Edward Hightower is managing director of Motoring Ventures and author of the book Motoring Africa: Sustainable Automotive Industrialization. He joins us to discuss the topic of sustainable industrialization and how he's putting his years of experience in automotive product design and engineering at big-name brands to work to help drive more automotive manufacturing in Africa.

Max Reynolds, co-founder and CEO of Symbio Robotics, discusses how software-based technology can help manufacturers retrofit existing automation in final assembly. He explains the power of artificial intelligence, forced feedback, computer vision and machine learning to “push the final frontier of automation” and modernize robot programming processes.

Rick Oppedisano, president and CEO of Delta Bravo AI, joins us to discuss working with manufacturers to transform the data they collect on the factory floor into predictive models that optimize operations. He covers the role artificial intelligence can play in preventative maintenance, predictive quality, reducing scrap, demand and inventory movement forecasting, as well as increasing general throughput. He also shares best practices for investing in-house versus hiring an outside partner in predictive analytics.

Shameka Lewis, associate manager of global environment, health and safety with toymaker Mattel, covers employee health and safety in the face of COVID-19 and overall, in addition to the topic of women in manufacturing. She shares pandemic-fueled approaches to EHS she expects to stick, cultivating a culture of safety, and being a woman in a male-dominated industry, among other things.

Alexandre Georgetti, director of manufacturing strategy for Eaton's Vehicle Group, shares key ingredients for purposefully implementing Industry 4.0 across the factory floors of various countries and cultures. He also offers examples of how augmented reality, centralized platforms, robotics, digital simulation, and additive manufacturing are optimizing product assembly.

Juan Aparicio, vice president of product at READY Robotics, talks about making robotics more accessible to the manufacturing workforce, how the new Forge/OS 5 platform simplifies programming, effectively deploying automation in factories, and future projections for robotics in assembly.

Tami Hedgren is manufacturing lead of large tractors and combines with John Deere. She shares optimism around the rise of women in agricultural manufacturing; breaking down barriers for those who follow in her footsteps; and the role of 5G, edge computing, and video analytics in fueling the next manufacturing revolution.