From Big Questions To Innovation - A Look Back At This Season's Conversations

Throughout this season of The Process Automation Podcast, we’ve uncovered how experts around the world are rethinking the future of production in heavy industry. In the final bonus episode for this season, host Fran Scott steps back to revisit some of the standout ideas and insights that really made us stop and think. From digital tools reshaping everyday operations to the evolving nature of industrial work itself, you'll be hearing highlights from:  April Whitson, Global Head of HR at ABB Process Industries (Episode 1: Driving change – people behind the energy transition)  Stefan Basenach, Senior Vice President at ABB Process Automation Technology (Episode 2: Automation in action – built to last, designed to evolve)  Dr. Carlos Lopez-Gomez, Head of Policy Links at IFM Engage at the University of Cambridge (Episode 5: Small tech, big impact – delivering precision in harsh industrial operations)  Shanthala Kamath, R&D Corporate Executive Engineer at ABB Measurement and Analytics (Episode 5: Small tech, big impact – delivering precision in harsh industrial operations)  Follow The Process Automation Podcast wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode. If you want to get involved and join us as an expert, follow the link to ABB’s website where you can let us know your domain of expertise. Link here: or at The Process Automation Podcast — ABB Group See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The ocean is unpredictable, but smarter digital routing is transforming how ships navigate it to ensure safety of passengers, crew and cargo.  From real-time weather insights to automated voyage  optimization, routing services are evolving to help vessels save fuel, reduce emissions, and improve safety at sea. And as progress accelerates, we’re asking the big question: What technologies will shape the future of ocean routing?  In this season’s finale, Michael Greavette and Mark Streuper from ABB’s Routing Solutions and Services in Marine & Ports division join Fran to explore how data and automation are reshaping navigation today, and what’s coming next.  Follow The Process Automation Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, so you never miss an episode.  If you want to get involved and join us as an expert, follow the link to ABB’s website where you can let us know your domain of expertise. Link here  or  at   The Process Automation Podcast — ABB GroupSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In our previous episode, we explored how fiber is being used in new and unexpected ways beyond traditional paper production. Today, we’re continuing that story, looking at how the same spirit of innovation is transforming the entire pulp and paper industry. For decades, this sector has quietly been a pioneer in bioenergy and biomaterials. Through its evolution from traditional manufacturing sites into modern, self-sufficient biorefineries - and supported by active, long-term forestry that enables the shift from fossil fuels to sustainable energy - it has become one of the world’s largest producers and users of renewable energy from wood-based residues. But what does this transformation mean for the future of energy, sustainability, and even new revenue opportunities? That’s exactly what we’re exploring in this episode, as we ask: How is the pulp, paper, and fiber industry creating future value through biomass, biofuels, and circular innovation? Joining the discussion are:   Gustav Melin, CEO and CFO at Mantex AB  Wilson Monteiro, Business Line Manager for Pulp, Paper, and Fibre at ABB   Roger Östlin, Head of Sustainable Fuels at SCA and CEO of the SCA–ST1  Follow The Process Automation Podcast wherever you get your podcasts, so you never miss an episode.  If you want to get involved and join us as an expert, follow the link to ABB’s website where you can let us know your domain of expertise. Link here or The Process Automation Podcast - ABB GroupSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fiber is no longer just about paper. Across industries, wood and cellulose are being transformed into advanced biomaterials, sustainable textiles, and renewable energy sources. These innovations are reshaping how we think about circular production, reducing fossil dependency, and unlocking new business opportunities. In this bonus episode we are asking Stefan Thorburn, Senior Principal Scientist at ABB Corporate Research, how is this shift happening and what role is technology playing in enabling it? Follow The Process Automation Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, so you never miss an episode. If you want to get involved and join us as an expert, follow the link to ABB’s website where you can let us know your domain of expertise. Link here or The Process Automation Podcast — ABB GroupSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In our last episode, we looked at how shipping - one of the world’s oldest industries - has evolved, with digital technology driving much of that change.  Safety, efficiency, and sustainability remain the big drivers. Today’s ships benefit from smarter logistics, predictive maintenance, and real-time tracking.  But taking digitalization further in such a complex sector isn’t easy. New and existing technologies must integrate seamlessly to keep operations safe, resilient, and reliable.  