ISA Automation Summit and Expo - Digital Transformation Track

Keynote - Beyond the Stars: How Digital Transformation is Shaping the Future of Space Exploration

Carolina Ballroom | Francis Marion Hotel
Houston Green, Space Exploration Engineer, The Aerospace Corporation, NASA Johnson Space Center

Houston Green is the Human Surface Mobility and Extravehicular Activity Program Technical Leader for reduced gravity environments at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC). He manages cost, schedule, and upgrades for the Active Response Gravity Offload System (ARGOS) Project used in testing of the Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) and space suits associated with the xEVAS contract and is currently writing system requirements for a host of new and innovative gravity offload capabilities to be used for testing and training of Astronauts within upcoming Artemis missions. Houston was previously a Designer and Operator on the ARGOS Project, where his team designed and are currently assembling the Next Generation ARGOS (AX3S) in the Building 9 Highbay at JSC.

The Current State of Industry 4.0

Colonial Ballroom | Francis Marion Hotel
Presenter: Jeff Winter, ISA Member

Explore how manufacturers can thrive in the era of industry 4.0 by capturing and harnessing the power of data to unlock innovation and deliver new revenue streams. This session will highlight the companies who are doing it best.

Jeff Winter is a globally recognized thought leader in Industry 4.0 and manufacturing, with over 55 million views of his content and 110k LinkedIn followers. Honored more than 25 times as a top expert in his field, Jeff excels at simplifying and communicating complex concepts to diverse audiences, from the shop floor to the executive boardroom. With nearly 20 years of experience in industrial automation, he is a passionate advocate for digital transformation. Jeff is also highly active in the Industry 4.0 community. He serves on the Executive board for the International Society of Automation (ISA), the International Board of Directors for MESA (Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association), a U.S. registered expert for the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) as a member of TC 65 and as a Smart Manufacturing Advisor to CESMII.

Data Governance and Why Your Data Backend Matters

Colonial Ballroom | Francis Marion Hotel
Presenter: Tom Hollingworth, Principal Consultant, Rhize Manufacturing Data Hub

In this session we will explore the critical importance of robust data governance and its impact on your organization’s data backend. As data becomes the lifeblood of businesses, understanding how to harness and manage it effectively can make or break your company's success in today's digital age.

Tom Hollingworth is a proven manufacturing technologist specializing in filling gaps in traditional enterprise/factory floor integration. An expedited learner with an eye on future trends that embraces the customer’s view of what quality should really be.

Introducing Generative AI to your Organization: How ISA is Driving Digital Transformation with Their New LLM, Mimo!

Jason Wampler 100x100 Colonial Ballroom | Francis Marion Hotel
Presenter: Jason Wampler, Managing Director of Information Technology, ISA

In this captivating session, ISA’s own Jason Wampler will discuss the transformative power of Generative AI and its potential to revolutionize organizations across various industries. Jason will discuss how ISA is successfully leveraging their new Large Language Model (LLM) – Mimo - for digital transformation, and will explore the key strategies, challenges, and opportunities that arise when introducing Generative AI to your organization. Discover the tangible benefits of LLMs in optimizing workflows, enhancing customer experiences, and unlocking new business opportunities

Jason Wampler, the Managing Director of IT for the International Society of Automation, boasts a successful career leading top-performing teams and deploying cutting-edge technology solutions. His vast experience spans project management, networking infrastructure, and business process enhancements. With a talent for harnessing emerging technologies like virtualization, cloud computing, and now AI to drive business growth and transformation, Jason is an industry leader in leveraging data-driven insights for operational efficiency. Holding certifications in Responsible AI, ITIL v3 Foundations along with having a CAE, he demonstrates a steadfast commitment to staying ahead of industry trends. Jason's 25 years of non-profit and association technology expertise makes him an invaluable speaker on IT leadership and digital transformation in any setting.

Panel: Connecting Intelligence with Technology

Carolina Ballroom | Francis Marion Hotel

Traditionally, manufacturing systems were integrated through point-to-point connections. This meant that as new systems were added, they would need to be integrated with all other systems. As manufacturers become data driven organizations, it became clear that traditional architectures would no longer suffice. This panel will discuss how manufacturing and business systems should be integrated through a common technology stack. The result is faster integration and short time to value.

