It's happening fast.  Everywhere we turn, processes, machines, and devices are becoming more connected and intelligent.  Production machines, gas turbines, and thermostats all stream data.  Refineries, oil platforms, mines, and wind turbines are optimizing asset and operating performance.  Design software links to additive machines to print parts directly.  Discrete manufacturing shop floors are optimizing production efficiency.  And it's only the beginning.

Challenges continue to grow for the industrial cybersecurity community.  Broader deployment of operational technology is expanding the use cases requiring protection.  Resource shortages are undermining the effectiveness of established defenses.  Blurring boundaries between IT, OT, and IoT are increasing the need for more integrated, collaborative cybersecurity strategies. The number of clouds and edge devices have exploded and are changing automation system architectures. The development of OPC UA, DDS, and TSN has significant impact on industrial communication and fieldbuses.

• How will disruptive technologies change existing products, processes and plants?
• Can cybersecurity threats be overcome?
• How will edge and fog computing change control architectures?
• How shall end users deal with the tsunami of clouds coming along with new production machines?  Will there eventually be a cloud standard?
• When will machine learning and artificial intelligence transform operations?
• Will open source solutions impact traditional software and automation domains?
• How will a digitally-enhanced workforce stem the loss of tribal knowledge?
• How to deal with batch size = 1 for extreme individualization?
• How do connected products create opportunities in aftermarket services?
• What steps can organizations take to foster innovative thinking?
• Will OPC UA and TSN supersede today’s variety of fieldbuses?
• Why do machine builders develop their own IT platforms?
• Will multiagent controls replace today’s central PLC-focused controls?

There are countless ways to run your digital transformation, many technologies and suppliers to evaluate, and endless choices to make.  Embedded systems, networks, software platforms, augmented reality, and machine learning will play a role as you begin to improve uptime, optimize performance, enhance services, and re-think your business models.

At the Forum, end users will present case studies that inspire participants to network and ask questions related to their own operations.  No presentation can be more inspiring than a peer talking about the practices put in place, what the company learned, what the benefits were, and how the project was implemented.  At the previous ARC Forum, Dow Chemical, Lonmin, Nestlé, Red Bull Technology, and Sitech spoke about their approaches, implementations, and experiences.

Join us at the annual ARC Industry Forum Europe in Sitges, Spain to learn more about how your plants, equipment, and infrastructure will be digitalized and secured.  Discover what your peers are doing today and what steps they are taking in their respective journeys.