AUTOMATION ANXIETY AND THE PROMISE OF AI

Will robots and Artificial Intelligence (AI) take over, lead to massive job displacements and soon send our societies into turmoil? Or are they simply great tools we can use to create a world with increased prosperity, resource efficiency and new cures for terrible diseases? A reality check shows: It is time to leave techno-panics behind.

HI, I AM YOUR NEW COLLEAGUE

Many people are still skeptical about collaborative robots. How can industry change that? With standards and emotions.

MACHINE LEARNING - SMARTER FROM EXPERIENCE

Nothing is changing value creation in the mechanical engineering industry as dramatically as the use of self-learning systems.

THE BIG "GIVE AND TAKE"

Mechanical engineering companies will only be able to benefit from machine learning once they begin using more external data and providing their own data.

PILLS FLYING THROUGH THE AIR!

Drones do the work in the warehouse of the future.

PLASTIC IS VALUABLE

Plastic has a poor image - a fact that also affects mechanical engineering. The industry therefore strongly advocates the circular economy.

RECYCLING: ENOUGH ROOM FOR EVERYONE

Recycling sits at the heart of the EU's plastics strategy. For this to be a success, however, more brand product manufacturers need to use recycled materials.

AUTOMOBILE DESIGN EVOKES EMOTION

Design combines functionality and aesthetics, design is emotional, particularly when it comes to cars. Motorists who think a car is ugly are unlikely to buy it and drive it. So how will the changes to the drivetrain influence automobile design? VDMAimpulse asked design experts.

DRIVES ARE CHANGING

Hybridization and electrification are picking up speed. What this means for added value in the drivetrain is the subject of the VDMA study "Drives are Changing" ["Antrieb im Wandel"].

THE EU'S QUEST FOR AN INTELLIGENT APPROACH TO AI

With the Communication on Artificial Intelligence, the European Commission has opened the debate on how to encourage the use of AI - and also maybe how to regulate it. While the Commission's proposal takes a rather optimistic view, there is still the danger of harmful legislation based on doomsday scenarios. In industrial applications, AI technologies such as machine learning are promising and challenging, but they are a long way from disrupting the legal and ethical framework.

POWER-TO-X: A PROMISING CORNERSTONE TO CLIMATE PROTECTION

If the goal of achieving greenhouse gas neutrality by 2050 is to be achieved, fossil resources will have to be replaced to the greatest possible extent. The "Power-to-X 2030" study sheds light on the role the machinery sector will play in this endeavor.

THE EU'S 100 BILLION EURO QUESTION

The EU Commission is about to present its next Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. However, ensuring the competitiveness of European industry no longer seems to be a top priority.