We see, from many quarters, how COVID-19 has brought and introduced significant changes in the industrial sphere, greatly accelerating some trends already in place and the growth rate of some sectors.
Automation generates growth
According to a McKinsey Global Institute study on the effects of automation of work activities, the productivity gains generated by automation will be able to cause an increase in the annual growth rate of between 0.8 percent and 1.4 percent on a global scale. The report also highlights that for 60 percent of work activities the potential for automation turns out to be no less than 30 percent.
Another very significant aspect, which the analysis highlights, is how the estimated growth will only occur if, in production chains, people operate alongside machines.
The restart related to industrial and robot automation
According to another analysis, this time conducted by Frost & Sullivan, the robotics sector will grow from 45mrd to 73mrd in the next 5 years. Indeed, the negative consequences that the pandemic has had on the world economy have forced industry players not only to adapt quickly to the new scenario but more importantly to identify and seize new Covid-related opportunities. From an innovation perspective, this has and will result in reliance on 4.0 technologies, increasingly using industrial automation systems and robots.
The excellence of the pharmaceutical supply chain in Italy
One sector in which Italy experienced significant growth in the first quarter of 2020 despite the pandemic is pharmaceuticals. As reported by the Srm (Center for Studies linked to the Intesa Sanpaolo Group) study, presented during a webinar organized with Farmindustria,exports in this sector have increased well over 24 percent, with 90 percent of companies operating in the sector having adopted 4.0 innovation systems.
If one thinks, moreover, of the new pharmaceutical strategy advocated and developed by the European Commission, in response to the health emergency of recent months and aimed, among other things, at addressing the shortage of medicines and thus increasing the EU’s self-sufficiency with respect to medicines and medical equipment, we cannot help but think about the importance and role that automation processes play and will play in the coming months and years in this sector. The goal, approved by the European Parliament, is thus to bring drug production back to Europe in order to ensure independence from other markets first and the creation of a European stockpile as a second step.
The new trend of consumer habits
Consumer shopping habits have also changed with the pandemic, with the percentage of online purchases of food and ess entials increasing significantly. To meet the new demand, many manufacturers initially used third-party online sales platforms. Having overcome the crisis for industry players, it is now imperative toopen a direct e-commerce channel, a need also dragged by the increased trust and confidence that people now have with e-commerce whose acceleration will then become structural.