Industrial automation multinational Rockwell Automation’s Automation University conference will develop and hone local automation skills and expertise in industries, says Rockwell Automation sub-Saharan Africa control systems and software business manager Christo Buys.

The two-day conference, to be held on May 17 and 18 at Emperors Palace, in Gauteng, will offer industry-specific seminars and intermediate and expert technical hands-on laboratory sessions. They will provide technical automation knowledge and engineers can earn continuous professional development credits by attending the discussions and completing hands-on laboratory training sessions.

Further, the company and its partners will have live demonstration displays of its various industrial automation technologies and systems, where attendees can ask specific questions about systems and solutions, and how to best apply them to their industries.

“We will have knowledgeable personnel at the stations [and] our industry sales and technical specialists to answer any questions,” he highlights.

The conference takes place in the middle of the worldwide transition to Industry 4.0 systems and connected enterprises, and it aims to address the specifics of these global changes on the industrial sectors, which involve making industries smart, secure and productive, he adds.

“With a systems-orientated approach to industrial security, Rockwell Automation can help customers to proactively assess and address risks in control systems and help establish a common, secure environment for industrial systems. “We provide customers with products, solutions and services that enable a defence-in-depth approach using multiple layers of defence.”

The conference will provide a platform to showcase technological developments and advances in industrial automation systems. The technology will enable manufacturers to operate their processes in a smarter, more productive and secure environment.

“Providing the correct information to the right person at the right time and empowering them to make accurate, informed decisions and adjustments will help to drive productivity. “This unity of people, processes and technology is the aim of The Connected Enterprise,” says Buys.

The Automation University programme is repeated over two days, which enables attendees to attend the sessions that interest them.

“While we will have detailed sets of solutions on display for the mining, metals, oil and gas, water and wastewater, consumer products and automotive industries, we encourage all industry decision-makers and engineers to gain deeper insight into how their industries are changing so that they can remain globally competitive,” concludes Buys.