“As the convergence of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) accelerates, non-digital systems are at a significant disadvantage in terms of efficiency and competitiveness compared to digital systems.”

At Smart Production Solutions (SPS) 2024, Hilscher, a leading company in industrial communication and automation, predicts major vulnerabilities in non-digital equipment, stating that most production facility control tasks will be transferred to software-based systems within the next 10 years, making the vulnerabilities of non-digital equipment more apparent.

Hillscher predicts that advances in AI and cybersecurity will accelerate this trend.

“We have seen the enormous potential of AI for operational and condition monitoring,” said Christian Tepper, CMO who was in charge of the presentation. “Comprehensive networking of production machines and devices can create a digital twin of the entire facility.”

New cybersecurity regulations also support this, requiring security patches and long-term product maintenance, he said.

Tepper emphasized the need for simplification of IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) solutions.

To this end, Hillscher has developed an open IIoT portfolio called ‘netFIELD’ to create a centralized edge management platform.Did.

The platform includes ARM and x86-based edge gateway hardware, an enhanced edge operating system, and cloud diagnostics and services for connecting to various cloud platforms.

Hillshire is already working with several partners.

With Tomorrow Things, we co-exhibited solutions that implement digital twins of machines and systems, and with embedded ocean, we announced a new partnership to develop the real-time automation platform Xentara.

“The failure of proprietary and closed approaches was inevitable, and interoperable solutions are needed,” Tepper said.

Interoperable solutions can be deployed by partners who can provide specific expertise for specific challenges.