When you think of Berlin, the first things that come to mind could be bratwurst, beer, or the Brandenburg Gate. But in the world of Manufacturing, Berlin is also a hotbed for innovation. And we were right at the center of this during our special Manufacturing conversation earlier this week at our openBerlin Innovation Center, where we connected partners and customers with some of the foremost leaders in the Internet of Things (IoT).

Industrie 4.0 was top of mind, as innovations in digital manufacturing and Industrial IoT drive efficiencies in manufacturing environments. Maciej Kranz, Cisco's Vice President of the Corporate Strategic Innovation Group, kicked off the conversation with anecdotes about IoT use cases. While smart city solutions such as parking, lighting, and waste management are the most popular IoT implementation cases, we're also seeing solutions emerging in the healthcare and retail industries. The manufacturing landscape plays a significant role in delivering IoT, and Cisco's Connected Factory solution helps bring it to life.

Maciej Kranz, author of New York Times Bestseller, "Building the Internet of Things"

For operations teams to reduce downtime and improve overall equipment effectiveness, Maciej emphasized the importance of including predictive analytics using a connected device topology. When implementing an IoT solution, Maciej shared one should "dream big, but start small." Start with a usable solution and scale it across your environment.

Our guests dove deeper into Cisco's manufacturing solutions, starting with Vikas Butaney, General Manager of Cisco's IoT portfolio. Vikas spoke on the importance of using IoT as a foundational technology for accelerating business outcomes and embracing digital transformation using IT, security, and networking infrastructure. While transitioning to IoT can seem daunting, Vikas described simplifying implementation using IoT-ready devices, making it much easier to connect, manage, adapt, and deploy.

Vikas Butaney describes how IoT accelerates digital transformation

We concluded our day with product demos where our customers and partners visualized our Manufacturing and IoT solutions in action. To learn more about starting your IoT Manufacturing journey, check out our Digital Manufacturing website.