Dr. Vu Van Khoa: 

Industry 4.0 is formed based on the combination of digital technology with high technologies to create smart technologies such as 3D printing, robotics, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things (IoT). Future production will combine the fields of physics, digitization, and biology, bringing the virtual world (software, networks) and the real world (machines and equipment) closer together. The convergence of cutting-edge technologies allows for optimal use of resources, saving labor, investment, and time in the research, manufacturing, and production organization processes.

 

In the context of the global industry transitioning to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Vietnam's mechanical manufacturing industry is still quite backward, with its technological level primarily at the level of the Second Industrial Revolution, facing many difficulties and shortcomings. For instance, the basic mechanical manufacturing industry is at a processing level. In many fields, domestic enterprises are not yet capable of independently manufacturing products with international competitiveness; they are unable to manufacture components and spare parts for multinational corporations or repair complex equipment. Mechanical enterprises are often small-scale, with poor management, low technology, and weak linkage capabilities. The use of electronic and information technology is not yet widespread, mainly concentrated in foreign-invested enterprises.

 

However, due to good production organization, Vietnamese enterprises have been and are doing very well in producing many types of products, such as hydraulic mechanical equipment for hydropower plants, non-standard parts for the cement, thermal power, and petrochemical industries, as well as molds and dies.

 

 

The challenges facing our country's industrial mechanical research and manufacturing facilities and enterprises in the context of Industry 4.0 include:

 

First, in mechanical processing production, design work will be greatly assisted by computer systems and intelligent software. Machinery will also replace humans in manufacturing, fabrication, and equipment installation. This forces mechanical enterprises that want to develop strongly and sustainably to change their labor structure and trades, shifting from low-skilled to high-skilled labor, investing in advanced processing technology, changing production management methods, and improving product quality control. However, investment in industry, especially heavy industry, is very costly, while the resources of Vietnamese mechanical enterprises are limited. Some State preferential policies for developing mechanical products are not long-term enough, and their application is complex, thus failing to create momentum for enterprises to borrow capital and invest deeply in production.

 

Second, the Fourth Industrial Revolution will create fierce competition for Vietnamese enterprises in general and mechanical enterprises in particular. Competition exists not only among domestic enterprises but also with foreign enterprises and multinational corporations.

 

 

The Fourth Industrial Revolution will impact the entire economy and social life, posing many challenges for the mechanical industry. Our country no longer has the advantage of attracting investment based on low labor costs; limited science and technology capacity hinders the ability to access and apply the achievements of Industry 4.0... Without strong solutions, we will fall further behind.

 

However, the Fourth Industrial Revolution also brings many opportunities for the industry, such as: the opportunity to absorb new technologies, also known as leapfrogging, creating smart production methods, and transitioning to a knowledge-based economy.

 

Opportunities for our country's industrial mechanical research and manufacturing facilities and enterprises in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution include:

 

First, with the increasingly strong development of digital technology, communication will change the production methods of enterprises towards saving time and costs while increasing work efficiency.

 

Second, the Fourth Industrial Revolution, with the remarkable development of mechanical processing technology, will be a good opportunity for Vietnamese mechanical enterprises to access modern scientific and technological achievements in production and optimize production processes. With proper investment and product orientation, enterprises have the opportunity to participate in the global supply chain.

 

Third, the Fourth Industrial Revolution, with its global spillover effect, will be a good opportunity for Vietnamese enterprises with good products and services to promote their image, expand into new markets, and participate in the global supply chain.

 

Fourth, enterprises will gain experience and benefit from suppliers as they compete to improve quality, delivery speed, and pricing of goods, with increasing transparency thanks to access to global digital systems for research, development, marketing, sales, and distribution of goods.

 

The National Research Institute of Mechanical Engineering (NARIME), under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, is a State research and development organization for science and technology in the fields of mechanical engineering and automation. In recent times, NARIME has gradually cooperated and collaborated in research, manufacturing, and completing high-quality synchronous equipment systems meeting European standards, capable of bidding to supply equipment for domestic and international industrial plants such as Nghi Son Thermal Power Plant, Thai Binh 1 Thermal Power Plant, Myanmar Metallurgical Plant... It is also a reputable supplier of solutions, auxiliary equipment, and spare parts for many domestic manufacturers and assemblers such as VAP, Honda, Toyota, Doosan, VinFast... For more information about the Institute, visit: http://narime.gov.vn

Huong Giang

Source: https://khcncongthuong.vn/tin-tuc/t11230/co-khi-4-0–thach-thuc-va-co-hoi-cho-viet-nam.html