The Industrial Internet will be made up of advanced sensors, intelligent machines, data networks and analytic software.
However, the coming Industrial Internet revolution will depend on the talents of people who will design, build, operate, secure and regulate the technologies that comprise it.
What sort of people will an economy transformed by the Industrial Internet demand?
Next-generation engineers who will blend traditional disciplines, such as mechanical engineering, with information and computing skills to create specialty fields.
Data scientists who will create the analytics platforms, algorithms and models that will collect data and give it meaning.
Software developers who will design sophisticated data analytics tools, capable of processing and analyzing millions of reports from intelligent machines.
User interface experts who will tame a tsunami of data to help operators select and use the information they need most.
Data network specialists who will design networks capable of securely transmitting staggering volumes of data.
Cyber security engineers who will inspire confidence in using new data systems by protecting, encrypting and securing valuable networks, both in the cloud and through every cutting-edge device connected to the network.
Operators who can understand the value of the data they’re receiving, and who will use it to make businesses, and the machinery and processes they depend on, operate more efficiently.
Educators who will synthesize the requirements of new disciplines and infuse students with the skills they need to succeed in an economy transformed by data.
Regulators, from legislators to industry professionals, who will help design the consistent protocols, voluntary standards and regulations under which new business models will flourish.
The Industrial Internet will also require people to take on roles that haven’t yet been conceived. As talent markets and educational institutions realign with the realities of the Industrial Internet, companies will initially rely on their existing talent, establishing new positions as they draw upon their most versatile and adventurous employees.
The Industrial Internet will be built on new technology. But it will rely on the talent, skills and expertise of people to give it value.