From February 2017, the teams at Atos will be sharing their expertise and skills with the students at HEC Paris who are studying digital business (Digital Major and the Digital Certificate). Atos will also run a series of digital workshops to dedicate time to students looking at issues connected to digital transformation. These events help promote an exchange of experience and identify best practice in a neutral and open academic environment.

Focusing on the digitalisation of the supply chain and 3D printing, Industry 4.0 is upending the traditional separation between front office and back office in a connected world. Thanks to a convergence between technologies and operations, Industry 4.0 is opening up the way to intelligent product and maintenance lifecycle management processes. This digital revolution, which combines the Internet of Things (50 billion things connected by 2020) and Big Data, will uncover a whole range of possibilities by connecting B2C and B2B universes, marking a real disruption both in the world of business and in society in general.

With the major issue of digital sovereignty still being debated, Industry 4.0 is one of the fields of excellence at Atos, illustrated by its strategic partnership in Research and Development with world industrial leader Siemens, symbolising the most important Franco-German alliance since Airbus.

In terms of training, Industry 4.0 requires both a multi-disciplinary and a technological approach; Atos is supporting HEC Paris’ ambition to become an international standard in teaching and training managers who are renowned for their vision and capacity to deliver in the digital world, and particularly in the field of Industry 4.0.

Peter Todd, Dean of HEC Paris said: "Industry is experiencing a digital revolution that is rewriting business models. Using Atos’ expertise, a company renowned as a world leader in Industry 4.0, HEC Paris’ Digital Centre will develop courses and qualifications suited to managers in this field."

Jean-Marie Simon, Head of Atos France, continues: "We are still at the dawn of the digital revolution, which is radically transforming all sectors. It is vital to train the leaders of tomorrow, who will be able to anticipate the changes to come and exploit them, for the benefit of companies, employees, customers, and society as a whole. In October last year, Atos announced a project to create a Data Science course in France at the heart of the Paris-Saclay campus focusing on training, research and supporting the development of start-ups. Within this framework, the partnership with HEC Paris is a strategic one for Atos and a further example of the importance of collaboration between academia and the world of business on the subjects of the future."