At its highly successful 8th annual conference, the African branch of the global organisation, Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association (MESA), assembled an impressive array of presenters. In line with the theme ‘Mastering The Fourth Industrial Revolution: Smart MOM 4 Industrie’, the speakers covered a wide range of highly informative topics around the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), both at the strategic and the practical level, backed up by highly relevant case studies, and with some fascinating insights into the future thrown in.
From left: Duane Gauche (1 Worx), Daniel Spies (CDS Consulting and chairman MESA Africa), Gerhard Botha (Sasol), Yashin Parsad (Omnia), Thomas Copley (SRI), Gawie Reyneke (Lonmin), Halilou Mohaman (Boxmore), Gerhard Greeff (Bytes Technology and vice chairman MESA Africa), Gerhard Hattingh (Siemens), Varshan Mahabel (Wilec), Gert Coetzee (Dynamic Build Systems) and Andre Brits (CSI).
Chairman, Daniel Spies, set the tone by highlighting MESA Africa’s many achievements over the last year. These included an initiative with ECSA for developing a framework for certification and accreditation of Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) practitioners; a new website; a global education programme, which among other things covers international best practices for implementation of manufacturing industry standards; and double and even triple digit percentage increases in measurables such as number of events, number of sponsors, attendance at events and conferences, submission of abstracts and year-on-year revenue growth. “This is a very positive change and we aim to carry the momentum forward,” he said.
Some of the highlights included keynote speakers such as PWC director, Pieter Theron, whose talk on building a digital enterprise showed how technology will disrupt business. Head of Sasol Group MES Architecture, Gerhard Botha, continued this theme with his thought-provoking account of technology trends in the disruptive age that will change the manufacturing industry in the next thirty years: anything from self-healing materials to human-computer integration to the disappearance of physical money to designer babies to the first human colony on Mars. Dr Willie Oosthuizen, group executive for technology and strategy at Altron, talked about converging technologies for a smart environment – the convergence of IT and OT. To back this up, digital mine product manager at GE Mining, Francis Rousseau, highlighted how the industrial Internet is transforming the realities of the new plant. In a very relevant case study, she showed how General Electric has created a massive new software business for IIoT, GE Digital, based on the open source platform, Predix.
The conference also featured exhibitions by sponsors SAIMC, Siemens, Wonderware, Bytes Universal Systems, Yokogawa, Business Connexion and OSIsoft.
Reinstatement opportunity for ECSA registration
News
In 2023 the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) announced a special opportunity for engineers in South Africa to reinstate their registration status if it had been cancelled. This exclusive offer is available until the end of August 2024.
Read more...How to claim CPD points SAIMC Supplier Advisory Council
News
SAIMC makes it possible for you to claim CPD points for attending courses and technical meetings, or completing an online quiz on a SA Instrumentation & Control magazine.
Read more...Festo celebrates its centenary Festo South Africa
News
Creating added customer value through innovation has been the driving force behind the family-owned company from the beginning and remains the key to Festo’s success today. The company’s anniversary is being celebrated with employees, customers and partners worldwide throughout the year.
Read more...RS Group cements its position as an ESG leader
News
RS Group has announced its inclusion in the prestigious CDP A-list, having improved its CDP rating this year from A- to A for its commitment to climate action, environmental transparency and disclosure
Read more...ECSA awards full accreditation to IIE degrees
News
The Independent Institute of Education has received full accreditation from ECSA. This is the first private higher education provider in the country to be recognised in this manner by the industry authority.
Read more...South African students advance to international round of Young Researchers awards
News
Two Masters in Engineering students from Stellenbosch University have advanced to the international round of the 2025 Blue Sky Young Researchers and Innovation competition. Their projects impressed the Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa for their originality and relevance to the forestry sector, which plays a key role in producing wood and paper.
Read more...The ultimate range for design and repair RS South Africa
News
Design and repair are fundamental aspects of any industry. The launch of the new RS PRO Design & Repair range caters to a wide array of industries, including discrete and process manufacturing, energy and utilities, facilities management and intralogistics.
Read more...Why Africa needs automation now
News
The upcoming Africa Automation Technology Fair will bring together industry leaders, policymakers and innovators to chart Africa’s automation future.