Overview

In the dynamic landscape of industrial process plants, staying competitive means meeting industry standards and continually pushing boundaries to innovate and adapt. Technological innovations such as artificial intelligence (AI), edge computing and universal automation have emerged as key drivers of change, offering solutions to enhance productivity and competitiveness but this is not business as usual and the traditional approach to industrial automation just can’t cut it.

Software-defined automation is a new approach to industrial automation that changes the game by decoupling hardware and software so that industrial organisations can work with an automation system that supports their business goals, rather than getting in the way of them.

Discover how open, software-defined automation is the enabler for industrial innovations and operational competitiveness. Explore the concept of "plug and produce" automation software components, decoupling hardware from software to create interoperable industrial automation systems. Learn how these systems drive improvements across the operational lifecycle.

Speaker

Fabrice Jadot, Next Gen Automation SVP, Schneider Electric

Fabrice first joined Schneider Electric in 1997 focusing on motor control within R&D as part of the variable speed drives activity, which became a joint venture with Toshiba in 2000 named Schneider Toshiba Inverter. In 2012, he joined the corporate company as the strategy and innovation platforms VP dealing with cross-business technology platforms in the domain of digital services, supervisory control and embedded control.

In 2014, he was appointed as chief technology officer for Industry business driving automation system architecture, cyber-security and automation digital transformation (Industrial Internet of Things, Industry 4.0, etc.). Today, he is the Industrial Automation Incubator SVP in charge of the next generation control engineering platform ensuring hardware/software decoupling, IT/OT convergence and lifecycle coverage. In 2015, he became a board member of ODVA, an international association comprised of members from the world's leading automation companies. In 2019, he moved to OPCF, the industrial interoperability standard, as part of the board of directors.

Fabrice has a doctoral degree in mathematical engineering (specialisation in control) and an engineering degree in applied maths (specialisation in automation and systems engineering), both from the Catholic University of Louvain.

Franco Cavadini, Chief Technology Officer, Gr3n

Franco is an aerospace engineer, with a PhD in the application of AI algorithms to the real-time control of space robots. He currently plays the role of Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Gr3n, a company industrialising its proprietary process for chemical recycling of plastics.

He has supervised the design and realisation of several complex industrial automation solutions, trying always to bridge the gap between research and industry. Among the years he has accumulated an extensive experience about the IEC-61499 international standard for the design of distributed control applications, becoming also one of the founders of the UniversalAutomation.Org association.

At GR3N, he manages and supervises all engineering activities for the industrialisation and commercialisation of the company solutions for depolymerisation of PET plastic waste.

Raquel Torres, UniversalAutomation.Org

Raquel, who has now taken over the leadership of UniversalAutomation.Org, began her professional career as a stress engineer at CIE Automotive, and subsequently worked for prestigious companies including Airbus Defence and Space, OSIsoft and Ontruck. After holding management positions at SAP and AVEVA, she joined Schneider Electric in 2023. Since the beginning of 2024, Torres has been Vice President of the UniversalAutomation.org division. In addition to her new role as President, she also served as chief ecosystem officer for UAO.

Any opinions are the presenters' own and do not necessarily represent those of IChemE or the Process Management and Control Special Interest Group. The information is given in good faith but without any liability on the part of IChemE.