Challenge, Change and Collaboration

The great Spanish philosopher Miguel de Unamuno was not speaking of industry and its problems when he cautioned “Isolation is the worst possible counselor,” but the thought that we only overcome our greatest challenges through the many forms of teamwork captures well the spirit that drives people to seek out the collaborative opportunities at important industry events such as Gastech.

The digital technologies being developed today are building blocks of our industrial future, but if we do not shape them with the user in mind we run the risk of hindering progress as much as helping it. For example, it cannot be over-stressed that IT and OT are only one-half the equation in cyber security, and that the human element aspect of cyber security extends beyond individual solutions. Cyber threats are threats to everyone, and only when all stakeholders in our industry overcome the uncomfortable silence that usually follows a cyber attack, and meaningfully share our experiences, failures and successes, will we be able to continuously protect our companies and our assets.

In sum, to successfully confront the challenges of our increasingly complex world, the entire industry must collaborate to advance in technology and environmental responsibility without compromising on reliability and safety. The challenges we face going forward are many and varied, but so are the opportunities. Working together, we will overcome the former and make the most of the latter, and thereby develop an industry that is sustainable, self-improving, beneficial and safe.