. The goal is to alleviate the strain on current telecom infrastructures, which face growing demands due to increased digital adoption and AI utilization. Photonic networks are expected to reduce the climate impact of AI by optimizing data center energy use. They will also aid the transition to 6G by making antenna deployment more cost-effective and allowing telecom operators to share radio towers for better network optimization.

Alibaba Cloud Ditches Nvidia's NVLink for Ethernet in Data Centers

Alibaba Cloud has opted for Ethernet over Nvidia’s NVLink to connect 15,000 GPUs in its data centers, aimed at training large language models (LLMs). The new High-Performance Network (HPN) architecture uses dual-plane switches to ensure reliability and mitigate issues common in traditional data centers. This setup reportedly improves efficiency and cost-effectiveness, though it comes with complex wiring challenges. Alibaba’s innovative approach highlights a shift in data center design, emphasizing affordability and scalability without relying solely on Nvidia’s proprietary technology.

What Google's Gen Z Study Means for the Workforce

A recent study reveals that Gen Z prefers sourcing news from online comment sections and social media feeds rather than traditional news outlets. This generation values personal experiences shared by influencers and peers over mainstream media, which they often dismiss due to perceived biases and clickbait. This trend signifies a shift in how information is consumed and trusted by younger audiences, impacting the landscape of news dissemination and trust. What does this mean for manufacturing? As the reliance on digital commentary grows, manufacturing sectors must adapt by increasing transparency and engaging directly with younger audiences through these trusted digital channels to build brand credibility and trust.

Learning Lens

Google's Time-Series Forecasting Model

 Google Research introduces a novel time-series forecasting model, TimesFM, leveraging a decoder-only architecture. Pretrained on 100 billion real-world data points, TimesFM aims to enhance forecasting accuracy without additional training. The model performs competitively against traditional and deep learning methods across various benchmarks, offering promising applications in diverse domains such as retail, finance, and healthcare. This development is a step forward in real-time data analysis and predictive modeling. Learn more about Time-Series Forecasting here.

Byte-Sized Brilliance

AI Predicts Solar Storms

Did you know AI can predict solar storms? Researchers have developed AI models capable of forecasting solar storms up to 48 hours in advance with 98% accuracy. These solar storms, caused by disturbances on the sun, can impact satellite operations, GPS, and even power grids on Earth. By predicting these events, AI helps us take preventive measures to protect our technology and infrastructure, showcasing yet another fascinating application of artificial intelligence in safeguarding our world.