broadening the scope3. In fact, digital solutions are viewed as one of the most important driving forces across the entire economy4. THE KEY MEGATRENDS following this digital revolution are presented here5. The physical trends include autonomous vehicles, 3D printing, advanced robotics and new materials. For the autonomous vehicles, particularly the opportunities for drones are interesting. Over time, it will for example be possible to use these for checking power lines. 3D printing has the advantage of being able to be easily customized. For small companies and for entrepreneurs it brings opportunities to design products and solutions in close interaction with customers regardless of their location, and to embed services in new solutions and at a lower cost. That way, also small producers, for instance in areas like design, can bring new products to the global markets 6 . The physical trends can also give way to distributed manufacturing, which is a form of decentralized manufacturing whereby enterprises use a network of geographically dispersed manufacturing facilities coordinated through IT. Distributed manufacturing is a way of increasing the flexibility and agility of a value chain7 and can create relevance for especially SMEs in these. Advanced robotics are increasingly used across sectors for a wide range of tasks, with the advances in sensors increasingly enabling robots to respond better to their environment. Lastly, with time new materials may significantly disrupt the manufacturing industries8 with new benefits for example in medico tech and health applications. One of the main bridges between the physical and digital applications is the internet of things. The increased number of devices connected to the internet enables businesses to monitor and optimize assets and activities to a high level, affecting across all industries9. This is what Gartner Group terms the digital mesh10. The emphasis of this trend is on sensor technologies, connected devices and the consequences of this interconnectivity. The device mesh will drive augmented and virtual reality with huge implications for citizens, governments and businesses alike. Blending with ambient user experience, organizations will need to consider their customers’ behavior journeys to shift the focus on design from discreet apps to the entire mesh of products and services involved in the user experience. Part of the mesh are also the opportunities 3D printing may bring with them – with its capacity to prototype a wide range of materials. A related trend is the smart machines11. The key element of the future will be data and information. Data analytics will drive production processes as well as help steer, manage and optimize value chains 3 Schwab, Klaus (2016): The Fourth Industrial Revolution, World Economic Forum 4 Brynjolfsson, Erik and Andrew McAfee (2012): Race against the machine: How the digital revolution is accelerating innovation, driving productivity, and irreversibly transforming employment in the economy 5 Schwab, Klaus (2016): The Fourth Industrial Revolution, World Economic Forum 6 Schwab, Klaus (2016): The Fourth Industrial Revolution, World Economic Forum 7 For instance Leitao, Paulo (2008): Agent-based distributed manufacturing control 8 Schwab, Klaus (2016): The Fourth Industrial Revolution, World Economic Forum 9 Schwab, Klaus (2016): The Fourth Industrial Revolution, World Economic Forum 10 Gartner Group (2016): Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends For 2016, http://www.ibaset.com/blog/gartner-top-10-strategic-technology-trends-for-2016-define-the-future-ofmanufacturing/ 11 Gartner Group (2016): Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends For 2016, http://www.ibaset.com/blog/gartner-top-10-strategic-technology-trends-for-2016-define-the-future-ofmanufacturing/