As the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) technologies continue to alter the ways we do business, there are unique implications for MedTech companies and biomedical manufacturers. Advancements in automation, data collection, robotics and additive technologies provide opportunities for growth, but may also disrupt long-standing business models.

In Iowa, manufacturers of medical and pharmaceutical technologies — as well as institutions of higher education — are keeping pace with this evolution thanks to the introduction of an industry-led plan tackling the challenges associated with Manufacturing 4.0. This plan not only provides a strategic blueprint for the entirety of Iowa’s advanced manufacturing industry but has specific implications for the numerous biomedical technologies designed and produced in the state.

Iowa’s manufacturing industry cluster is characterized not only by innovation and growth among original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), but for its ability to generate startups and to enable them to scale, such as Coralville-based VIDA Diagnostics, which provides AI-powered lung imaging analysis tools.

Download the Manufacturing 4.0 executive summary for more information on the strategic pillars guiding the future of Iowa’s advanced manufacturing industry, and the MedTech companies operating under its umbrella.