Moderator: David Schultz, Senior Consultant, Spruik Technologies

Panelists:

effrey Schroeder, Product Manager, HighByte

Russell Gregg, Director of Manufacturing Solutions, Canary Labs

Robert Graves, Technical Solutions Program Manager, Sales Engineering, Inductive Automation

Dan White, Director of Technical Marketing, Opto 22

Josh Schadel, General Manager & CTO, Signalfire Wireless Telemetry

Arlen Nipper, President & CTO, Cirrus Link

Jeffrey Schroeder is a product manager at HighByte, focused on guiding the company’s product strategy. His areas of responsibility include market research, product positioning, product road mapping, and ecosystem integration strategy. Jeffrey is an experienced technologist who has more than a decade of experience in technology leadership roles in the automotive and discrete manufacturing industries. He brings deep domain expertise and perspectives in information technology, operations, and management for industrial organizations.

Robert Graves joined Inductive Automation in 2019 as a Technical Sales Representative and previously served as the Technical Sales Manager. Before joining Inductive Automation, Robert worked in the ethanol industry for 9 years and led a variety of IT infrastructure, virtualization, ERP and OT projects. He has two bachelor’s degrees: History and Administrative Studies from UC Riverside and Electrical Engineering from Arizona State. He also has a Master's in Information Systems from the University of San Francisco and is certified as a Project Management Professional.

Dan White has worked at Opto 22 for over a decade. His Tufts Engineering background, MBA in International Business and prior industrial controls experience give him a unique edge on automation. Dan enjoys staying active through biking, basketball, skiing and keeping up with his three young kids!

As the General Manager and CTO of SignalFire Wireless Telemetry, Josh Schadel leads the company’s innovation and growth in the field of wireless automation solutions for industrial applications. He has over 25 years of expertise in high-tech instrumentation, specializing in embedded systems and low-power wireless sensor networks. He was a key contributor to SignalFire’s product development and technology since he joined the company in 2008 as the Director of Engineering. Josh graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute with a bachelor’s degree in electrical and computer engineering.

The Future of Flexible Manufacturing

Colonial Ballroom | Francis Marion Hotel
Presenter: Andrew McDonald, Principal Consultant/Managing Director, FutureofManufacturing LLC

Manufacturing has traditionally relied on business models that drive economies of scale, based on costly carbon-heavy supply chains, that as the COVID pandemic showed, often lack resilience. Every day manufacturers across the globe, execute demand decisions, based on lagging indicators, over long planning horizons, making products far from where they are to be consumed. In this dynamic session, learn how manufacturing will move towards making today what was sold yesterday, leveraging a dynamic ecosystem of flexible manufacturing nodes coupled with complete supply chain visibility. You will hear about the upcoming revolution and how it will foster automated collaboration between buyers of product, those who create it and those owning the IP on how to manufacture, and how it opens up new business models for manufacturing and exciting times ahead for the automation community to invent the infrastructure of the future.

Andrew McDonald is Principal Consultant/Managing Director of FutureofManufacturing LLC a company focused on delivering strategic consulting services for organizations that are moving to full-scale digital transformation of manufacturing. Andrew's expertise lies in Business Strategy Development, Technology Road Mapping, New Business Model Development, Venture Capital Investment Analysis, Change Leadership, Transformational Program Leadership, and Digital Manufacturing. Prior to the formation of FutureofManufacturing LLC, Andrew served as Director for Future Manufacturing at Unilever and led robotics and physical automation, digital factory and factory cybersecurity programs, company-wide.

Industrial AI - The New Automation

Jonas Berge - 100x100

Colonial Ballroom | Francis Marion Hotel
Presenter: Jonas Berge, Senior Director of Applied Technology, Emerson in Singapore

In this cutting-edge session, we’ll delve into the exciting ways Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the deployment of automation systems. Join us as we explore the pivotal role of industrial AI in enhancing production and maintenance operations, and how it serves as a driving force behind configuration systems and sensors integration.

Jonas Berge is the Senior Director of Applied Technology at Emerson in Singapore. He is a trusted advisor for plants and EPCs to adopt new automation technologies moving the industry forward with digital transformation. He has over thirty years of experience in the field of industrial automation. Mr. Berge is a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in Digital Transformation (DX) including data management, and industrial AI. Mr. Berge is the author of two books and has contributed to several others. He is frequently featured in articles and technical papers.

Keynote - Data Security in Generating Renewable Energy

Carolina Ballroom | Francis Marion Hotel
James Clark, Vice President, Information Technology, South Jersey Industries Information Security

Jamie will present a success story on delivering a secure solution allowing data to traverse OT to IT to gain central visibility across our entire portfolio of farms generating renewable energy. It is a very challenging project designed from the ground up, emphasizing cyber security for safety and compliance.

