The digitalisation of production operations can offer transformative benefits for companies operating within the aerospace industry’s manufacturing and supply chain. So where are breakthrough Industry 4.0 technologies like AI and industrial robotics making a difference, including when it comes to complementing – rather than replacing – the human workforce?
Research and analysis company, Deloitte, recently reported that the aerospace industry has the potential for broad-based operationalisation of many technologies, including artificial intelligence. This is undisputable, and this shift towards digitalisation in today’s aerospace industry goes far beyond efficiency; it unlocks a path to building resilience and securing long-term competitiveness.
AI and advanced data systems can not only optimise production but also enable companies to anticipate disruptions, ensure full traceability, and strengthen supply chain reliability. Furthermore, digital tools support continuous innovation, allowing companies to adapt more quickly to evolving customer needs and gradually introduce smarter, safer and more sustainable solutions.
From my own company’s perspective, we are an active member of many technology-focused Industry of the Future initiatives and have been intensifying our efforts to digitalise our operations for some time. This has seen us employ robotics and IT to automate production, track manufacturing progress, and store detailed records, including serialised product images. A key objective of this transformation is to refine our manufacturing processes, ensuring seamless data collection and analysis to improve planning, tracking and product traceability.
Indeed, our in-house developed KeyProd solution has been instrumental in enabling us to collect production data in real time. For me, and others like me who are running manufacturing businesses, transforming production operations in this way delivers invaluable insight to help us take necessary steps towards realising our objectives. Indeed, capturing and analysing this data to ascertain in which areas we can further improve is invaluable. Via our digital twin, we’re able to digitally test different options to optimise our production and delivery workflow.
Be that as it may, there’s still a lot of disparity across the industry, and I see many companies that do not have access to their data at all. Where that’s the case, and it’s not centralised and archived to provide the retrospective insight needed, then using AI effectively becomes impossible.
Those already equipped to leverage precise data analytics are empowering themselves with the ability to advance production planning, improve material efficiency and reduce waste, thereby optimising energy consumption. For our company, this means not only greater operational efficiency but also a tangible contribution to sustainable development and decarbonisation efforts. Digitalisation is no longer just about productivity – it is also about responsibility, ensuring that the aerospace industry evolves in line with environmental goals.
In my own experience, digitalisation is also not limited to the factory floor but extends to the wider industrial ecosystem. The ability to share data securely between manufacturers, suppliers and customers allows for greater transparency and trust across the supply chain. I’ve seen first-hand how this improves the ability to collaborate more effectively with partners, anticipate risks earlier and create more resilient production systems. In an industry where delays or disruptions can have significant consequences, this level of integration is a real game-changer.
The human touch in aerospace manufacturing
Despite this, technology alone will never be enough and in order to fully realise its full potential, digitalisation must integrate successfully with the human workforce. The aerospace industry is built on precision, expertise, and trust, which is why employees need to feel confident and supported when using new tools.
The right application of technology can actually make this possible. By automating repetitive or low-value tasks, companies can free employees to focus on higher-impact roles, upskilling opportunities, and areas where human judgement is irreplaceable. In this way, digitalisation isn’t just about becoming more efficient – it’s actually a catalyst for growth, empowering individuals to make a greater contribution while creating a more inspired, fulfilled, resilient and capable workforce. Indeed, from a business standpoint, upskilling your workforce into higher-value roles and potentially more fulfilling career paths may even help support employee retention.
It is here that the digitalisation of certain manufacturing processes can also address the skilled labour shortages currently faced by our industry, because these employees can potentially be retrained to acquire the specialist skills that are in shortest supply on the market. From my own standpoint, this has seen us, for example, look at personnel who were previously undertaking assembly-based roles, and re-train them in functions like specialist welding activities. At JPB Système, we have long recognised that investing in training, reskilling, and engagement is just as important as investing in the technology itself.
I believe that we will continue to see digitalisation creating demand for new expertise in areas such as data analysis, robotics maintenance, or process optimisation – skills that will define the future of our industry. This combination of technology and human development strengthens both competitiveness and our ability to attract talent in a challenging labour market.
In fact, for potential employees, the opportunity to work within a state-of-the-art Industry 4.0 enabled environment for a company that continually equips itself with new technologies to realise smart manufacturing, surely has to be more favourable than working for a company that is not? Those forward looking companies who are embracing digitalisation, give themselves a competitive edge when it comes to hiring, thereby increasing capacity and in turn, productivity.
And while the digitalization of certain manufacturing processes can clearly address the issue of recruitment for certain tasks, I personally do not believe it can replace the need for skilled humans entirely. Ultimately, based on the fact that at JPB Système, we typically add new employees every time we install a new robot, I think we are proof of the claim that humans need robots and robots need humans.
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