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Schneider Electric unveils several Industries of the Future innovations and called for stronger cross-industry collaboration at the all-digital Hannover Messe 2021. Schneider Electric believes that through universal automation, digital energy, and innovation, industrial enterprises with achievable sustainability goals will lead the global economic recovery while safeguarding our natural environment.

Industry is undergoing a massive paradigm shift further toward digitalization,” said Peter Herweck, Executive Vice President of Industrial Automation at Schneider Electric. “We’ve witnessed advances in artificial intelligence, robotics, the Internet of Things, and machine learning, and other innovations, but their full potential can’t be realized within closed industrial systems. To reach next level of efficiency, resiliency and sustainability, we must be bold. It’s time to reimagine what is possible when industries embrace interoperable technology and partnerships."

"With universal automation and our recently expanded capabilities that are delivered through the combination of operational data management and industrial software, we continue our commitment to being open, agnostic partners to our customers, enabling them to gain the agility and resilience they need to thrive in the post-pandemic world.”

Industries of the Future

Schneider Electric is proud to unveil several offers and partnerships, enabling the next generation industrial world:

  • EcoStruxure Automation Expert 21.1 is a hardware independent automation control system that easily integrates with third-party solutions to help manufacturers and process industries achieve step-change operational advancements
  • SM AirSeT medium voltage switchgear is a leap forward for sustainability, using pure air and vacuum interruption instead of SF6 gas. It allows users to take full advantage of digital features to unlock the true value of their data
  • EcoStruxure Service Plan helps ensure 24/7 service business continuity for large industrial players through remote consultancy, on-site support and condition-based maintenance 
  • Service and Modernization Plan is a solution lasting between three and seven years and designed to relieve companies’ CAPEX pressure while still modernizing their electrical installations
  • Galaxy VL 3-phase uninterrupted power supply (UPS) for mission-critical industrial environments that supports both energy and process efficiency and improves resiliency and reliability of operations, minimizing asset Total Cost of Ownership

This is in addition to the recent announcement combining OSIsoft’s world-class PI System for operational data management with AVEVA’s leading industrial software, enabling industries to harness the power of information combined with artificial intelligence and human insight to simplify design processes, optimize production, reduce energy and maximize performance.

Call for universal automation

Schneider Electric is demanding stronger industry collaboration and urging industrial enterprises to embrace universal automation, sustainable efficiency, and digitalization to boost global economic recovery and advance manufacturing and process industries.

Schneider Electric is challenging industry to advance the underlying technology model to meet modern agility and resiliency demands. “Open automation,” as it exists today, is not open enough as companies are bound by automation solutions that prioritize vendor lock-in rather than innovation. By contrast, universal automation is the world of interoperable, “plug and produce” automation software components, enabled by the IEC61499 standard. Portable application software is an essential enabler for next-generation industries, capable of unlocking step-change improvements in efficiency and sustainability impossible a decade ago. EcoStruxure Automation Expert  is Schneider Electric’s first offer based on the universal automation vision.

ARC Advisory Group (ARC), the pioneering technology market research firm for industry, asserts in its report, The Road to Universal Automation, industry could save $20-30 billion each year with Universal Automation. Pilot tests indicate potential CAPEX saving of $1 million per unit, with even larger OpEx savings, according to ARC.

Schneider represents partner country Indonesia

The Ministry of Industry for the Republic of Indonesia has chosen Schneider Electric’s World Economic Forum-recognized Smart Factory in Batam to showcase the implementation of the fourth industrial revolution in Indonesia at the event, where the company will join the Ministry of Industry as a co-exhibitor in the Indonesian Pavilion. Schneider Electric will also feature a virtual tour of its Smart Factory in Batam at 8.00am CEST on Monday April 12, as part of its Hannover Messe content stream.

Schneider Electric has an ongoing strategic partnership with the Ministry of Industry for the Republic of Indonesia around the initiative "Making Indonesia 4.0", which started in 2018. In conjunction with Hannover Messe 2021, Schneider Electric has signed a new five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Industry of the Republic of Indonesia to become a partner in the development of a Digital Capabilities Center and a university-level curriculum training program related to the Ministry of Industry’s Industrial Vocational Program 4.0.

Schneider Electric key Hannover Messe sessions

Through keynote presentations, innovation sessions, panel discussions, and interviews with Schneider Electric spokespeople, customers, partners including AVEVA, and industry experts, the company will celebrate the agility and adaptation that has occurred over the past year.

Tuesday, April 13th

3:00pm CEST / 4:00pm UK time: Innovation Session: “Industrial sustainability – A roadmap to decarbonization and resource conservation” where Schneider Electric experts will be joined by:

  • Danya Liu, CFA, Associate, Digital Industry at BloombergNEF, discussing digitalization and sustainability
  • Paul Roerhs, Executive Director, Industry Digital Strategy, Manufacturing Industry, Microsoft, discussing collecting and leveraging data, and engaging customers on their sustainability ambitions

Wednesday, April 14th

11:00am CEST / 10:00am UK: SPECIAL KEYNOTE: “Smart & Green, Digital & Electric” with Jean-Pascal Tricoire, Chairman & CEO, Schneider Electric.

1.30pm CEST / 12.30pm UK: Panel: Not business as usual industrial automation where ARC Advisory moderates a discussion on universal automation to show how the industrial world can start to thrive with open operating platforms. Participants include Schneider Electric customers and partners GEA Westfalia, Wood and Master Systèmes.

2:45pm CEST / 3:45pm UK: Panel: “Climate Neutrality – New International Alliance” where Olivier Blum, Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer, Schneider Electric will discuss technologies and frameworks to help achieve climate neutrality, with other industry speakers.

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