The Smart Industry Conference, organized by the Poslovni dnevnik, took place in Šibenik, Croatia on October 12 and 13, with prominent participants.
One of the panel discussions dealt with the topic "The New Generation of Factories - Creating Competitive Advantages with Smart Factory Solutions." The discussion revolved around applying advanced technologies and automation in industrial manufacturing to enhance productivity, efficiency and safety.
Panellists discussed the benefits and challenges of implementing Smart Factory concepts and how domestic companies can become "Smart". Furthermore, the panel addressed the best practices of Smart Factory technology implementation in other countries and their potential adaptation to the Croatian context.
Since Industrial Manufacturing is one of the Serengeti's domains, we were invited to join the discussion described above.
The panel, moderated by Saša Ćeramilac, a journalist from Al Jazeera Balkans, included the following distinguished panelists:
Goran Đoreski, Director, Digital Realty
Ivan Milas, Co-owner and Member of the Board for Sales, Serengeti
Rok Koren, Senior Digitalization Consultant, Siemens
Marijana Topić-Domić, CEO of CADCAM Group
Ivan Milas, representing Serengeti, responded to questions about the current state of smart industries in Croatia and the broader region. He emphasized that keeping pace with the rapidly evolving technological landscape is challenging, both locally and internationally. However, there is a positive trend of companies recognizing the benefits of new technologies and investing in knowledge and technology to enhance their competitiveness. Drawing from international experiences, Milas highlighted the potential for progress in Croatia.
Regarding the role of software development consultancy firms like Serengeti in the digitalization and automation of production, Milas outlined the company's partnership-oriented approach. Serengeti aims to build long-term collaborations with clients, rather than focusing solely on individual projects. Furthermore, Serengeti provides a comprehensive package of services covering all aspects of software development, leveraging experts in various fields, including business analysis, software architectures, DevOps, IoT, Big Data, legacy applications, Scrum managers, and more.
Serengeti has worked on numerous international projects which have contributed to both strategic and operational experiences. Milas emphasized that their solutions not only enhance business operations, but also provide competitive advantages, intelligent planning, and an expanded customer base. The ultimate goal is to increase the end-customer satisfaction.
The panel also delved into the challenges faced by companies that have collaborated with Serengeti. Milas pointed out that integrating new solutions into existing industrial ecosystems and minimizing downtime is a common challenge, especially for well-established companies with pre-existing systems. He highlighted the importance of flexibility, emphasizing that it is a "must-have" in today's dynamic business environment. Collaborative partners who understand the industry, its processes, data, and technology are crucial in addressing these challenges. Furthermore, he stressed the significance of evaluating digital initiatives continuously to allocate resources to the most promising projects.
All panelists agreed that interest in digitalization is growing among businesses and that the landscape of digital transformation and smart factory solutions is evolving. The entire conference and this panel provided valuable insights for companies to embrace the advantages of modern technology and enhance their competitiveness.
