MESA Africa call for papers 2018
July 2018
News
Smart manufacturing and the digital enterprise
It’s happening fast. Everywhere we turn, processes, machines and devices are becoming more connected and intelligent. Production machines, turbines, and even thermostats, all stream data. Refineries, oil platforms, mines, production plants and vehicle fleets are optimising the operating efficiency, effectiveness and performance of their assets.
Broader deployment of operational technology is expanding the use cases into non-traditional industries. Resource shortages are impeding faster progress. Blurring boundaries between IT, OT, and IoT are increasing the need for more integrated, collaborative systems and strategies.
MESA Africa’s 10th Annual Conference will attempt to answer the following:
• How will disruptive technologies change existing products, processes and plants?
• Can cybersecurity threats be overcome?
• How will edge and fog computing change control architectures?
• How will end-users deal with the tsunami of clouds coming along with new production machines?
• Will there eventually be a cloud standard?
• When will machine learning and artificial intelligence transform operations?
• Will open source solutions impact traditional software and automation domains?
• How will a digitally-enhanced workforce stem the loss of tribal knowledge?
• How to deal with batch size = 1 unit for extreme individualisation?
• How do connected products create opportunities in aftermarket services?
• What steps can organisations take to foster innovative thinking?
• Will OPC UA and TSN supercede today’s variety of fieldbuses?
• Why do machine builders develop their own IT platforms?
• Will multi-agent controls replace today’s central PLC-focused controls?
Call for papers
• MESA Africa is pleased to invite interested parties to submit papers for the 2018 conference. To enable the conference committee to select a balanced programme, submit an abstract of 250 words to [email protected].
• All abstracts will be considered by the committee and rated against the theme content and relevance. The review process will aim to develop an industry focused programme which:
• Is of high quality and excites conference attendees.
• Reflects innovation and diversity of industry research, operational practice, professional issues and industry education.
• Reflects a balance between the many areas of global industrial best practices.
• Maintains the MESA ethos of being vendor-agnostic and non-commercial.
The call for papers closes on 31 July.
For more information contact Jane Collett, MESA Africa, +27 (0)82 528 1238, [email protected], www.mesa-africa.org
Further reading:
Helping mines get results from water improvements
News
South African mines operate under constrained, water-scarce conditions where every investment must be justified. Xylem’s Chetan Mistry explains how the right water technology partner helps mines prioritise high-value water systems across the mining lifecycle.
Read more...
From solar to water, onsite plants are the next big industrial resilience shift
News
South African industrial operators who secured their energy supply with onsite solar generation now face the same imperative with water. Robert Erasmus of Sanitech argues that onsite water treatment is the next essential pillar of business continuity.
Read more...
From the editor's desk: Pushing engineering to the limit
Technews Publishing
News
Among the many things robots can do, it’s a lot of fun to follow how fast they are. They go from the Boston Dynamics cheetah, which first reached a record-breaking speed of 45,5 km/h, to the robot Charlie
...
Read more...
Schneider Electric concludes Innovation Summit Middle East and Africa
Schneider Electric South Africa
News
Schneider Electric's Innovation Summit Middle East and Africa, held in Abu Dhabi with more than 2500 attendees, explored the convergence of energy, AI and industrial software, launched an Industrial AI study and announced the NEST Accelerator Programme for energy and industrial tech startups.
Read more...
VEGA brings measurement expertise beyond mining to Electra Mining Africa 2026
VEGA Controls SA
News
VEGA used its Electra Mining Africa 2026 stand to demonstrate that its level and pressure measurement instruments extend well beyond mining, covering water, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and oil and gas applications across the continent.
Read more...
Sustainable solutions for sugar
Bearing Man Group t/a BMG
News
BMG received a Special Commendation Exhibition Stand Award at the South African Sugar Technologists’ Association Congress, where it showcased an integrated turnkey drive solution designed to simplify the upgrading of ageing crushing-mill drive systems.
Read more...
Measure, Manage, Maintain: The operating model behind SA’s water resilience
Siemens South Africa
News
South Africa’s growing water crisis is putting pressure on infrastructure, municipalities and the economy. Siemens highlights how digital technologies, smarter operations and safe water reuse could help shift the country from crisis response towards a more resilient and sustainable water future.
Read more...
VEGA brings measurement expertise beyond mining to Electra Mining Africa 2026
VEGA Controls SA
News
VEGA used its Electra Mining Africa 2026 stand to demonstrate that its level and pressure measurement instruments extend well beyond mining, covering water, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and oil and gas applications across the continent.
Read more...
Schneider Electric concludes Innovation Summit Middle East and Africa
Schneider Electric South Africa
News
Schneider Electric’s Innovation Summit Middle East and Africa, held in Abu Dhabi with more than 2500 attendees, explored the convergence of energy, AI and industrial software, launched an Industrial AI study and announced the NEST Accelerator Programme.
Read more...
RX Africa and Messe Muenchen India join forces to strengthen business platforms in Africa
RX Africa
News
Messe Muenchen India has announced a strategic partnership with RX Africa to strengthen the scale, reach and market impact of its premier co-located trade fairs, analytica Lab Africa and IFAT Africa, ahead of their 2027 editions.
Read more...