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Bahrain Plans To Develop 300 Smart Factories By 2026
The iFactories initiative will adopt the top regional and global practices to ensure sustainability and raise productivity.
Bahrain has launched an initiative to support its manufacturing sector as the world moves closer towards the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The initiative is known as iFactories and will assess factories’ readiness and digital maturity while allowing businesses to invest in new infrastructure and manufacturing automation technologies.
Abdullah bin Abdel Fakhro, Bahrain’s Minister of Industry and Commerce, said the initiative aims to transform 300 manufacturing facilities into smart factories by 2026.
The initiative will use a four-step process:
- Evaluation by the ministry with technical assistance to conduct self-evaluation.
- Evaluation by a team of accredited evaluators.
- Empowerment, involving the factory creating a digital transformation plan.
- Development, with the ministry monitoring the transformation process.
Dr. Khaled Fahad Al Alawi, Assistant Undersecretary for Industrial Development, explained that smart factories would be evaluated using the SIRI index, an international standard based on applying practices and tools centered around the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
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The latest initiative is part of broader plans to drive growth by modernizing Bahrain’s industrial sector and encouraging businesses to automate and expand their operations.