Rockwell Automation on How AI is Redefining the Manufacturing Workforce
Rockwell Automation on How AI is Redefining the Manufacturing Workforce
Synopsis:
- iTnews Asia reports AI is shifting manufacturing from optimisation to workforce transformation.
- Marcelo Tarkieltaub of Rockwell Automation says AI augments people, not replaces them.
- Pharbaco case study shows AI driving 45% energy savings and better compliance.
- Leadership must embed AI training, cross-functional collaboration, and cultural change.
- AI is now a strategy for resilience and sustainability, not just a tool.
4 min read
iTnews Asia reports that across factory floors in Asia Pacific and beyond, a quiet revolution is underway. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer seen as a peripheral tool but as a core driver in how modern industrial enterprises design, operate, and build. Rather than displacing people, AI is reshaping roles and redefining what capability, talent, and leadership mean on the factory floor.
According to Marcelo Tarkieltaub, Regional Director for Southeast Asia at Rockwell Automation, decades of manufacturing focused on faster machines, leaner processes, and efficiency gains. That narrative has shifted. AI has emerged as a strategic response to workforce gaps, turning scarcity into talent multiplication.
Manufacturers face a dilemma: experienced workers are aging out faster than replacements arrive, while digital demands accelerate. AI, Tarkieltaub notes, steps in as a multiplier—enabling predictive maintenance, real-time quality checks, and production optimisation. Workers move from executing tasks to interpreting data. This evolution requires more than technology. It demands cultural and strategic reinvestment in people, with new approaches to recruitment, training, and incentives.
“Organisations must rethink workforce development,” said Tarkieltaub, stressing that leadership must drive change management, digital literacy, and cross-functional alignment. Without this shift, even the best AI investments underperform.
A practical example comes from Pharbaco, a Vietnamese pharmaceutical manufacturer, which used AI and smart automation to meet strict compliance standards while cutting energy use by 45 percent and improving cleanroom efficiency. These gains were not only operational but also talent-focused, freeing workers to take on higher-value tasks.
Leadership priorities outlined by Tarkieltaub include embedding AI training as a core skill, unifying HR, IT, and Operations, and clearly communicating AI’s benefits to reduce fear. In cost-sensitive regions, modular AI deployments layered onto legacy systems can deliver results without disruption.
“What we’re seeing is a realignment of industrial work,” he said. “The question is no longer how machines can be more productive, but how people can be more empowered with machines.”
The future of manufacturing, he concluded, belongs not to the most automated plants but to the enterprises where people and AI thrive together.
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About Rockwell Automation
Rockwell Automation is a global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation, headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The company provides advanced hardware, software, and services that help manufacturers across industries optimise production, improve safety, and accelerate sustainability initiatives. Its portfolio spans control systems, industrial IoT platforms, AI-driven analytics, and smart manufacturing solutions designed to integrate people, processes, and technology. Through its flagship FactoryTalk® suite and Allen-Bradley® line of products, Rockwell Automation supports enterprises in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, automotive, energy, food and beverage, and semiconductors.
With operations in over 100 countries, the company partners with businesses to modernise factory floors, bridge talent gaps, and ensure resilience in rapidly evolving markets. Rockwell Automation’s focus on combining digital innovation with human expertise positions it as a key enabler of Industry 4.0, helping manufacturers achieve both operational efficiency and long-term workforce empowerment.
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