Inclusion and Industry 4.0
Event Summary
Inclusion and Industry 4.0: Forging a High-Wage Future for Chicagoland was a regional summit convened on June 6, 2018, at the University of Illinois Chicago to advance an inclusive strategy for revitalizing manufacturing in the Chicago metropolitan area. Bringing together labor, workforce, community, business, and political leaders, the event focused on building an actionable roadmap to ensure that the next era of industrial transformation delivers high-quality jobs and equitable economic opportunity for diverse communities.
The summit centered on Industry 4.0—often described as the fourth industrial revolution—defined by advanced manufacturing, automation, digital technologies, and data-driven production. Rather than treating technological change as inevitable or neutral, participants examined how policy, workforce development, and public investment can shape Industry 4.0 to benefit workers and communities historically excluded from economic growth. The program emphasized placing equity, inclusion, and shared prosperity at the core of regional manufacturing strategies.
Key remarks were delivered by Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs, alongside other regional leaders, highlighting the role of public institutions in supporting innovation, responsible investment, and workforce readiness. New research presented by The Century Foundation and UIC’s Great Cities Institute explored the untapped potential of manufacturing to expand economic opportunity, strengthen middle-class pathways, and rebuild communities affected by deindustrialization.
Throughout the day, speakers and participants discussed strategies to align labor standards, skills training, and technological innovation; expand access to high-wage manufacturing careers; and ensure that workers and frontline communities help shape the future of the regional economy. The summit underscored the importance of cross-sector collaboration—uniting unions, employers, researchers, and policymakers—to translate research and vision into concrete action.
The event was the third in a national regional series organized by The Century Foundation’s High Wage America campaign, part of the Bernard L. Schwartz Rediscovering Government Initiative. It was co-hosted by the Industrial Union Council (AFL-CIO), Chicago Federation of Labor, Manufacturing Renaissance, and the UIC Great Cities Institute, reinforcing a shared commitment to making Chicagoland a model for inclusive, high-wage manufacturing in the 21st century.