With 22 years of experience leading IT teams and 15 years in building cybersecurity programs across the chemical, medical, and utility industries, Jamie Clark is a visionary technologist who bridges the gap between security, IT, SCADA, and business teams. Currently, Jamie leads the Information Security (IT/OT) & GRC programs for South Jersey Industries (SJI), where he also manages the OT Solution Services Team. SJI is a leader in delivering safe, reliable, and affordable energy solutions. Jamie holds a BS in Computer Information Systems (CIS), an MBA, and certifications including Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and Global Industrial Cyber Security Professional (GISCP).

Leveraging Digital Transformation to Reduce Cost of Instrumentation Testing

Colonial Ballroom | Francis Marion Hotel
Presenter: Eric Van Beek, Product Manager, aeShield

The ACME Chemical Company tests 20,000 instruments annually. These instruments have been added to the testing program over the last 20 years and were deemed to be safety critical, production critical, environmentally critical, air permit critical, etc. Management has asked the maintenance/reliability team to reduce the cost of testing but still maintain the overall reliability and safety of the facility. So, how does one achieve what appears to be conflicting goals to extend testing from 12 months to 24 months or even longer while simultaneously maintaining instrumentation performance?

This presentation will address how to digitally transform your instrumentation testing program, such that it delivers actionable data to the maintenance/reliability team. This instrumentation centric data can be leveraged to Conduct sensitivity/impact analysis on test interval extension and resultant instrumentation reliability/performance. With impact analysis data at one's fingertips, informed business decisions can be easily made regarding optimization of the instrumentation mechanical integrity program.

A typical case study with ROI cost analysis will be presented, highlighting the benefits of Digitally Transforming your Instrument Reliability program to:

Deliver quality failure rate DATA
Conduct rapid reliability assessments
Provide justification to extending testing
Reduce costs while minimizing business risk

Eric Van Beek is a product manager for aeShield, a software company that specializes in the digitalization of process / functional safety lifecycle solutions. He has over 14 years of experience supporting the process safety lifecycle for companies in the oil and gas, petrochemical, and biotech/pharmaceutical sectors. His experience is associated with Process Hazards Analysis studies (PHAs), Layer of Protection Analysis studies (LOPAs), SIL Calcs, and Test Plans.

IEC 61511 Committee Member
Inventor on 2 patents for the aeShield application

Bridging the Skills Gap: Strategies for Recognizing and Mitigating Workforce Shortages

Colonial Ballroom | Francis Marion Hotel
Presenter: Brian Romano, Director of Technology Development, The Arthur G. Russell Co., Inc.

The rapid advancement of technology has ushered in the era of Industry 4.0, characterized by the integration of automation, robotics and data-driven decision-making in manufacturing. This session will delve into the pressing issue of the skills gap in the modern workforce, focusing on strategies to recognize and mitigate workforce shortages in automation and control systems engineering. Participants will explore the specific skills required for various facets of Industry 4.0, including robotics, vision systems, process control, data systems, networking and motion control. The session will highlight:

Capabilities needed to design, implement and maintain advanced systems
Higher-level skills and knowledge necessary for data systems
Integration of data analytics, machine learning and cybersecurity into manufacturing processes, underlining the need for a workforce proficient in these areas to drive innovation and efficiency.
Current and future skill requirements for Industry 4.0.
Effective strategies to bridge the skills gap, ensuring a competent and adaptable workforce ready to meet the demands of modern manufacturing.

Brian Romano, currently the Director of Technology Development at The Arthur G. Russell Co., has been in the process and automation control systems industry for more than 40 years, starting as a bench technician. After serving as president of a division for an automated machine builder, Romano owned a systems integration company, growing and positioning it as one with expertise in connecting the factory floor to the front office. To keep current with the ever-evolving automation industry, Romano holds an AS, BS, MS, and MBA and Ph.D. in Technology and Innovation. Romano has been designing and implementing Industry 4.0 solutions starting initially in 2004 with connecting factory floor data systems to customer business systems. Understanding a skills gap and workforce shortage in the control systems engineering profession, Romano leverages is academic knowledge and years of experience to teach the next generation of engineers at two local universities. He also serves as an industrial advisory board member for two technology and engineering universities, as a member of the CSIA Digital Committee and as chair of the ISA Smart Manufacturing division IIoT committee, where he was awarded the 2022 ISA SM/IIoT Division Leader of the Year Award.

