While we still have another five months to go in 2017, I would like to express my sincere privilege and fortune to have had the commitment of so many world-class colleagues, council members, business partners and industry delegates in serving the SAIMC. Indeed, the significant and all-encompassing successes and initiatives we implemented during the past six months were only made possible through top-class and dedicated internal support across the SAIMC business value chain. To this end, I would like to take stock and look ahead to what the future holds for the organisation.
Driving convergence: business, government and educational institutions
Despite the challenges, much appreciation goes to the organisational-wide efforts that have seen us through the testing times. As an institution, we continue to deliver against our targets and forge ahead with our value-adding activities. Together with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) we are working to create an automation discipline, which involves getting support from industry, tertiary institutions and regulatory bodies across the region. This process involves the use of several Automation Competency Models to redefine and develop new automation role categories in the private sector, as well as merging these into the educational value chain to create new educational options and career paths. Amongst many other factors, this process is cognisant of the Industrie 4.0 development (smart future).
Reaching new frontiers: geographical footprint
While we continue to respond to the rapidly changing automation environment, in hindsight, we are also preparing for the uncertain and volatile future. Under the leadership of the Pretoria branch, we have established a new branch in Rustenburg. Contributing to enriching the African continent remains an important part of our future aspirations, and we are currently working with our branch in Lusaka preparing documentation to register with the engineering institution of Zambia (EIZ).
Strengthening our stakeholder relations
With the support of the council and the executive committee, we have tackled complex business and organisational incongruence and embarked on strengthening our stakeholder relations. We received a formal invite to represent the industry at the State of the Nation Address (SONA). In a form of a memorandum of understanding, we have secured strong relations with the Energy and Water Sector Education and Training Authority EWSETA, which we hope will be the beginning of a valuable partnership. We intend to expand these relations to other governmental institutions to partner with us in tackling industry-wide challenges.
We also partnered (and will continue to do so) with industry awakening conferences, such as Connected Industries and African Automation Fair. We have reached out to the private sector through the ‘Transforming the Automation Industry in Africa for the 4th Industrial Revolution’ SAIMC breakfast, and we will take these engagements forward. Given the volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous future, we believe that stakeholder relations and collaboration remain crucial to transforming the automation industry and eventually expanding our contributions to the South African economy.
SAIMC Gala Dinner
For our famous annual Gala Dinner, we have obtained the services of Dr. Adriana Marais who will tell us why she wants to go and live on planet Mars. She has been shortlisted for the Mars 1 mission, which aims to put the first human colony on Mars in year 2025. This will give our individual members, sponsors and patrons an idea of the type of future (smart future) that is ahead of us. What an exciting time in the four billion year history of life on earth!
In reflection, all these achievements on the path toward what we hope to achieve as an organisation would not have transpired without the individual sacrifices and unwavering efforts taking place behind the scenes. All the determination, exertion and courage behind the above initiatives reflect on the servant heart of this continually evolving institution. SAIMC we thank you – obrigado.
Yours in automation,
Oratile Sematle.
| Tel: | +27 11 312 2445 |
| Email: | ina@saimc.co.za |
| www: | www.saimc.co.za |
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