About this course

We have witnessed the power of mechanization in the early 19th century, automation in the 70s and  information and the internet in recent decades. But now, the integration of connected intelligence into our working lives and social interaction is advancing at breakneck speed. This will completely transform the way we conduct business.

In this course, we will discuss changes and predictions for the future, such as:

  • Credit card transactions will gradually fade out
  • All currency will be in bitcoin
  • Whereas traditional internet has given rise to a digital divide, mobile internet will narrow the wealth gap
  • Most e-business models will become obsolete, leaving only the customer to factory (C2F) model
  • Mobile phones will be outdated and replaced by augmented virtual reality (AVR)
  • Big corporates will transform into big platforms
  • The birth of real Internet economics
  • The death of global manufacturing to be replaced by networked and dispersed manufacturing

This course will explain how these changes will be ushered in by the extensive use of digital intelligence, which will be available on mobile, internet, and pervasive computing as homes, offices, and factories become a well knitted cyber-physical system.

Enabling tools such as Cloud Computing, Big Data, Internet of Things, and Cyber Physical Systems are introduced. Automation, intelligence, and collaborations are also discussed with particular reference to smart manufacturing, smart products/services, and smart cities, and their opportunities and challenges.

This is not a technical course. Instead, part of the focus is on organizational readiness, skills gaps, and competencies for knowledge workers to fully leverage the power of Industry 4.0.

Suitable for learners from all disciplines who are interested in the huge, looming changes to our society.

What you will learn

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

  • Understand the various stages of industrial revolutions
  • Understand the Future of Work and the skills needed
  • Know the drivers, enablers, and compelling forces for Industry 4.0’s advancement
  • Understand smart factories and how they compare to existing ones
  • Understand Internet of Things (IoT) and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)
  • Apply Predictive Analysis, Big Data leading to data-driven decisions and automation
  • Use Cyber Physical Systems and other major systems in Industry 4.0
  • Understand the role and importance of data and cloud computing
  • Use the Cloud to support human-machine collaborative efforts
  • Understand the use of collaborative robots
  • Give examples of smart automations, products, and services
  • Discuss the challenges in cybersecurity and how to reduce them
  • Understand how organizations and knowledge workers can better prepare for Industry 4.0

About the instructors

Professor Eric Tsui is the professor of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and Associate Director of Knowledge Management and Innovation Research Centre of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Eric Tsui joined Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) in 1989 after years of academic research in automated knowledge acquisition, natural language processing, case-based reasoning, and knowledge engineering and tools. His research was supported by grants and scholarships from Arthur Young, Rank Xerox, CSC, Graphic Directions, and the Australian Research Council.

Dr. Jay Lee is Ohio Eminent Scholar, L.W. Scott Alter Chair Professor, and Distinguished University Professor at the University of Cincinnati. He is the founding director of National Science Foundation (NSF) Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (I/UCRC) on Intelligent Maintenance Systems which is a multi-campus NSF Industry/University Cooperative Research Center. Since its inception in 2001, the center has been supported by over 100 global companies including P&G, GE Aviation, Eaton, National Instruments, Boeing, and others.

Norbert Gronau studied engineering and business administration at Berlin University of Technology. He got his PhD for a framework on a strategic management information system for the production management. Until March 2000 he was head of the self-founded research group Industrial applications of business information systems at the Institute of Business Information Systems of the Berlin University of Technology. His main research activities center on the fields of Knowledge Management and Business Resource Management, in the private and public sectors.

Professor Doug Vogel is the chief academic director of management science and engineering of HIT. He was selected by the “Foreign Experts thousands of people plan”, the International Academy of Information Systems Association (AIS Fellow), and the International Association for Information Systems (AIS President).

Duration: 6 weeks, 6 to 8 hours per week

Language: English

Instructors: Eric Tsui, Jay Lee, Norbert Gronau, Doug Vogel

Institution: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

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