Plus, Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center partners with Automation Alley to present Smart Technology Zone sessions focused on supply chain

Automation Alley, Michigan's Industry 4.0 knowledge center and leading technology and manufacturing business association, is pleased to announce the breakout sessions for Integr8, the Industry 4.0 conference. Focused on how the smart and connected technologies of Industry 4.0 are converging to disrupt all industries, from automotive and defense to retail and health care, key sessions include:

• The Digital Factory: From Threat to Opportunity
• The Retail Revolution: Shopping Gets Personal
• Driving Innovation: Automotive Industry 4.0 - What's Next?
• The Future of Defense in the Era of Industry 4.0
• Health 4.0: How Emerging Tech & Biomedical Research are Saving Lives
• Slovakia Meets the Motor City: Industry 4.0 Automotive Solutions in Central Europe

Additional sessions are being added leading up to the conference, which takes place Nov. 6 at Detroit's TCF Center (formerly Cobo Center). Separately, the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center (The Center), is partnering with Automation Alley for a segment of Integr8 breakout sessions called the Smart Technology Zone that are specifically tailored to help the supply chain better understand Industry 4.0. Those sessions include:

• Automation: Real-Time Solutions for Long-Term Issues
• Lean Technologies: Continuous Improvement in the 21st Century
• Business Intelligence: Using Data for Better Decision Making
• Digital Design & Manufacturing: Beyond Blueprints and Subtractive Manufacturing

"The addition of the Smart Technology Zone will benefit small and medium-size manufacturers, with a full day of sessions designed to address their needs, and interactive and hands-on demonstrations that will enable them to experience and interact with these emerging technologies," said Mike Coast, president of The Center.

Complete descriptions of breakout sessions, including those offered by The Center, can be viewed on the Integr8 breakout session page.

Supported by blockbuster brand sponsors including IBM and Intel, locally by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and globally by The World Economic Forum, Integr8 is expected to draw 1,000 tech and manufacturing professionals to Detroit. In addition to the breakout sessions, there will be an Integr8 expo to further highlight the technology options available to facilitate digital transformation, new Industry 4.0 roundtable sessions and two keynote speakers that will be announced soon. Automation Alley Executive Director and CEO Tom Kelly says attendees will walk away from the conference with a roadmap for Industry 4.0 implementation.

"Integr8 presents an opportunity to take action and gain a competitive advantage, not only through an understanding of these new and emerging technologies and how they can transform the manufacturing processes, but also through collegial networking with those engaged in the highest levels of Industry 4.0 implementation," Kelly said.

Integr8 is a cross-discipline global conference focused on the eight core smart technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution: Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, The Cloud, Cybersecurity, Additive Manufacturing and Advanced Materials and Modeling, Simulation, Visualization and Immersion. Integr8 attracts a global audience seeking to learn from and engage with their American counterparts.

Tickets and sponsorship opportunities for the day-long Integr8 conference are available at integr8conference.com. The evening before the conference, Nov. 5, Automation Alley is inviting the business community to mingle with Integr8 presenters and VIP guests at Integr8 Luminate, a strolling dinner and cocktail kick-off reception also held at TCF Center. Tickets for Luminate are also available on the website.

About Automation Alley
Automation Alley is a nonprofit manufacturing and technology business association and Michigan's Industry 4.0 knowledge center, with a global outlook and a regional focus. We connect industry, academia and government to fuel Michigan's economy and accelerate innovation. We offer programs, resources and knowledge to help our members grow and prosper in the digital age.

Our Mission
The mission of Automation Alley is to position Michigan as a global leader in Industry 4.0 by helping our members increase revenue, reduce costs and make strategic decisions during a time of rapid technological change.