Technical Content Topics

The International Society of Automation (ISA) is the world’s leading professional society for industrial automation. ISA and its community of subject matter experts offer content and thought leadership for the automation profession across a broad range of topics, including:

Digital Transformation

What the cool kids are doing

• Smart manufacturing
• Digital twin
• Virtual, augmented and mixed reality
• Additive manufacturing/3D printing
• Autonomous systems (driverless cars, drones, intelligent robots)
• Industry 4.0/5.0
• Blockchain
• Artificial intelligence (AI) large language models, generative AI, AI-based advisory or control systems
• Wearables
• Data science (analytics, AI, machine learning (ML), deep learning, predictive and preventive control)
• Digital strategy

Automation and Control

Running the plant

• Continuous control and batch processing
• Troubleshooting
• Modifications (set point softening, digital, series, velocity, etc.)
• Optimization/controller tuning
• Model-based control (advanced process control [APC], model predictive control [MPC], dynamic matrix control [DMC], smith predictor, etc.)
• Advanced classical control strategies (cascade, ratio, override, feedforward, reset feedback, etc.)
• Soft computing methods (fuzzy logic, neural networks, and evolutionary genetics algorithms)
• Procedure automation for continuous process operations
• Building automation (heating, ventilation and air conditioning, fire detection, lighting control, access control, closed circuit TV [CCTV] and intrusion monitoring)
• Control centers and control rooms (alarm management, situational awareness, human factors and ergonomics)
• Distributed control system (DCS)
• Integrated control and safety system (ICSS)
• Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA)
• Data historian
• Human-machine interface (HMI), graphical user interface (GUI), operator interface terminal (OIT) and mobile devices
• Programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and programmable automation controllers (PACs)
• Remote terminal units/remote telemetry units (RTUs)
• Soft PLC
• Instruments and sensors (calibration and test, signal conditioning and processing, process composition analyzers and techniques)
• Final control elements (valves, pumps, motors)
• Electrical system (control panels, marshaling cabinets, industrial computers, power supplies)
• Machine automation and control (embedded control, machine tools, CNC, DNC)
• Machine safety
• Sequential control
• Discrete control
• Motion control
• Robotics
• Automatic identification/vision systems

Safety and Cybersecurity

Protecting people, plants, and the environment

• Environment, health, safety and security (EHSS)
• Process safety
• Safety instrumented systems (SISs)
• Burner management systems
• Fire and gas systems
• Functional safety
• Hazardous areas and equipment
• Industrial and operational technology (OT) cybersecurity
• Network management and protection (intrusion detection, intrusion prevention, firewall, etc.)

Enterprise Architecture and Networks

How things fit and talk to each other

• Control system integration
• Network devices (firewalls, routers, switches, gateways, data diodes, etc.)
• Wireless networks (Wi-Fi, wireless instrumentation networks [ISA100, WirelessHART, etc.], LTE/5G/6G, satellite [VSAT, Starlink, etc.])
• Network protocols (OPC and OPC UA, DNP3, Ethernet/IP [CIP], PROFINET, Modbus, etc.)
• Intelligent device management (field device technology [FDT], electronic device description language [EDDL])
• Industrial internet of things (IIoT)
• Edge computing
• Cloud computing
• IT/OT convergence
• Unified name space (UNS)
• Digital thread
• Purdue Enterprise Reference Architecture (PERA)
• Monolithic
• Microservices
• Domain driven design
• Data strategy

Operations and Management

Managing the business

• Documentation
• Project planning and execution
• Risk management
• Modeling and simulation (dynamic, steady state, mathematical methods, model validation)
• Design engineering
• Loop checks, calibration, commissioning and FAT/SAT
• Asset management (overall equipment effectiveness [OEE], leak detection and repair, maintenance and repair [MRO])
• Changeovers and migrations
• Corporate/enterprise resource planning (ERP) (SOCs, recipes, work orders, BOMs)
• Manufacturing execution system (MES) (12 functions per ISA-95)
• Compliance, regulations and standards
• Industry maturity and readiness
• Plant/facility safety and security (personnel safety, electrical safety, physical security, personnel security awareness)
• Workforce development and training 
• Sustainability (environmental management, energy management, supply chain optimization)