We’re all investing heavily in AI — yet most struggle to move beyond pilots and proofs of concept. In this landmark MAINSTREAM Lecture, Jeff Winter introduces the Intelligent Factory: not a collection of smarter machines, but an enterprise-wide operating model where intelligence and autonomy are deliberately designed into every decision.

Drawing on his global expertise in Industry 4.0, Jeff reframes AI not as a tool, but as a structural capability that fundamentally changes decision speed, accountability, and execution — and reveals why so many AI initiatives stall before they deliver real value.

Attendees will leave with clear answers to the questions that matter most:

• Why AI initiatives stall in production — and the structural decisions that are quietly killing ROI
• How AI has evolved across levels of understanding and agency, and what that means for your factory floor
• The critical difference between what AI can comprehend and what it should be authorised to do
• How autonomy introduces new governance, accountability, and organisational challenges most manufacturers aren't prepared for
• The three preconditions for operational AI: Anchor it, Authorise it, and Adapt it — the foundation for scaling AI safely and effectively

Jeff Winter is one of the world's leading voices in Industry 4.0 and digital transformation — a rare communicator who makes complex ideas land with equal force in the boardroom and on the shop floor. As a board member of MESA, leader of ISA's Smart Manufacturing & IIoT Division, U.S. registered expert for IEC TC 65, and Smart Manufacturing Advisory Board member at Purdue University, Jeff brings unmatched authority and practical insight to MAINSTREAM in our 30th year.