The use of the term “Smart factory” by both industrial operators and scholars has not resulted, yet, in a shared definition, that might help accelerate the understanding of the topic under discussion. In literature, the concept has different levels of meaning, referring either to the technology, the approach or the paradigm. Among the many terms employed the most frequent are:
• Smart Factory;
• Factory of the Future (FoF), including Digital Factory, Virtual Factory, and Digital Manufacturing;
• Industry 4.0.
Author: Simone Bertini, con la collaborazione di QUINN, Consorzio Universitari in Ingegneria per la Qualità e l’Innovazione, coordinato da Andrea Bonaccorsi e Giacomo Petrini.
