Oliver Wang highlights the traps that can impede OT data acquisition, slowing down a digital transformation.

Making a major investment – particularly when it involves transformative technologies – can be daunting. Andy Macpherson offers some advice those considering implementing a smart factory strategy.

For manufacturers to attract the best talent, they need to adapt to their environment by making tactical investments in digital solutions, argues Jason Chester.

Much of the excitement about the Industrial Internet of Things revolves around the data that can be generated. The ‘things’ that gather this data are often overshadowed. Suzanne Gill spoke to device vendors to get their thoughts on the value of ‘things.

Control Engineering Europe finds out what technologies and innovations are needed to make OT/IT convergence a reality for manufacturers.

While the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) may provide a theoretical opportunity within an enterprise to receive all the relevant information needed, it does not, by itself, make that practically feasible in a scalable fashion, says Hermann Berg, head of Industrial IoT at Moxa Europe.

Control Engineering Europe spoke to industry experts to find out more about AIoT and what opportunities it might offer in industrial applications.

With a perfect storm of labour shortages and the Covid-19 pandemic, Suzanne Gill finds out whether the importance of digitalisation has increased, to help ensure more resilient and robust food production processes. 

Suzanne Gill looks at the effect of the current global pandemic on the manufacturing digitalisation journey.

Notwithstanding the current COVID crisis, other megatrends are having, and will have, an even greater effect on the manufacturers of the future. Nigel Dawson from Festo SE & Co KG discusses how these opportunities can be exploited.

Tim Faulkner believes that the challenges posed by 2020 have resulted in greater determination from many manufacturers to start their digital journey to ensure they remain competitive.

While we are still embroiled in the battle to contain and defeat Covid-19, nobody truly knows the eventual outcomes – but we can begin to assess the impacts and respond positively to change, says Steve Sands. 

There appears to be agreement among automation vendors that Operational Technology (OT) and Information Technology (IT) convergence is now becoming a reality across all industrial sectors. Suzanne Gill finds out more about the impact that this will have on the role of the control engineer.

Richard Kenedi, senior vice president of manufacturing at industrial software provider GE Digital, and George Walker, managing director of industrial automation expert Novotek UK, discuss the ideal path to industrial digital transformation.

Nigel Dawson, Global Head of Electric Automation Business Development at Festo explains how a single machine can demonstrate the possible opportunities of IoT in manufacturing.

José Miguel Dias Pereira summarises the main strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and offers an overview of the real-time demands of industrial networks, at plant level, at DCS level, and at SCADA level.

According to automation vendors there is still some way to go before industry starts to reap the benefits promised by Industry 4.0. The next step is the adoption of a variety of enabling technologies. 

Josep Lario, EMEA product marketing manager, Software, at Omron, comments on how industry is overcoming the challenges associated with the move towards greater collaboration between man and machine.

Philipp Jauch believes that change to both machinery and business models are needed to allow us to really see the full potential of Industry 4.0.

Industry 4.0 has now moved well beyond the concept stage although there is still a long way to go. The next generation 5G wireless networks and the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be crucial elements to enable Industry 4.0 to be wholly implemented, says Steve Sands.