At the upcoming CIEX Europe 2019 conference on 9th – 10th October in Frankfurt, Germany, Jane Arnold, Executive Vice President and Head of Global Process Control Technology at Covestro will discuss data-driven innovation in her presentation “Smart manufacturing – Leveraging on data-driven innovation”. We have spoken to Jane about her topic of choice and her motivation for joining CIEX 2019.
Jane Arnold: Digitalization is a hot topic in the industry these days. Historically, we have been digital since the first transmitter sent the first signal to the first digital recorder. Over the years we have amassed an incomprehensible amount of data. All of that data tells a story. When you view it with the right lens, then you can leverage the power behind it to make monumental improvements. At Covestro we are strongly focused on how to utilize the data in order to make improvements across the entire value chain from R&D and Project engineering through production to our commercial operations.
Jane Arnold: My first priority for many years has been to optimize production and to make work as easy as possible for the field level workforce – those with their hands closest to production. Full automation means less unplanned outages and less operator exposure to abnormal situations. I am very passionate about the opportunities that go along with the technical advancements over the past few years and want to leverage them to continuously improve operations at Covestro. In turn, the advances that we make also improve energy efficiency, reduce rework, and improve throughput for long-term sustainable advances.
Jane Arnold: CIEX offers a unique opportunity to collaborate and exchange ideas with other leaders in the industry and also offers a platform for connecting with innovative start-ups that are relevant in the industry. I look forward to hearing the advances in the other companies and see what Covestro can learn from their experiences.
Jane Arnold: When I started this position 2 years ago, I spent a lot of time learning where other companies stood in the area of Smart Manufacturing. I think that Covestro, as well as the other companies represented here are ahead of the curve. Innovation in this industry is very important because the global demand for high-quality chemicals and production levels are ever-growing, while chemical companies strive to significantly reduce or even eliminate their carbon footprint. In our case, the UN Sustainable Development Goals are a part of our company policy and a real driver for innovation.
Jane Arnold: Leaders of the chemical industry must embrace new technologies and utilize them to their fullest potential in order to remain competitive. In many cases, this needs to go hand-in-hand with a cultural change and establishing new ways of thinking and working in their organization. This is no small feat, but personally I feel energized by this challenge. I couldn’t imagine more exciting times to work in process control technologies than today.
Hear more about innovation, digitalisation and sustainability strategies of the world’s leading chemical producers at CIEX Europe 2019. Register today to meet and listen to speakers from BASF, Dow Chemical, DSM, Henkel, Clariant, Mitsubishi Chemical, Ashland, Covestro, Braskem, Sabic and many more. Register at ciex-eu.org.
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