Healthcare

The Industry 4.0 (I4.0) revolution is already re-defining how we manufacture ‘things’ today.  It sets out the concepts for how companies can achieve faster innovation and increase efficiencies across the value chain. But, in the world of medical device manufacturing, which is burdened with regulatory compliance and is still largely dependent on paper-based processes, what does Industry 4.0 really mean? How will it help manufacturers meet demand for increasingly sophisticated, higher quality and rigorously regulated medical devices, and beyond that highly personalised custom devices? New trends in how medical devices are made and how they deliver value is fundamentally changing, devices are moving more and more into the world of the Internet of Things, utilising highly sophisticated chipsets, processing capabilities and sensors. They are mobile and connected like never before, delivering solutions in innovative new areas such as patient-specific devices and ‘Lab on a Chip’ electronic diagnostic testing. What does the future of manufacturing medical devices, efficiently and profitably, look like? Or, should we say manufacturing the ‘Internet of Medical Things’