Can Europe lead Industry 4.0?

The industrial sector is digitising, and Europe might be in a position to lead the way.

A third of the global economy in 2020 is industrial, be it manufacturing, mining, construction or utilities. It’s also a sector that’s has experienced very little digitalisation — until now.

Venture capital investment into industrial tech — technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics and 3D printing that can help digitise the industrial process — has increased nearly ninefold in the past six years in Europe, according to a new report by Dealroom. We’re entering Industry 4.0, say the authors of the report — and Europe looks well placed to lead it.