FACTORIES OF THE FUTURE

The future of manufacturing belongs to people who are technologically skilled and adaptable.

- By Team ET Now Machinist

Step inside a factory today and you are likely to see robots welding, sensors feeding live data into dashboards, and AI predicting machine failures before they even happen. But amid all this futuristic change, there is one question manufacturing leaders keep asking: who will run this show tomorrow?

According to KNOLSKAPE's Workforce Insights: Manufacturing Industry 2025, this is more than a talent issue. If manufacturers fail to act, 2.4 million jobs could remain vacant by 2028, leading to an economic loss of one trillion dollars by 2030. Technology may build the factory, but people will decide whether it thrives.

WHY TECHNICAL SKILLS MATTER?

64.3% of manufacturing leaders still rank technical expertise as their top priority- CNC programming, welding, automation systems, predictive maintenance.

But priorities are shifting, digital twins to optimise production, human-machine interface design as people and robots collaborate, and sustainable practices to meet ESG and regulatory demands.

In automotive, the rise of EVs is driving hybrid skills that blend software, electronics, and mechanical engineering.