Digitalization in the Automation Domain 2025

Nafise Eskandani is a Scientist at ABB Corporate Research Center Germany, working on Industrial Digitalization. She studied Computer Science at the University of St Andrews and Maynooth University and previously researched decentralized and resilient software systems at the Technical University of Darmstadt. Her research interests include information modeling for industrial applications, with a focus on OPC UA and Industry 4.0 technologies, as well as cloud-native software architectures.

Miriam Schleipen studied computer science and holds a PhD in engineering from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT).

Between 2005 and 2017 she was engaged in applied research on Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) and interoperability at the Fraunhofer IOSB and was in leading positions for 8 years.

From 2017 to 2021 she worked as lead SW architect for Siemens Digital Industry in the context of common used SW components, e.g. SW licenses or system diagnostics, and was member of the HMI platform SW architecture team.

Since 2021 she is Chief Research Officer at EKS InTec GmbH dealing with semantic interoperability in automation ecosystems based on Digital Twins and their application in automation environments.

She is head of the joint working group of OPC foundation and AutomationML e.V., leads the VDI German Glossary Industrie 4.0, and participates in national and international standardization groups dealing with semantic interoperability und Industrie 4.0.

Dr. Henry Bloch is Head of Product Management at AUCOTEC AG, where he has been responsible for the product area Plants since 2023 and leads the overall Product Management since 2024. Previously, he co-founded and managed Semodia GmbH from 2019 to 2022. From 2015 to 2019, he worked as a Research Associate at Helmut-Schmidt-University Hamburg, focusing on modular process plants. He holds a doctorate in engineering (Dr.-Ing.) as well as degrees in Industrial Engineering and Management.

8 years of experience helping companies achieve success with new software in projects. Responsible for driving AUCOTEC’s growth in Norway, with a specific focus on achieving success in the Oil and Gas industry.

Specializing in pre-sales with a strong focus on product presentations and showcasing innovative solutions for the Oil & Gas and Energy industries. He has presented AUCOTEC’s Engineering Base platform at various international events, including previous DISC “Show & Tell” conferences in Oslo, and supports leading companies such as Equinor and AkerBP in their digital engineering transformation. Building on his strong engineering background, his passion lies in demonstrating how data-centric engineering and standards-based collaboration pave the way for Digital Twins and AI-driven workflows.

Responsible for the coordination and support of about 40 working groups in the area of the creation of OPC UA Companion Specifications. Head of the OPC UA for Machinery harmonization group, in which the basic information for Industrie 4.0 communication via OPC UA is defined for the entire range of machinery and plant engineering. Working in the Factory-X project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection and participating in various other committees, for example in the Industrial Digital Twin Association or the OPC Foundation.

Peter Due is a senior executive and autonomy expert with over 25 years of experience in defense, maritime, and deep tech. He has led pioneering ventures like Yeti Move and Yara Birkeland, and served as Director Autonomy at Kongsberg Maritime, where he became a global spokesperson for maritime autonomy. Peter advises NATO DIANA, EUDIS, and Nordic defense startups, and sits on multiple boards driving innovation in dual-use technologies. His background includes diplomatic service and military deployments, giving him a unique perspective on bridging defense, diplomacy, and autonomous systems.

Board Member, IDTA | Chair, DKE 931.0.16 | IEC WG24 Contributor

With over three decades of development and leadership in industrial automation software, including as managing director of KW Software and EVP at Phoenix Contact Software, Andreas contributes to the development of the Asset Administration Shell (AAS) within Phoenix Contact and the Industrial Digital Twin Association (IDTA). He also contributes to the international standard IEC 63278 through IEC Working Group 24 and leads Germany’s mirror committee DKE 931.0.16. Andreas also drives open-source initiatives via GitHub and the Eclipse Foundation.

Presentation -Asset Administration Shell made easy

Topics:

• AAS REST API 3.1 with Query Language: https://industrialdigitaltwin.io/aas-specifications/IDTA-01002/v3.1.1/query-language.html
• AAS Security with Access Rules: https://industrialdigitaltwin.io/aas-specifications/IDTA-01004/v3.0.1/index.html
• Related international standardization as IEC 63278-3 AAS Security and IEC 63278-5 AAS Interfaces
• Explanation of Factory-X Port Leo with AAS
• Live demo of Query Language and Access Rules
• Proof of concept available as open source which can be easily deployed by docker compose for your own AASX

Seasoned automation and digital expert with enthusiastic and dedicated approach to integration. 20+ years’ experience in industrial SW.

Karsten Schneider started his career with Siemens in Corporate Technology almost 30 years ago after earning a diploma in electrical engineering at the Friedrich-Alexander University in Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany. He held various positions in R&D and marketing for SIMATIC products. In 2006 Karsten Schneider headed the PROFIBUS& PROFINET competence Center in North America. 2012 he was elected as Chairman of PROFIBUS and PROFINET International. Today he is responsible for Standardization and Regulation at Siemens Digital Industries. He is active in the Plattform Industrie 4.0 Initiative as well and member of the board of the Industrial Digital Twin Association (IDTA).

Arsalan Pasdar, Improvement Manager in Aibel AS. Leading digital transformation and adoption of emerging technologies for engineering.

Holds a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering and M.Sc. in Systems Engineering.