Siemens and Bentley Systems Collaborate on Process Industries Academy Initiative

Siemens’ Process Industries and Drives and Digital Factories divisions are teaming up with Bentley Systems’ Bentley Institute to establish a Process Industries Academy that will support the companies’ joint vision for cloud services and digital workflows in engineering and operations. The Process Industries Academy will help organizations to better understand and develop an effective digital strategy across all aspects of the asset lifecycle, based on the practical experience and knowledge of the industry’s leading experts.

With recent fluctuations in the oil, gas, and global energy markets, and the subsequent impact on related process manufacturing sectors, established ways of working in the process industries are now being challenged across the entire project lifecycle. Fewer capital investments in greenfield projects, and an increased focus on optimizing productivity, performance and utilization of existing assets, have prompted the process industries to examine new ways to increase competitiveness and operating revenues.

An optimal approach to project delivery and asset performance addresses the interactions and balance between an organization’s capabilities, its people, the underlying business processes and methods, all coupled with the latest technology, to consistently improve its business outcomes.

Based on the experience and knowledge of the industry’s leading experts, the Process Industries Academy will provide sessions focusing on real-world examples of the key aspects of a digital approach to capital project delivery and asset operations. Participants will discover how developing a clear digital strategy for improved collaboration, communication, and coordination between project teams creates an ideal environment to optimize information creation and digital workflows.

Eckard Eberle, CEO, Process Automation, Process Industries and Drives Division, Siemens AG, said, “The Process Industries Academy supports the development of industry best-practice approaches, while respecting the culture and traditions within today’s process industries. Our shared vision for the academy is to offer a practical, effective means for asset owners, decision makers, and program and project managers to understand the interactions and balance between teams, processes, and technologies so they can see improved project delivery and asset performance.”

Alan Lamont, vice president of Digital Advancement Academies for Bentley Systems, said, “The Process Industries Academy will offer industry professionals an environment to learn and share practical insights about business process improvements enabled by technology, so they can educate and equip their teams to be more productive and achieve the best outcomes. With academy sessions, we hope to help participants to develop a better understanding of their role and the benefits across the asset lifecycle, with practical, real-world examples of “Going Digital” to advance capital project delivery and asset operations.”

Process Industries Academies will be situated in the following locations to support the global process industry:
·         Karlsruhe, Germany at Siemens’ Process Automation World
·         Houston, Texas, U.S. in Bentley’s Digital Advancement Academy
·         Shanghai, China at Siemens’ Process Industry Center of Excellence

The first academy session is scheduled for November 14, 2018 in Karlsruhe at Siemens Process Automation World.  A half-day preview of the Process Industries Academy will be featured during Bentley’s Year in Infrastructure 2018 Conference in London on Monday, October 15.