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Interview with Jameel Istaitih

by | Jul 23, 2021 | Interviews,

Jameel Istaitih

Jameel Istaitih

Vice President Industry 4.0 at Razor Labs

Key Topics:Industry 4.0, Advanced Manufacturing, Smart Manufacturing, Digital Transformation, 4IR, Upskilling, Reskilling, Future of Work, AI in Manufacturing, Data Driven Manufacturing, Change Management
Location:Israel
Bio:
Jameel Istaitih; Vice President industry 4.0 at Razor Labs, an innovative company that fuses the power of Deep Learning with human experience to unlock the next big leap in productivity, safety and sustainability improvements.
Until recently was the Director of industry 4.0 & Engineering at Strauss Group, a Food and Beverage Corporate active in more than 20 countries with a 2.5B USD turnover. Before Strauss, gained experience in a variety of industrial companies and Startups in the fields: Automotive, Medical, Defence and more. Istaitih holds a Mechanical Engineering and MBA degree and a PMP (Project Management Professional) Certificate in addition to many studies in the industry 4.0 field.
Jameel recently featured in Onalytica's Who's Who in Industry 4.0? report.

How did you get to become an expert in your key topics?

I have spent my entire career in industry and manufacturing floors. I have always believed in continuous improvement and wise use of assets and human-machine integration. About 5 years ago I felt that the industrial world was stuck in its ability to move forward and improve. The OEE indices and quality were stagnant and I had to find a way to change the rules of the game. Industry 4.0 enables disruption to the manufacturing industry and the next leap. I convinced the Strauss Executive management that we must lead a strategic activity and was appointed as the first Director of Industry 4.0 in 2018. Since that moment I started to drill down, asses, study, analyze, test and implement scalable solutions. The best way to gain experience it to experience the journey in a complex corporate.

What sub-topics are you most passionate about?

AI, Big data, IoT, Collaborative and autonomous robots, XR, Additive Manufacturing. But the most interesting is the integration of those technologies in the processes and bringing business value!

Who influences you within these topics?

The acatech (German National Academy of Science & Engineering) study of the industry 4.0 maturity index is very valuable. The partnership with the industry 4.0 Maturity Center in Germany was a turning point in the level of understanding and also in the tools for assessing the organization and the manufacturing sites and creating a roadmap and work plans. Of course many technology companies are involved in the effort and it is simply inspiring and fruitful.

What challenges are brands facing in this space?

I think brands still do not speak the same language with manufacturers. Of course the situation is improving but a lot of work is still required. In addition, the manufacturing industry is advancing at a slow pace as technology companies rush forward. The level of maturity of the manufacturing industry is relatively low and part of the responsibility of technology companies is to help in the whole process. Technology companies will need to develop dedicated consulting bodies for this or create very strong collaborations with consulting firms that specialize in the field.

What do you think the future holds in this space?

There is no escape from being innovative, moving forward at a satisfactory pace is necessary for the existence of companies. Anyone who does not do this is not sure he will survive. We are in a new era and especially after the COVID epidemic. The industry has changed, and both technology companies and manufacturers need to be more efficient and adapt more innovative working methods that enable sustainability. We will see strong connections between the physical and virtual world and it will disrupt everything we knew in the working methods and the ways of production.

What brands are leading the way in this space?

Siemens, Rockwell Automation, Microsoft, AWS, PTC, ABB, Bosch, Intel, IBM, SAP, Schneider Electric, Ericsson.

If a brand wanted to work with you, which activities would you be most interested in collaborating on?

Podcasts, webinars, whitepaper, speaking opportunities, product innovation & video interviews.

What are your passions outside of work?

I support manufacturers in Israel and around the world as an independent ambassador and invest a lot in cultivating the younger generation and also startups in the field. Involved in activities within both the WEF (World Economic Forum) and the EIT (European Institute of Innovation & Technology).
In terms of hobbies I love trail running, scuba diving and sailing. Volunteering as the Deputy Commander of the SAR (Search and Rescue) Police diving unit in Israel since 2006.

What would be the best way for a brand to contact you?

By email.


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