The Industry 4.0 evolution will not be possible without a number of technological breakthroughs, not least of which is the successful realisation of the digital twin and the threads that connect it to the physical world. [ + ]

Digitalisation, networking, cloud computing, data security — the fourth industrial revolution is underway even with respect to logistics. Making logistics-related object properties available to all members of the supply chain makes possible a whole host of greater efficiencies. The prerequisite for this is a secure data space that is regulated and standardised across the board. [ + ]

Manufacturing, oil and gas, mining, and energy networks are considered some of the most dangerous work environments, both in Australia and the world. In 2015, mining and manufacturing even ranked fourth and fifth on Safe Work Australia's list of industries with the highest number of workplace fatalities. [ + ]

Water storage tanks and reservoirs are a critical component of distribution systems, yet they can pose a significant challenge for water utilities as they often have a negative impact on water quality, due to low turnover or inadequate mixing resulting in short-circuiting. [ + ]

Sensors used in food processing must be designed to be able to withstand harsh clean-in-place procedures. [ + ]

The water and wastewater industry faces challenges of ageing infrastructure, rising customer demands and constant pressure to be more efficient. [ + ]

The threat of self-manufactured firearms is not new, but a critical barrier is collapsing. Until recently, most people didn't have the skills to make a weapon as capable as commercially available ones. However, recent developments in the field of additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, have made home manufacturing simpler than ever before. [ + ]

Rob Strummer, MD of IFS Australia & New Zealand, expresses his concerns over where Australia is ranked globally in relation to digital transformation. [ + ]

Big data analytics will play an important role in the realisation of Industry 4.0, and the most efficient way to achieve it will be by the effective use of cloud computing technologies. [ + ]

As industrial machines become more sophisticated and connected, the need for 'smart engineering' and detailed application knowledge continues to grow to increase productivity and safety, lower risk and reduce costs of compliance. [ + ]

Alarm management standards such as IEC 62682 and ISA 18.2 emphasise the importance of life cycle support in alarm management. [ + ]

Consumer media is awash with articles concerning the Internet of Things (IoT) and how smarter devices — the things in the IoT — are changing the world. Another hot tech topic is the cloud in all of its forms: cloud storage, cloud-based apps, cloud-powered mobile devices, cloud-hosted virtual machines and other applications. [ + ]

Optical gas imaging cameras are powerful tools for detecting fugitive emissions that are not visible to the eye. [ + ]

The limitations of optical safety scanners have now been overcome by the use of millimetre-wave radar technology. [ + ]

The Australian Government's innovation agenda has declared a focus on start-up innovation, but appears not to lack any focus on the sort of innovation our industries need to be competitive today. [ + ]