Infiniti Research, a market intelligence solutions provider, said IoT in B2B manufacturing, collaborative robots, blockchain and the rise of cybersecurity risks are the most critical upcoming trends in the manufacturing industry.

At present, numerous tech and digital trends, which comprise the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), robotics and 3D printing, are bringing about efficiencies and new opportunities in the way companies in the manufacturing industry approach evolving products, managing new operations and serving customers. Also, manufacturers are facing challenges that include finding and keeping viable workforce talent, managing legacy systems and handling large volumes of data suitably and effectively.

The top anticipated trends in the manufacturing industry are:

• IoT in B2B manufacturing: IoT has helped reach new productivities in the finance and retail industry. However, industrial manufacturers have faced challenges when it comes to understanding how this technology will make new business models and increase customer satisfaction. This year, it is projected that organizations in the manufacturing industry will save more time and money due to their IoT-enabled equipment undertaking self-maintenance and signaling developments to managers. Along with extensive material cost savings, IoT will decrease overall maintenance costs, equipment downtime and maintenance planning time.
• Collaborative robots: In 2018, less costly, smarter and much safer industrial robots called collaborative robots or ‘cobots’ are predicted to replace bulkier, possibly more dangerous traditional industrial robots. With the U.S. and China taking the lead in adoption rates, cobot shipments are expected to grow in upcoming years.
• Blockchain in manufacturing: Blockchain technology is mostly related with cryptocurrencies, which makes way for digital information to be recorded, stored and distributed but not replicated or copied. Industry experts believe that it will play a progressively larger role in other industries, including manufacturing. It can be observed as a more trustworthy way of building digital relationships.
• Rise of cybersecurity risks: Infiniti expects malware attacks and other cybercrimes to become more frequent and severe in 2018 and beyond.