Countries featured in this month's PROFINEWS include Ireland where its Chairman provided training overseas in Turkey, Japan where IO-Link is proving immensely popular, and Germany where PROFIBUS and PROFINET events are scheduled. A major German event, the PI Konferenz, is scheduled for March 22-23.
Innovation is, of course, partly about technology. But it is also about massive improvements in productivity through the empowerment of a business’s only untapped resource - its people. After all, a state-of-the-art plant provides exciting opportunities for graduates and engineers who are looking to the future for career advancement and inspired innovation.
The program of the 5th PI Konferenz on March 22 and 23, 2017, at the Commerzbank-Arena football stadium in Frankfurt, Germany is finalized.
PI North America in cooperation with the PROFI Interface Center announces that their free PROFINET one-day training classes will be held in 17 cities in 2017. Find a class in your area and get trained!
Regional PI Associations in Australia, China, Middle East, and the UK have news in this issue. PI Australia looks back at 2016 and ahead to 2017. PI China appeared in the exhibition of the 2016 China International Industry Fair in Shanghai. PI Middle East hosted a PROFIday and conducted a PROFIBUS class in Dubai; they are planning a design course. PI UK is supporting (and offering discounts) to Industry 4.0 Summit & Factory of the Future Expo in 2017.
This month there is news from PI UK, PI Germany, PI South Africa, and PI Australia. PI UK is supporting UK’s first Industry 4.0 Summit and reports on their recent Manchester seminar. PI Germany celebrates well-attended seminars in 2016 and looks forward to 2017. PI South Africa announces a new PI Training Center. PI Australia in cooperation with University of Technology, Sydney announces a seminar introducing Industry 4.0.
PI Brazil has had a full slate of meetings and activities including some featuring PI Chairman, Karsten Schneider. On November 9, PI Italy held their final PROFIBUS and PROFINET event of 2016 in the industrial district in southern Italy. PI Middle East is hosting another PROFIday featuring the food and beverage industry on November 15.
The PI North America "year" revolves around our annual General Assembly Meeting held every September here in Scottsdale, AZ. This year's installment marks the 22nd anniversary, since the organization was founded as the PROFIBUS Trade Organization in 1994. With the 2016 GAM now in our rearview mirror, we can reflect on the progress made during the year leading up to, and during the event.
