Intelligent manufacturing eco-system: A post COVID-19 recovery and growth opportunity for manufacturing industry in Sub-Saharan countries.

ABSTRACT

The lagging behind intelligent technologies and the COVID-19 pandemic together have impacted the emerging economy particularly the manufacturing sector in sub-Saharan countries. This paper systematically discusses intelligent manufacturing technologies with an aim to map out their importance and industrial applicability and to show their significance to contain COVID-19 pandemic. Intelligent Manufacturing Systems (IMS) is then adapted as a post COVID-19 recovery and growth opportunity to ensemble to production processes of manufacturing industry in the sub-Saharan countries. Proposition of a Triple Helix Collaboration Eco-system that delineate a recursive contribution of Government(s), academia, and industry accompanies the IMS adoption. The intention is to shape the existing industrial challenges through networking in the area of intelligence technologies. While proposing the Eco-system, a post COVID-19 recovery and growth opportunity and intra-Africa scientific collaborations are taken into account.