Predictions for Industrial Automation and Process Control

Muthukumar Viswanathan, Director for Automation and Process Control at Frost & Sullivan, comments: "Energy efficiency, advanced technology and geo-economics will transform the face of industrial automation in the future. Along with sustainability, these factors are set to influence product design, project cost and service capabilities of industrial automation vendors in the next-generation enterprise."

The themes outlined below feature heavily in Frost & Sullivan's industrial automation and process control research programme for 2012. A driver for the research is the work Frost & Sullivan has been conducting around Mega Trends which are driving new and emerging market segments for key industry participants.

Energy efficiency and sustainability

Sustainability, in terms of energy and resource efficiency, will be a key ingredient for the success of the global manufacturing industry. The growing focus on energy efficiency in both process and discrete industries will also promote sustainable manufacturing. Energy efficiency concerns will dominate business in the electric motors market, with class IE3 energy efficiency - a stricter requirement compared with class IE2 energy efficiency - required in 2015. In addition, wastewater treatment and handling pumps will dominate traditional water pumps across the globe. All in all, the four major spheres of influence that will determine business models in future factories are Integrated Enterprise Ecosystem, Sustainability, Life Cycle Assessment and Eco-Efficiency Analysis.

Smart technologies

Factories of the future will be driven by megatrends such as cloud computing, cyber security and mobile and wireless communication technologies. The need for higher productivity and better efficiency will drive organisations to implement greater interaction between the factory floor and enterprise across all end-users. This will be achieved also by leveraging on technology to provide automation, enabling end-users to gain a competitive edge in the global market. Asset management and flexible manufacturing will also drive factory integration with enterprise, and there will be high potential for automation and customised service options in industrial applications.

BRIC and other emerging economies

BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) and other emerging economies across the globe are likely to sustain high growth in industrial automation markets. The strongest growth is expected in emerging markets, especially in the Middle East, South East Asia, and Eastern Europe. Opportunities connected with the modernisation of old infrastructure also exist in developed regions such as North America and Western Europe. In addition, flexible manufacturing will aid regional customisation by aligning the product portfolio to suit market demands.

Frost & Sullivan insight on the three big predictions for 2012 and beyond is available on SlideShare. To know more about Frost & Sullivan predictions and to find out where the global hot spots are in the industrial automation and process control industries, please email [email protected].