Fireside Chat: Engaging Young Minds in Automation

Colonial Ballroom | Francis Marion Hotel

As technology advances, the demand for skilled professionals in automation continues to grow. In this discussion, we’ll explore how to inspire and equip the next generation with the tools and knowledge they need to excel in automation and drive successful digital transformation strategies for companies worldwide.

Our expert panelists will discuss:

The importance of early exposure to automation concepts and technologies.
Strategies for promoting automation education in schools and universities.
Building strong partnerships between industry leaders and educational institutions.
Real-world examples of successful initiatives that are preparing young talent for the future of work.

Presenters:

Riddhi Padariya, Sr. Controls Engineer, Heirloom

Sherry LaBonne, Software Product Manager, Rockwell Automation

Riddhi Padariya has over six years of experience in the Automation and Controls Engineering field. She recently held the position of Senior Controls Engineer at Heirloom, a Direct Air Capture company featured in *Time* magazine’s Top 50 Green Tech Companies of 2024. Previously, she spent four years at Tesla as an engineer, playing a key role in deploying code for the Tesla Megapack line, Model 3/Y Battery Module lines, and the 4680-cell manufacturing line. Riddhi has also served as a judge at the United Nations COP28 Hack for Earth and HackMIT at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In her free time, she mentors junior engineers and college students who are curious about the world of manufacturing and industrial automation.

Leveraging Digitalization for a Greener Future

Colonial Ballroom | Francis Marion Hotel
Presenter: Dr. Soloman Almadi, Principal Scientist, Aramco

Technological developments in recent times have greatly increased our ability to address carbon emissions in a variety of processes and operations. Massive datasets have been collected easier thanks to the spread of automation and instrumentation solutions, creating data lakes that may be used to proactively identify emission sources and the connections between them and primary carbon emission sources. In this context, digitalization is essential because it makes it possible to identify the sources of emissions both within and between them, analyze the composition of emissions, and optimize processes—all of which lead to a more sustainable future. This presentation will explain the transformative power of digital technologies and digitalization capabilities, such as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML), Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and Digital Twin technologies among others in serving the netzero objective.

Dr. Soloman Almadi is currently professional engineering Principal Scientist in Process Control Systems, Digital Transformation Programs, and Open Process Automations in Saudi Aramco. Soloman Almadi holds a PhD in simulation and computing from Brunel University, UK, M.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from Southern Methodist University, USA, and B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from University of Texas, USA.

Life on the Edge: Harnessing Opportunities, Mastering Challenges and Mapping the Future of Edge Computing

Colonial Ballroom | Francis Marion Hotel

Edge devices have a unique set of requirements. Whether they are on the constant move or even going in and out of communication coverage, edge devices need to be designed to be away from connectivity and the ability to acquire information from the back office. This panel will discuss the unique challenges presented by edge devices and different methods that can be used to enable and manage them.

Moderator: Ron Victor, Executive Vice President, AustinGIS

Panelist:

Mark Kraeling, Solutions Architect, GE Transportation

Ron Victor is a silicon-valley based technology entrepreneur with 25+ years of experience and expertise launching new ventures at start-ups and fortune 1000 technology companies. His exits include IoTium Inc. (Edge Compute, IIoT, Zero-trust Remote Access – acquired by View Inc.), Hellosoft Inc. (VoIP, Wifi, IMS, Telco – acquired by Imagination Technologies), Phasecom Inc. (Broadband Technologies – IPO VYYO). Ron started his career at Intel corporation where he played multiple roles in launching new businesses for Intel including Broadband, Personal Conferencing, Video compression chipsets and assisting launching Intel in China. He was also Technical counsel to Intel legal.

Mark Kraeling is a Product Architect for the Train Performance group at Wabtec, Inc. At Wabtec, a Fortune 500 company, he drives technical innovation and unique digital solutions to propel the rail industry forward in a sustainable way. Mark is a regular speaker at technical conferences worldwide such as AusRAIL and IoT Solutions World Congress. He works to share his knowledge and passion of the rail industry on topics such as system architecture, software development and safety-related systems. Mark resides with his wife in Melbourne, Florida.

