In today’s world, technology transforms every part of our lives, and autonomous cars are no different. While self-driving cars may still seem like science fiction to many, they are set to rule the transportation sector in the not-so-distant future. Cars that can navigate without human input will be used by the U.S. government for public transport and industrial fleets by 2025, according to the latest reports. Experts believe autonomous cars will decrease road accidents, improve fuel efficiency and lessen traffic jams, among other benefits. To explain this and other important concepts of self-driving cars, check out this Get Off Road infographic on the growth of the autonomous car market.

With private equity firms approaching potential sellers more frequently, transactions like the recent Kar Nut Products Co. sale to a private equity fund are on the rise. This week on the blog, Bill Rosin, managing member of Dawda, Mann, Mulcahy & Sadler, PLC, discusses the complex legal considerations and financial ramifications of such deals as this phenomenon continues to become more common.

Manufacturing automation and jobs are a hot topic politically, especially here in Michigan. Brooke Allen of WKAR’s Morning Edition caught up with Automation Alley Executive Director Tom Kelly during his time at the annual Mackinac Policy Conference to discuss how technology is transforming our lives and how Automation Alley is helping companies navigate to Industry 4.0. He explains why automation is our path forward to job creation, and where we will be in 2020.

Mike Folster of Behco-MRM, a distributor and integrator of robotic technologies, discusses the value his company gets from its relationship with Automation Alley.

Automation Alley added 13 new members in April. Click the link below to meet them.

Technology is coming at record speed, and it’s only getting faster. How can business leaders succeed in a world of digital disruption? In this blog post, Suman Sarkar, author and partner with Three S Consulting, discusses what sets the smartest leaders apart.

It’s time to overcome the divide that still has operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT) professionals using different terminology, ranking priorities differently and focusing on different goals, says our partners at SME. This week on the blog, read about the fun and creative way they are bringing awareness to the opportunities that exist when these two camps—OT and IT—work together.

About 500,000 computer programming jobs are vacant in the U.S., and yet most American high schools don’t teach computer science. This week on the blog, Kip Fern of Microsoft Philanthropies shares how tech companies and educators are addressing this growing crisis by bringing computer science into schools through TEALS (Technology Education And Literacy in Schools), opening doors to new opportunities for high school students in Michigan and across the country.

This week on the blog, Godfrey Nolan, president of RIIS LLC, explains why his company infected its old computers with ransomware. As odd as it sounds, he says, there’s no better learning tool for how to stop a cyberattack than having to save a computer nobody wants. “If your first encounter with ransomware is during an attack, then it’s probably going to be too late and you may as well admit defeat.”

While Industry 4.0 will continue as a long-term vision for the future, it’s important for all manufacturers to recognize that opportunities to leverage data are here now. This week on the blog, Alexi Antonino of Plex Systems discusses what it’s like working as a technologist in a rather extraordinary time in tech and manufacturing. “I’m most interested in how we take the incredible spectrum of data that comes from these new platforms and leverage it for practical business tools today.”