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7 ST/Industrial Sensing Solutions M any sensors find deployment within today's factories. The data that gets collected through these sensors play a critical role in enhanc- ing productivity and efficiency of factories in the era of Industry 4.0. This article describes some signif- icant applications of Micro-electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS)-sensors in industrial products and facilities. Our discussions start with the term "Smart Industry." What exactly is meant by the term Smart Industry? Here is a definition of Smart Industry: "Smart Industry" is an evolution that builds on many technological advances over the past decades but which will fundamentally change the way factories and workplaces function. "Smart" means doing things more efficiently, more flexibly, and in a more environmentally friendly manner while creating a safer workplace. Quality sensor data play a critical role in the thriving smart industry: Productivity, quality, reliability, and safety heavily depend on the accurate and reliable data provided by the sensors employed. However, if you look at the definition of the smart industry in the market, one realizes that different manufacturers are forming their ideas and interpretations of what a "smart factory" as part of a Smart Industry should be and what they want it to do for them. There is a general agreement that when you try to create a smart factory environment, it comes down to the overall system architecture and to make sure that a large number of new sensors that get deployed will have the ability to communicate via a com- munication network. That means that industrial networks with the most reliable connectivity and sensor solutions Essential Building Blocks of a Productive Industry: Industrial Sensors Making Them a Reality By Jay Esfandyari, Ph.D., Senior Manager, MEMS & Sensors Product Marketing at STMicroelectronics are the foundation of a smart factory. These solutions are critical in achieving reliable process control and real-time monitoring of various machines, which will eventually lead to better performance and more flexible, productive, and efficient manufacturing. This concept is also part of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), which has attracted a lot of attention in the community of experts for industrial solutions. Smart industry in a broader sense, is a comprehensive combination of various areas of manufacturing, which includes automation, control, modern robotics, motor con- trol, sensors, connected machines, and so on. Big data, ar- tificial intelligence, and machine learning are the essential ingredients of smart industry. These new technologies are going to play an increasingly important role in an intelli- gent manufacturing environment. As sensors have contin- ued to become more accurate, more cost-effective, and more reliable and affordable connectivity solutions have entered the market, the Smart Industry has moved from u Predictive Maintenance & Monitoring Solution