These experts are crucial in the smart factory

How have job requirements in the smart factory changed in light of the digital revolution? Georg C. Scheiber, partner and director at the personnel consultancy von Rundstedt, uses the term "revolution" sparingly. However, the transformation of the industry, now driven by Chinese competitors, is tangible: "The concept of the software-defined vehicle is also changing the concept of the smart factory," emphasizes Scheiber, "This means completely new challenges for the German automotive industry, which will have significantly stronger consequences for its employees and their skills than was assumed five years ago."

Scheiber primarily names five job profiles that are becoming increasingly indispensable and have become more relevant for the "reskilling" of workforces: industrial data analyst (preferably for engineers), robot coordinator (further development of technical training professions), industry cloud architect (preferably for computer scientists), IT/IoT solutions architect (preferably for electrical engineers and computer scientists), and automation technician (further development of the training profession of electronics technician for automation technology).

The transformation will not occur without pain, namely, the 'devaluation of the core competencies of white-collar and blue-collar employees, resulting in salary losses or even job losses,' says Scheiber.

These factory jobs have a future

Specifically, the VDA has a study that shows how 700 professions in the industry will develop in the future. 'Due to the electrification of the powertrain, overall lower employment is required for vehicle manufacturing than in the past,' say the authors, 'In addition, there are significant shifts within employment.' Particularly, professions in mechanical engineering and operations technology as well as in metalworking have already lost relevance.

In contrast, there have been increases in professions in automotive technology, in technical research and development, as well as in computer science, electrical engineering, and software development - profiles without which nothing works in the smart factory. 'For example, employment in IT professions in the automotive industry has increased by about a quarter since 2019 and even by 85 percent since 2013,' the study states. The shortage of skilled workers is noticeable, among other things, in the areas of IT network technology, IT coordination, IT administration, and IT organization. Here, the deficit is likely to grow even further in the future, according to the authors.

The big three: Big data, IIoT, AI

“The most important current job fields in the smart factory revolve around security, big data, cloud architectures, internet of things, and artificial intelligence,” explains Florian Harzenetter, senior director and global advisor for industry and electronics & high-tech clients at the software manufacturer PTC. Above all, experts are needed for the industrial internet of things (IIoT). “Promising is, for example, the job as an IT/IoT solutions architect,” says Harzenetter. Specialists in this field design the system architecture of all people, machines, materials, platforms, and products connected in real-time. “They are, in a way, the architects of the entire IT architecture,” emphasizes Harzenetter.

What automakers expect from the chief AI officer

After the CDO comes the CAIO. In the executive suites of automakers like Mercedes or GM, there are now AI directors who are supposed to transform processes and culture across the company. But the pressure to succeed is high - the CAIO must deliver, and quickly.

Good opportunities also exist for those with skills in additive manufacturing, as the technology is becoming increasingly relevant in the automotive sector, not only in prototype construction and for small series. Thus, 3-D printing can support smart factories in automated on-demand manufacturing - which is helpful, especially during supply chain disruptions. The general topic of resilient production also includes experts in predictive maintenance who are familiar with machine learning or corresponding tools to keep downtime as low as possible. “No smart factory will be able to do without AI experts in the future to gain real-time insights into processes and thus more resilience and efficiency,” underscores Harzenetter.

Even better if this is supported by competencies in the field of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). "When, for example, AR/VR tools are combined with artificial intelligence in quality management, visual quality control is taken to the next level," Harzenetter is convinced. Therefore, inspection engineers are now and in the future in demand, who can integrate appropriate tools as an integrated solution into end-of-the-line processes. "Quality controls not only run faster and more precisely, but the overall efficiency of production is significantly improved," says Harzenetter, "because this way hidden problems in the entire manufacturing process are identified."

Are companies prepared for this?

Basically, Scheiber still sees some uncertainty in parts about which direction requirements will change: "Due to the accelerated development of generative AI for industrial applications, it is currently not foreseeable which clearly defined job profiles will emerge here." In current projects, the specific academic training of team members plays a subordinate role; rather, a high willingness to learn, great curiosity beyond the boundaries of one's own discipline, as well as pronounced cooperation and communication skills in interculturally shaped teams are of great importance. His advice: "The systematic learning of these soft skills must take on a significantly higher priority in academic education and in company up- and reskilling measures."

Scheiber has the impression that automobile manufacturers and suppliers are very intensively dealing with the broad topic of new qualification requirements both in the context of the software-defined vehicle approach and in the further development of the smart factory concept: "Due to the sharply increasing competitive pressure from the Far East, the leeway in the important factors of budget and time is severely restricted."

The crucial question will be how the transition from the hardware era "with all the hard-earned development and manufacturing know-how," as Scheiber puts it, to the software era can succeed and how completely new knowledge and skills can be built up in a short time: "This transition can indeed be described as a revolution."