One of the greatest joys of serving as president of the International Society of Automation (ISA) is being invited to represent ISA and make presentations on behalf of our community.
I was fortunate to be asked recently to give the keynote address and participate in a panel discussion at the ARC Europe Forum, and of course I will also shortly present at our own OT Cybersecurity Summit in London on 18-19 June.
Automation does not eliminate jobs, as some have feared; rather, it repurposes existing jobs and creates new ones. As a society, our focus should be on preparing our workforce to meet the high and growing demand for engineers and technicians. We must educate enough people to be well versed in automation technologies, as well as the industry standards and conformance programs that support the automation field.
This paper was the focus of my recent keynote address – you can sign up to access the file here. A few highlights are shown just below.
Advanced automation technologies, implemented by knowledgeable and skilled professionals, are being employed across the entire infrastructure of energy production, storage and transmission to keep global energy supplies safe, efficient and secure while meeting these demands of the future.
Energy production that is efficient, sustainable and safe depends upon automation technologies and people working together to implement the most creative and innovative solutions.
The global pandemic and political instability have forced many manufacturers to shift their operations closer to home as they seek to increase efficiencies and reduce supply chain risks. Manufacturers can optimize their efforts to adapt and strengthen their supply chains by relying on automation technologies, including:
Cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities pose a clear and present danger to our facilities, our processes, and the safety of our communities. But when most people think about cybersecurity, they focus on what are commonly considered information technology (IT) challenges impacting individual equipment or networks. While these are valid concerns, the impact on the facility or its operation from equipment or network compromise is much more concerning.
This position paper aims to address how policy makers and private-sector leaders can be best equipped to address the urgent need for improved critical infrastructure cybersecurity through globally relevant standards and conformance programs, as well as strong support for the community of engineers and automation professionals working every day to keep our facilities, processes, and communities safe.
Automation offers new ways to accelerate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) activities across manufacturing, industry, and beyond. This ISA position paper offers specific recommendations for organizations seeking to demonstrate ESG leadership through the application of automation technologies and systems, including:
This paper in particular is very close to my heart, as it began its life as a blog post I co-authored, “Sustainable Automation.”
I invite you to explore these position papers and let me know what you think. Your ideas are always most welcome at president@isa.org.
Even more ISA papers and content can be accessed by ISA members on Pub Hub, the society’s vast library of content and information.
There you can access a wealth of technical content, including: ISA standards, best practices and technical reports, e-magazines and archives of InTech magazine, white papers, webinars and more.