In the late 18th century, water and steam power saw the birth of the factory system, moving from hand-crafted production to machines. Then came mass production, automation and digitalisation. These have paved the way for a new era of cognitive manufacturing, using AI to automate prediction and problem-solving rather than just processes.
Most companies building AI only have experience in the digital world, but Hitachi Group has more than a century of experience building the world’ s physical infrastructure. Yuriy Yuzifovich, Premkumar Balasubramanian and Ram Ramachander are leaders across the Group and shared their expertise on industrial AI with Manufacturing Digital.
68 May 2026