On Thursday, October 17, 2024, we hosted the online event Software Defined Factory in collaboration with Software Defined Automation (SDA), under the theme: 'Beyond Hardware: The Future of OT'. Industry experts Dr. Josef Waltl (SDA), Dr. Reinhard Winkler (Capgemini Invent), and our CEO DI DI(FH) Markus Gruber shared their expertise with the participants.

About the Software Defined Factory

The Software Defined Factory is an event series by SDA that addresses, discusses, and connects industry experts on current topics around automation. Each event covers different themes brought forward by industrial companies acting as event hosts, sparking discussions and insights.

Our Software Defined Factory event focused, as the title suggests, on the topic of Operational Technology (OT). We aimed to create a diverse program for both experts and participants, covering current topics in OT, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence (AI). The expert talks highlighted the challenges of traditional, hardware-centered approaches and presented solutions that emphasize software and process modeling. These solutions are helping to enable more flexibility, as well as more efficient and optimized automation in future production.

Industry experts as event speakers

These experienced experts guided the event, shedding light on key topics from various perspectives:

• DI DI (FH) Markus Gruber: Founder and CEO of Selmo Technology and Selmo Automation.
• Dr. Josef Waltl: CEO of Software Defined Automation and founder of the Software Defined Factory event series.
• Dr. Reinhard Winkler: Head of Intelligent Industry / consultant at Capgemini Invent, a leading global consulting firm in innovation and technology.

From Cybersecurity to AI-Readiness: An Overview of the Event Program

Following the welcome by Markus Gruber and Josef Waltl, practical examples were used to discuss current challenges and opportunities under the theme 'Where do we stand today', as well as to provide insights into what the future of OT might look like. After the event’s opening, the individual expert sessions began.

In the first session, 'The OT Strategy of Tomorrow – Securing the Future', Dr. Reinhard Winkler discussed how companies can analyze and optimize their OT systems. The session focused on questioning the current status: from defining process flows, creating backups, analyzing existing control programs, to identifying potential vulnerabilities. The opportunities for collaboration between Selmo and Capgemini were highlighted, emphasizing that OT should no longer be a black box. Capgemini aims to implement hardware-independent software at the OT level and, through collaboration with innovative technologies like Selmo, ensure improvements in OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness), reduction in commissioning time and costs, as well as seamless end-to-end OT integration for the customer. This approach helps to prevent future problems and secure competitive advantages.

In the second session, 'Cybersecurity in OT: NIS2 Compliance and the Role of Software Defined Automation', Dr. Josef Waltl highlighted the topic of cybersecurity. Manufacturing is the most targeted industry in terms of cyberattacks and has held this position for three consecutive years. This session focused on preventing direct manipulation of PLC codes, ensuring NIS2 compliance through clearly defined and modeled interfaces, and protecting against potential threats. Prominent examples from the industry were discussed, delving into both the risks and the lessons learned from these incidents.

The third program item, 'AI-Readiness in OT: Leveraging 100% of Process Data', was presented by Markus Gruber, who discussed how a clearer, more deterministic approach can unlock the full potential of data and eliminate structural inefficiencies. Currently, only around 3% of data is utilized, but with software-defined process models, this figure can be significantly increased. Context is key—data must be put into the right context to yield valuable insights. This is the approach Markus Gruber pursues with his technology. By combining innovative OT solutions with AI-driven insights, companies not only solve current problems but continuously improve productivity, safety, and cost efficiency over time.

The event concluded with a Q&A session, giving participants the opportunity to address any open questions. The high level of interest in the topics presented underscored their current and future relevance.

We look forward to creating more innovative formats and platforms in the future!

Couldn't attend the event?

Here you can find all sessions to watch on demand.