Unpacking and Assembling ISA95

Colonial Ballroom | Francis Marion Hotel
Presenter: David Schultz, Senior Consultant, Spruik Technologies

ISA-95 is likely the most well-known standards in manufacturing. It is also one of the least understood. It is often characterized as obsolete or out-of-date and not suitable for a modern manufacturing architecture technology stack. This session will provide a basic overview of the standard, covering Parts 2, 3 and 4. It will also demonstrate how to apply the standard to a basic manufacturing use case.

David Schultz is a senior consultant with Spruik Technologies. He works with manufacturers to help them develop and execute strategies for their digital transformation and asset management initiatives. He has 25 over years of automation and process control experience across many market verticals, with a focus on continuous and batch processing. He is the Director for the SMIIoT Division of ISA and serves on several technical committees. He is also a member of the Society of Maintenance and Reliability Professionals (SMRP) and Project Management Institute (PMI).

Driving ROI of Industry 4.0 Initiatives

Colonial Ballroom | Francis Marion Hotel
Presenter: Sujata Tilak, Managing Director, Ascent Intellimation Pvt. Ltd.

ROI of Industry 4.0 has many facets. This session will look at how to identify immense potential of Industry 4.0 projects and realize the economic and sustainable ‘value’. The session will also delve upon soft returns for customers, employees and finally the society.

Sujata Tilak is a thought leader and recognized expert in IIoT and Industry 4.0. An instrumentation and control engineer from the College of Engineering, Pune, Sujata has more than 30 years of experience. She worked with Alfa Laval and KPIT before founding Ascent Intellimation. Under her leadership, AIPL has conceptualized and developed an innovative Internet of Things platform, PlantConnect and various products based on this platform. Sujata is an executive board member of the International Society of Automation (ISA). She is the founder and first director of ISA Smart Manufacturing and IIoT Division and past DVP of Asia Pacific District. She is associated with various engineering colleges as industry advisor. Sujata mentors students, professionals and startups wanting to step in automation and IoT world. She regularly speaks in conferences and writes in technical magazines.

ISA Standards Overview

Carolina Ballroom | Francis Marion Hotel
Presenter: Charley Robinson, Director, Standards Administration, ISA

ISA’s international standards play a vital role in promoting safety, cybersecurity, and efficiency across global industry. This workshop will provide an overview of ISA’s international standards program and its relationship to and collaboration with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). A panel of experts representing standards stakeholders will then answer questions from the audience.

Digital Transformation Track

Generative AI, Smart Manufacturing, Cloud Technology and Digital Twins

Wednesday, 2 October

08:30-09:15

Keynote - Beyond the Stars: How Digital Transformation is Shaping the Future of Space Exploration

09:30-10:00

Technology Demonstration

10:00-10:30

The Current State of Industry 4.0

10:30-10:45

Break

10:45-11:15

Data Governance and Why Your Data Backend Matters

11:15-11:30

Break

11:30-12:00

Introducing Generative AI to your Organization: How ISA is Driving Digital Transformation with Their New LLM, Mimo!

12:00-13:00

Lunch and State of the Society Address

13:00-14:00

Panel: Connecting Intelligence with Technology

13:45-14:00

Break

14:00-14:30

Technology Demonstration

14:30-15:00

The Future of Flexible Manufacturing

15:00-15:15

Break

15:15-15:45

Industrial AI - The New Automation

Thursday, 3 October

08:30-09:15

Keynote - Data Security in Generating Renewable Energy

09:15-09:30

Break

09:30-10:00

Leveraging Digital Transformation to Reduce Cost of Instrumentation Testing

10:00-10:30

Bridging the Skills Gap: Strategies for Recognizing and Mitigating Workforce Shortages

10:30-10:45

Break

10:45-11:15

Fireside Chat: Engaging Young Minds in Automation

11:15-11:30

Break

11:30-12:00

Leveraging Digitalization for a Greener Future

Robotics Demonstration

12:00-13:00

Lunch

13:00-13:45

Life on the Edge: Harnessing Opportunities, Mastering Challenges and Mapping the Future of Edge Computing

13:45-14:00

Break

14:00-14:30

Technology Demonstration

14:30-15:00

Unpacking and Assembling ISA95

15:00-15:15

Break

15:15-15:45

Driving ROI of Industry 4.0 Initiatives

15:45-16:00

Break

16:00-16:15

ISA Standards Overview

16:15-16:45

ISA Standards Panel

Digital Transformation Track Program Committee

This program track is under development.

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Generative AI, Smart Manufacturing,
Cloud Technology and Digital Twins