In the near future, technology will no longer be the bottleneck to full automation, dramatically reducing the need for human workers in factories. As technology advances, the decision to pursue this goal will be driven primarily by the economic considerations of the factory. Manufacturers that embrace automation and are agile in rethinking their operational strategies will be best positioned to take advantage of this wave.
For the past few decades, the manufacturing industry has been eagerly awaiting the arrival of fully automated factories, where networks of high-tech robots, intelligent machines, and sensors would seamlessly orchestrate production, addressing widespread labor shortages while drastically reducing operational costs. With minimal human intervention, these factories could theoretically operate in complete darkness, hence the nickname “lights-free factories.”
