For the past 3 years, Molex has sponsored Project SYNCERE programs to support their mission of providing STEM education and mentorship opportunities to youth at an early age.

This article is the first in a series exploring various aspects of the deployment and impact of smart technology in the agriculture and farming industry.

Industrial automation is undergoing something of a sea-change, with Industry 4.0 promising a new generation of communications technology capable of gathering and processing data at speeds close to real time. The virtually instant availability of this data drives the formation of a new ecosystem of ultra-efficient, highly connected and intelligent manufacturing. Set against a proliferation and legacy of both established and associated industry communications protocols, Industry 4.0 could appear as a threat to traditional industrial automation systems, such as some older versions of fieldbus. So, what barriers might stand in the way of a seamless Industry 4.0 future?