10 megatrends will be the digital enablers for Belgian industry at ABISS2020, the digital industry summit for Benelux. Under the themes of Industry of Things, Intelligence of Things and Security of Things, 64 exhibitors and 15 experts will highlight the 10 key megatrends by means of demos, presentations and use cases. And provided you pre-register on time, you can reserve an on-site seat or digital access.

In the article below, we will list the 10 megatrends that will be hot on Thursday October 8th during this summit/networking fair.

1. Digital Twins are the ultimate outcome of all IoT solutions, supported by Big Data and Cloud. These twins will be the digital agent, which will carry out autonomous and intelligent monitoring of a series of processes in the factory, just as a software bot would.
2. Within smart systems, Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) will evaluate autonomous processes under a digital twin at lightning speed and make adjustments where necessary. Whether it involves production, assets, maintenance, engineering or supply-chain processes, operations can self-tune and act in real time. Read more
3. Augmented Intelligence is the combination of machine and human intelligence. This enables individual operators and entire teams on the shop floor to perform more complex operations and routines that would otherwise require specialised profiles.
4. Eco-logistics will enable sustainable warehouses using AI logistics processes to operate on smaller areas, with more efficient use of time, energy, materials and transport. This efficiency in turn leads to lower CO² emissions and a reduction in waste.
5. Advanced Supply Chain Integration allows smart technology and scalability of many technologies to be extended from suppliers to the producer and end customer.
6. Last-mile delivery automation is a direct consequence of the previous trend and perhaps one of the biggest challenges for logistics and distribution: the physical delivery to the end user. Rather than chaotic warehouse construction, there will be optimisation with locally-based, smaller and completely automated hubs, combined with smart transportation and shipping.
7. 5G unleashes the speed and bandwidth for increased data traffic and all connected systems. Superfast Internet, low communication latencies and lower consumption will accelerate the digital transformation of the industry exponentially.
8. Decentralised Manufacturing: Digital twins will decouple manufacturing processes and organise them locally in order to be able to respond more ecologically and, above all, closer to demand. This will make manufacturing on demand and mass customisation possible with short distances and delivery times for adjacent markets.
9. Distributed Ledger Technology will use Blockchain to ensure that traceability, security, and authenticity of transactions in logistics, ports, airports, freight stations and the supply chain are faster and more secure.
10. Pro-active cybersecurity: hacking and sabotage of critical digital systems, as well as data theft, are becoming increasingly inventive. As more and more systems and components become interconnected, the need for new IoT cybersecurity solutions becomes a priority for many organisations, because digital transformation can cause significant damage in the entire value chain, from supplier to end customer.