PNO Members Assembly Recap: Elections and Updates

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On the first day of the Hanover Fair (April 17, 2023), the annual members assembly of the PROFIBUS Nutzerorganisation e.V. (PNO) was held. The agenda included the report of the Board of Directors as well as the regular elections of the board of directors and the advisory board, which take place every three years.

During the members assembly, the Board of Directors of the PNO reported on the current topics of technology development as well as on the accomplished and planned marketing activities. In addition, they presented the budget of the past year 2022 and the planning for the current year 2023. The main topics were an overall presentation of PI (PROFIBUS & PROFINET International) technologies and how they relate as well as information on the results of the APL project and the activities regarding the PROFINET tester.

The overall picture of the supported technologies impressively showed the transformation of PI from a pure fieldbus organization to a source of technologies for realizing the digitalization of industrial production. The result of the APL project can be ideally integrated into PROFINET in a way that qualifies it as a best-in-class technology for use in the process industry. The PROFINET tester has become the linchpin for ensuring a high degree of interoperability. It is used in development processes by numerous member companies in addition to the accredited test laboratories.

Left to right: Frank Moritz (Sick AG), Xaver Schmidt (Siemens AG), Harald Müller (Endress+Hauser), and Prof. Dr. Felix Hackelöer (TH Köln/Gummersbach)

In the course of the regular elections, Xaver Schmidt (Siemens AG) was newly elected as the Chairman of the Board of Directors. Prof. Dr. Felix Hackelöer (TH Köln/Gummersbach) and Harald Müller (Endress+Hauser) were also newly elected as board members. Frank Moritz (Sick AG) was re-elected to the Board of Directors.

Helmut Deichert (Festo) was newly elected to the Advisory Board. The members assembly also confirmed the Advisory Board members Klaus Erni (Emerson), Manfred Haberer (Sick), Marco Henkel (Wago), Andreas Hennecke (Pepperl+Fuchs), Edwin van Hoeven (Yokogawa), Dr. Hans Krattenmacher (SEW-Eurodrive), Martin Müller (Phoenix Contact), Andreas Pfaff (Mitsubishi Electric), Dr. Ulrich Viethen (Murrelekronik) and Frank Welzel (Harting).

Heartfelt thanks go to the Board of Directors members Karsten Schneider and Prof. Dr. Frithjof Klasen and to the Advisory Board member Matthias Prinzen, who did not run again, for their successful and high commitment to the PI technologies and community.

The PNO Board of Directors and Advisory Board define the strategic direction and further development of the PI technologies, first and foremost PROFINET, IO-Link and omlox. The Board of Directors and the elected Advisory Board members are supported in their work by the heads of the eight PI committees, who are responsible for the respective technology, quality assurance and marketing topics and are part of the circle of Advisory Board members.

Together with the numerous experts in the working groups, this team will vigorously drive forward the strategic direction of the further development and implementation of PI technologies as an enabler for digitalization and industrial transformation over the next three years.