Bahrain has unveiled a national initiative called iFactories, designed to propel the industrial sector into the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, also known as Industry 4.0. This move is part of the industrial sector’s 2022-2026 strategy.
The primary goal of iFactories is to assess the readiness of factories, gauging their digital maturity and facilitating their investment in technology infrastructure and manufacturing automation. This initiative, jointly launched by the Minister of Industry and Commerce, Abdullah bin Adel Fakhro, and Tamkeen, aims to transform 300 factories into smart factories by the year 2026.
The broader vision behind iFactories is to embrace best practices in production line management, ensuring the sustainable utilisation of industrial sector resources. This entails boosting productivity, enhancing efficiency, reducing reliance on unskilled labor, and transitioning towards automation and cutting-edge technologies. The ultimate aim is to create promising employment opportunities for citizens.
Adel Fakhro expressed his appreciation for the government’s support in advancing the industrial sector, with the ultimate objective of strengthening national industries, improving efficiency, and enhancing global competitiveness.
Maha Mufeez, CEO of Tamkeen, emphasised that this partnership aligns with their goal of making the private sector the primary driver of economic growth in Bahrain while promoting Bahraini talent as the preferred choice for the labor market. She stressed that this initiative supports national aspirations to modernise the industrial sector and encourages Bahraini businesses to embrace advanced technological solutions for automation, operational development, increased productivity, and sustainable growth.
The positive outcomes of this endeavor are expected to include an increased economic contribution from the private sector and the creation of value-added job opportunities for citizens.
At the event, Dr. Khaled Fahad Al Alawi, Assistant Undersecretary for Industrial Development, provided insights into iFactories. He highlighted that the initiative will rely on the SIRI index, the latest international standard for evaluating factories in terms of their adoption of Fourth Industrial Revolution practices and tools.
The transformation process for factories is structured into four stages, as reported by BNA:
- Evaluation Stage: During this phase, the Ministry will offer advisory and technical support to facilitate self-evaluation by the factories.
- Accredited Evaluation: This follows the self-evaluation and involves accredited evaluators assessing the factories. This step leads to the design of a digital transformation plan, serving as the foundation for the next stage.
- Empowerment Stage: Based on the digital transformation plan, factories can obtain support and incentives to facilitate their transition.
- Development Phase: The fourth and final stage involves ongoing monitoring of the transformation process using performance monitoring tools and measuring key indicators, all managed by the Ministry.
In summary, iFactories represents a significant step forward for Bahrain’s industrial sector, promoting modernization, efficiency, and technological advancement, with the goal of boosting economic growth and enhancing the country’s global competitiveness.
