South Korean IT solutions provider SK Holdings C&C said on June 29 that it plans to galvanize the data-driven ‘Industry 4.0 (the digitization of the manufacturing sector)’ market by joining forces with German industrial giant Siemens in developing smart factory service models.
SK Holdings C&C and Siemens are set to lead the manufacturing sector’s digital transformation by developing a collaboration model based on smart factory platforms and automation and intelligent solutions. Last January, SK Holdings C&C embarked on a smart factory project for the Chongqing plant of Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., or Foxconn. In collaboration with Siemens, SK Holdings C&C aims to raise annual sales from its smart factory business to 500 billion won by 2020.
An SK Holdings C&C official said: “Taking into account the characteristics of the Korean manufacturing sector, we will lay out industry-specific smart factory service models for the electronics, energy, semiconductor and machinery industries. Clients will be shown the smart factory model developed specifically for the industry they are in, so the process of setting up the optimal combination of smart factory solutions and equipment will speed up.”
SK Holdings C&C also plans to break into overseas markets, including China, with their jointly developed smart factory service models.
SK Holdings C&C and Siemens will also form a taskforce dedicated to joint technology development and business cooperation.
The taskforce will draw up plans to link and combine the two companies’ smart factory technologies and solutions, such as big data, IoT and cloud platforms, digital manufacturing solutions (simulation, product design, etc.), production line control systems and inventory management systems.
On June 29, the two companies signed an MoU to cooperate on the development of smart factory technologies and reinforce business cooperation. The MoU signing ceremony, held at the headquarters of Siemens Korea, was attended by nearly 10 officials including Park Jong-tae, Head of SK C&C’s smart factory business, and Guenther Klopsch, Head of Digital Factory Division and Process Industries & Drives Division at Siemens Korea.
Park Jong-tae said: “Unbridled access to the smart factory solutions and automation equipment of both companies will be provided. We will target Europe and Chinese-speaking countries in a bid to increase our share of the global smart factory market.”
Guenther Klopsch said: “Our cooperation with SK Holdings C&C will let us offer our clients a wider range of smart factory solution & automation equipment options to choose from. We will assist our clients in turning their businesses swiftly into smart factories.”
