What does the food and beverage (F&B) industry of the future look like? Efficient, sustainable, integrated, safe, consumer-centric and traceable. This was the prevailing message at the recent Schneider Electric Food and Beverage Innovation Day, held at the Galleria in Sandton, Johannesburg.
Devan Pillay.
The packed-to-the-rafters event was attended by major consumer packaged goods and F&B; companies, industry players, technology providers, industry bodies, and regulators. The event featured several prominent speakers and was hosted by radio personality and business news anchor, Nzinga Qunta.
Opening the event, Devan Pillay, cluster president of Schneider Electric, noted the remarkable evolution in the F&B; industry in recent years. “There is a consciousness in the way we consume goods and with that comes the importance of traceability. In our efforts to decarbonise, we should also endeavour to bridge the gap between providing access to energy and sustainable practice.”
Mohamed El Khateb.
Mohamed El Khateb, regional segment leader: MEA and India at Schneider Electric, echoed Pillay’s sentiments. “At Schneider Electric we believe the factories of the future will be built on a comprehensive ecosystem that connects all aspects of the production process. For example, by leveraging an infrastructure platform such as our EcoStruxure architecture, organisations can achieve seamless connectivity, improved data utilisation, and enhanced production capabilities.”
Practical solutions for the F&B; industry included insights by Dr Suven Ramsunder, digital transformation expert, Johan Potgieter, cluster industrial software lead, and Thabang Byl, buildings segment lead.
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