Add to that the challenges of cybersecurity, secure ship-to-shore data, and preparing the workforce for a digital future - and the task becomes even tougher.  That’s exactly what we’re diving into in this episode: how to take digitalization to the next level in the maritime industry. In this episode, host Fran Scott will be joined by:  - Mikkel Skou Managing Director of Veracity by DNV - Osku Kälkäjä, Digital Division Lead, ABB’s Marine & Ports division  - Leigh Carr, Vice President, Maritime Cyber Safety of Carnival Corporation and PLC   Follow The Process Automation Podcast wherever you get your podcasts, so you never miss an episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shipping is one of the world’s oldest industries, moving 80% of global trade and linking millions of people. But while seafarers’ mission hasn’t changed, the way ships are run has.  Digitalization is reshaping maritime operations: smarter logistics, predictive maintenance, real-time tracking, and energy management. Modern ships are now “systems of systems,” where navigation, propulsion, and communications must work seamlessly together.  In this bonus episode, we talk with Osku Kälkäjä, Division Digital Lead at ABB’s Marine & Ports division, about how life at sea has shifted from analog traditions to the realities of the digital era.  Follow The Process Automation Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, so you never miss an episode.  If you want to get involved and join us as an expert, follow the link to ABB’s website where you can let us know your domain of expertise. Link here: https://forms.abb.com/form-79084/process-automation-podcast-form or The Process Automation Podcast — ABB Group See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From measuring emissions to boosting efficiency and enhancing plant safety, modern instrumentation often works quietly behind the scenes — yet its impact can be huge. Following on from discovering how the ‘Hidden heroes’ of Industry are created, we ask how these instruments have such a big impact?   How do they integrate into the bigger picture to make operations more efficient? And how can they help industries operating in hazardous environments run leaner and cleaner?   These are some of the questions Fran will be exploring as we ask the question, ‘How do small-scale instruments deliver large-scale impact in extreme industrial conditions?’   In this episode, host Fran Scott will be joined by:  Dr Carlos López-Gómez - Head of Policy Links, IfM Engage at The University of Cambridge  Shanthala Kamath, Corporate Executive Engineer at ABB’s Measurement & Analytics division  Follow The Process Automation Podcast wherever you get your podcasts, so you never miss an episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In industries where extreme temperatures, hazardous chemicals, and high-pressure environments are the norm, specialized instrumentation technologies are making a massive difference.  From compact sensors monitoring temperature in chemical reactors, to advanced instrumentation systems that minimize water loss in pipelines, these technologies are driving huge gains in safety, efficiency and sustainability.  In this episode, we shine a light on these small but mighty technologies that keep the world’s toughest industrial environments running.   To uncover the story behind these ‘hidden heroes’, we’re joined by Shanthala Kamath, R&D Corporate Executive Engineer at ABB Measurement and Analytics. She takes us inside the world of R&D (Research & Development) to explore how these innovations are created, tested, and what they could mean for the future of smart instrumentation.  Follow The Process Automation Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, so you never miss an episode.  If you want to get involved and join us as an expert, follow the link to ABB’s website where you can let us know your domain of expertise: The Process Automation Podcast — ABB Group  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

She’s usually the one asking the questions – but in this episode, the mic is turned.  After four seasons of hosting The Process Automation Podcast, Fran Scott is joined by guest host Margarita Sjursen, Head of External Communications at ABB’s Process Automation business area, to take a closer look at the person behind the questions.   We explore how Fran became a science communicator, engineering expert and podcast host – and reflect on what drives her passion for making complex topics engaging, accessible, and most importantly – fun!  Follow The Process Automation Podcast wherever you get your podcasts, so you never miss an episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Technology advancements have driven transformative evolution for industrial automation, but the benefits of modernization must be weighed against the cost of interruption to plant operations.  In this bonus episode, host Fran Scott is joined by Christopher Leinen, Chief Technology Officer at PLT Networks, to explore how industrial facilities can strike the balance between innovation and continuity.   Follow The Process Automation Podcast wherever you listen to your podcasts, so you never miss an episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.