Press Release

     

     

     

     

     

    30 October 2017

    Press Release European associations of automation technology end-users in the process industry (NEWE).

     

    An influential group of organisations representing European users of industrial process automation

    technology met recently and agreed key themes that must be addressed to meet the challenges of

    the future.

    Board Members and directors of European user associations of automation technology in process

    industries - NAMUR, EI, WIB and EXERA - supported by EEMUA, the association for the users of

    industrial assets, had their 6 th annual meeting in London on 21 September 2017, along with the 3 rd

    annual steering group meeting of NEWE 1 . Wide ranging discussions stressed the need for a next

    level of cooperation, in order to meet the challenges of increasing complexity and outside threats,

    and established key programmes to provide responses to these issues.

    All together NEWE and EEMUA represent over 300 companies using instrumentation and process

    control systems that are vital for the safe, efficient and sustainable operation of complex process

    and power plants that provide vital materials and power for the modern world.

    Wide ranging and open discussions covered many key topics. Highlights included:


    Cybersecurity of industrial systems: the organisations agreed to further cooperate on the realisation

    of guidelines and practices, including the establishment of parameters for a simulated setup to test

    likely resistance to hacking attacks while in service; a vital component in the strengthening of

    process industries against such threats.

    Digitalization and Industry 4.0: the process automation field is a key enabler here: main themes

    discussed were supply chain flexibility, integrated engineering throughout the asset life cycle,

    modular plants, remote operation, wireless communication, and shortened times to production. All

    member organisations have challenges in this area, and international cooperation is key here. The

    rewards for successfully meeting these challenges are huge.


    Smart instruments: the group encouraged the gathering of failure data for this relatively new class

    of equipment under actual operational conditions for safety instrumented systems, where the

    equipment is under typical service, environmental and maintenance regimes. Without such data,

    there will always be doubts over the assumed performance of systems incorporating these

    instruments. Process industries will use a common database to gather failure data and perform

    statistical data evaluation for safety loops. The database is open to the whole industry and not

    limited to the members of the associations.

    Type testing: NEWE confirmed cooperation in the assessment of key instrument performance in real

    world conditions, rather than for the narrow range of variables and operating regimes specified in

    standards and manufacturers’ data. In industries where there must be no surprises, it is vital that

    actual performance is predictable. NEWE intends to develop mutual standards to achieve this.

     

    A common theme was the need to work together as influential user organisations, and ensure that

    real world, rather than assumed, performance of process control systems can be examined, and

    thereby improved. A number of common working groups are already established, and a SWOT

    analysis confirmed clear areas for improvement and opportunities in cooperation between the

    organisations as well as from NEWE with the outside world.


    Looking ahead, the attendees expressed a wish to extend representation to a broader range of

    geographies and industries. There is an opportunity for participants to seize the opportunities that

    “Industry 4.0” and Digitalisation gives to make industrial process automation a clear and exciting

    career path to attract the talented entrants the industry needs to meet the challenges of the future.

     

    For further details, contact:

    For links to the NEWE associations see:

    www.evaluation-international.com

    www.exera.com

    www.namur.net

    www.wib.nl

     

    For link to EEMUA see:

    www.eemua.org

     

    1 NEWE designates the name of the cooperation agreement signed by NAMUR, EI, WIB and EXERA in November 2014