Anyone looking to save energy in the manufacturing industry tends to focus on machinery and production processes. However, the building itself and the lighting also deserve attention. For example, we see that the proportion of lighting in building-related energy consumption is increasing, despite the LED revolution.

Cyberattacks must not lead to dangerous situations. With the new Machinery Regulation, that principle carries more weight. In our previous webinar on the Machinery Regulation, the focus was mainly on the regulatory context: what is changing, who will be affected by the new obligations, and why machine builders and end users should already be taking this into account.

Unexpected breakdowns, time pressure, constantly playing catch-up, incomplete documentation, and missing spare parts — for many maintenance departments, this is not the exception, but the daily reality. The importance of maintenance is clear. The question is: how do you move from ad hoc maintenance to a structured approach? Or how do you further refine an existing maintenance strategy and substantiate it within your organization?

Grid congestion – the “traffic jams” on the electricity grid – is becoming a daily reality for more and more companies. It affects your plans when you want to expand, electrify, become more sustainable or feed energy back into the grid. This requires practical considerations: what can you do yourself, what is better done together and which routes are realistic in your situation?

From Wednesday 4 February to Friday 6 February, Kortrijk Xpo will be the mecca of industrial automation and Industry 4.0. Professionals and future professionals in industrial and public sectors can attend free of charge after registering. You will find Breemes in Hall 5, stand 537.

Machines are becoming smarter, but also more vulnerable. From 2027 onwards, digital security will no longer be optional, but a mandatory part of machine safety. Anyone who designs, builds or uses machines today must ensure that the digital side of those machines is also secure.

Whether you are just starting to pick the low-hanging fruit or have already harvested the first energy savings, real progress requires a structured, step-by-step approach. That starts with reducing baseline consumption and downtime losses and culminates in smart data analysis and AI-assisted optimisation.

The new European Machinery Products Regulation dramatically changes the playing field for machinery manufacturers and end users. It replaces the current Machinery Directive and brings binding obligations for all EU economic operators from 20 January 2027. But the consequences are not delayed: projects started now must already take into account the requirements of later.

Prepare your production processes for the future! Advanced technologies like SIMATIC WinCC Unified software and Siemens Unified Comfort Panels empower companies in the manufacturing industry to work more efficiently, reduce costs, and optimize user interfaces.

Suppose a metal cap gets lost in a jar of applesauce. Annoying for the consumer, a nightmare for the producer. But also for the chain. After all, claims are increasingly being passed on to suppliers, machine builders or maintenance companies. One unwanted element can lead to costly recalls, legal proceedings and lasting reputation damage. With the growing claims culture, it is crucial that companies cover themselves properly and can justify their choices.

With NIS2, the protection of network and information systems enters a new phase. This European directive will be transposed into national legislation this year. Security measures will be imposed on organisations providing important, essential or critical services.

The future is not getting any more certain. Who would have ever thought that companies would go bust because they could not pay their energy bills? At the very least, a company that wants to increase its industrial livelihood in this day and age needs to embark on a strategic energy policy.

Do you know what you need to know to protect critical industrial infrastructure? Securing operational technology (OT) from digital threats is becoming increasingly important as the boundaries between IT and OT continue to blur. Even from legislators, both EU and central government, the proverbial carrot and stick are now being deployed to move companies in the right direction. This is necessary, because downtime can literally lead to stagnation. Besides: if your company is brought down by a cyber attack, it damages the entire chain. All the more reason to take the necessary measures appropriate to your role.

Have you also received mail from Rob Jetten about the energy saving obligation? The four-year reports must be submitted by 1 December. Have you already realised your savings ambition and taken the necessary measures? There are probably more gains to be made than you think.

In a few weeks, the new regulation on machinery products will come into force. This regulation replaces the old Machinery Directive of 2006. What does this mean for your machinery and products? Find out by watching our new webinar Machine Safety: the New Regulation.

If you can predict unwanted downtime on a production line, you can prevent it. Want to know how to do that? Follow our webinar on predictive maintenance on Tuesday 9 May at 14:00!

Not blown away. Under that heading, itsme is organising a webinar on explosion safety on Wednesday 1 March at 14:00. ATEX expert Arthur Rooze discusses your role in explosion safety: from manufacturer to user, he refreshes your ATEX knowledge and addresses pitfalls based on examples. Register now!

Have you been hacked yet? Or do you think it won't happen to you? Then you have either built up good security or you may not have thought about it yet. In February this year, 45% of companies had experienced cybercrime. By now, it will be a majority. Are you next?

Watch the recording of the webinar on this page (Dutch language only)

Do you know what you need to know to protect critical industrial infrastructure? Securing operational technology (OT) from digital threats is becoming increasingly important as the boundaries between IT and OT continue to blur. Even from legislators, both EU and central government, the proverbial carrot and stick are now being deployed to move companies in the right direction. This is necessary, because downtime can literally lead to stagnation. Besides: if your company is brought down by a cyber attack, it damages the entire chain. All the more reason to take the necessary measures appropriate to your role.