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Courage cannot be counterfeited. It is one virtue that escapes hypocrisy.

Napoleon Bonaparte, military leader and emperor

NAM Cyber Forum 2018 - Countdown Timer

Ohio manufacturers help schools develop the future workforce

The Mahoning Valley Manufacturers Coalition in Ohio is tackling workforce issues by connecting with 21 school districts in its region. The coalition works in schools through classroom visits, apprenticeship programs, curriculum advising and recruitment events. Tribune Chronicle (Warren, Ohio) (10/14)

Q&A: Industry, communities must partner on STEM learning

Industry needs to connect with communities locally and globally to rethink education and teach youths the importance of science, technology, engineering and math skills, says Mike Train, president of Emerson Electric. "Hopefully, what we can do is make the education more appealing and more interesting, so it doesn't feel like you have to suffer through those three or four years," he says. IndustryWeek (10/11)

Little high-tech monitoring cited in valve maintenance survey

Only 23% of respondents to a 2018 Frost & Sullivan survey said their plants employed valve monitoring technology, with key obstacles including reliability concerns and a lack of qualified technicians. Corrosion was cited by respondents as the most important factor in valve failure. Empowering Pumps & Equipment (10/11)

How EnTrans built a companywide culture of safety

EnTrans International leveraged visual cues, gamification and other tools to increase engagement in its companywide safety program, writes Karen Czor, director of environmental health and safety. Since the program's launch, EnTrans has reduced recordable injuries by more than 50%, while cutting its rate of such incidents by more than half. IndustryWeek (10/15)

Analysis: E-commerce is headed for full automation

Drones, robots and other automated technologies are changing every aspect of the online ordering, packing and shipping process and will eventually lead the way to a completely automated process that might be known as the "physical cloud," Christopher Mims writes. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (10/15)

AR is transforming the way oil, gas companies operate

Oil and natural gas companies are stepping up adoption of augmented reality, enticed by the promise of efficiency gains, enhanced productivity and cost savings. Chevron, which has deployed over 110 sets of Microsoft HoloLens head-mounted displays so far, bets the technology will help reduce specialists' international travel and generate millions of dollars in savings over time. Houston Chronicle (tiered subscription model) (10/12)

Don't forget about innovation as part of Industry 4.0 adoption

Industry 4.0 presents a dual opportunity to improve existing operations and innovate, write Andy Daecher and Brenna Sniderman. They note a variety of internal goals for digital transformation, as well as variance in what operational functions have moved furthest toward a fully digital state. Deloitte Insights (10/10)