Sensors: digital transformation process industries
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Sensors: Advancing digital transformation and sustainability in process industries
The digital transformation is bringing both financial and sustainability benefits to process industries. Learn how data science and the Internet of Things are unleashing benefits across the board.
The digital transformation is a disruptive movement that is bringing both financial and sustainability benefits to process industries.
We are today experiencing an exciting growth phase in the field of process and environmental sensors as digital transformation disrupts the world around us. From the way we live to the way we work to the way we think, data science and the Internet of Things are unleashing benefits everywhere.
Advances such as unlimited computing power, miniaturization, effective wireless communication, machine learning and many other developments are positively impacting efficiency and sustainability over a wide range of industrial processes. Many process industries are changing as digital transformation disrupts how we design, build, operate and maintain production facilities.
Sustainability is an important part of the picture
Many of the advantages we get from digital transformation also lead to sustainability benefits. The expression “Digital Sustainability,” which is the achievement of superior resource efficiency and performance due to better application of digital technologies, has recently been introduced to describe the relationship between these concepts. This means fewer natural resources are being consumed – and fewer emissions are being generated -- in our production processes.
Moreover, lower costs for both raw materials and emission treatment result in significant financial benefits for industrial producers. Safety and disaster prevention are also improved, based on better understanding of process conditions and faster response in case of anomalies, via greatly improved digital transformation technologies.
A key difference: Digital Transformation vs Digitalization
Before proceeding, it is important to clarify the difference between “Digital Transformation” and “Digitalization.” Digitalization is just a prerequisite; necessary, but not in itself sufficient for achieving Digital Transformation.
- Digitalization?refers to enabling or improving processes by leveraging digital technologies and digitized data, through a series of digitalization projects, ranging from automating processes to retraining workers to use computers.
- Digital Transformation?encompasses the actual business transformation enabled by digitalization, driving tangible improvements in both production and business processes. This goes much further than simply adopting new digital technologies; it means using them for wider gains in productivity, sustainability and profitability.
