European associations of automation technology end-users in the process industry (NEWE) met again on 21 September 2017
vom 2017-11-02
NEWE Meeting: Press Release 30 October 2017
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 6th annual meeting in London on 21 September 2017, along with the 3rd annual steering group meeting of NEWE1. 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 Evaluation International, info[at]evaluation-international.com (Peter Russell),
- For WIB, Manager[at]WIB.nl (Tom Kuperij, 2016 NEWE secretary),
- For Namur, office[at]namur.de (Heinrich Engelhard),
- For Exera, philippe.genoux[at]exera.com (Philippe Genoux),
- For EEMUA, ask[at]eemua.org (Stefan Kukula).
For links to the NEWE associations see:
The link to EEMUA see:
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1NEWE designates the name of the cooperation agreement signed by NAMUR, EI, WIB and EXERA in November 2014
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