Current industrial automation system architecture has done a good job of advancing industry to where we are today. However, “open automation” as it exists today is not enough. Industry-wide adoption of universal automation will ensure next-generation software applications are interoperable and portable.

We have already seen other industries thrive from adopting interoperability, including the IT, energy, and telecoms spaces, and the time is now to ensure we don’t stay behind. Our industry has long been on the edge of disruption, attempting to fulfil the promise of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Today, the current health emergency along with ever-changing global market dynamics have underlined the need for resilience and agility, which can only come from digitization that includes interoperable industrial automation applications. It is time to embrace interoperability and abandon proprietary systems to meet today’s and tomorrow’s demands. We intend to give industrial enterprises the ability to choose best-of-breed solutions that suit their unique needs and effectively address modern challenges.

Today, we must come together and innovate to drive sustainable and long-lasting positive change for our industries.