On December 5, 2024, our UWEBC Technology Peer Group hosted an event on Tech Trends 2025, highlighting Industry 4.0. Led by Technology Practice Director Heidi Rozmiarek, this event showcased cutting-edge technologies with hands-on demos in robotics, virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR), highlighting their transformative business applications.
The event started with an Industry 4.0 discussion from presenter Mark Beckmann, Microsoft’s Director of Manufacturing Industry Solutions. Mark gave the audience an overview of the current state of Industry 4.0 technologies and discussed its future potential. He used case studies from Microsoft to show technologies like AI and IoT that are spearheading innovation in manufacturing. One key takeaway from Mark’s presentation is the five steps for AI Success. By following these five steps, Mark emphasized that it will provide a framework for organizations to successfully adopt and maximize the value of AI initiatives. The five steps are as follows:
- Exploring and Learning about AI
- Planning AI strategy across your organization
- Formalizing and executing your AI strategy across the business
- Delivering both incremental and new value across the organization
- Realizing consistent AI value across the organization.
Following Mark’s presentation, participants were joined by Arissa Sato, Research Coordinator at the University of Wisconsin INTEGRATE Robotics. INTEGRATE (“Integrating Robots into the Future of Work”) is a team that provides graduate students with research opportunities to find solutions to the problems industries are facing while integrating robots/cobots in the workplace. Arissa shared a case study where robots and humans worked together to sand airplane wings for NASA and Boeing, showing how robotics can enhance productivity while maintaining human involvement. One key takeaway from Arissa’s presentation is that implementing cobots into your organization can offer a safe, scalable solution for integrating robotics into existing workflows.
Next, attendees heard from Will Kraus, Mixed Reality Engineer, and Mark Field, Associate Director of Workflow & Application Development at the University of Wisconsin. Their session explained how augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) technologies transform workflows and education at the University of Wisconsin. Will demonstrated how AR/VR tools can provide hands-on training for students and professionals, and Mark elaborated on how AR/VR applications can streamline complex processes, from prototyping to user experience testing. They even let event attendees try out an AR headset!
As we move forward into 2025, the insights shared at the Tech Trends 2025 event highlight the impact of technology on the way we live and work. The presenters emphasized that the future of technology lies in integration and collaboration. From AI-driven automation to immersive AR/VR experiences, these technologies provide efficiency, productivity, and new channels for creativity and collaboration.
UWEBC members can view the full video presentation and download presentation slides here.