Out of Africa: home-grown Artificial Intelligence Rising African Independent

To accelerate growth across the continent, Rockwell acquired Hiprom in 2011. Hiprom, a Johannesburg-based corporation, is a process control and automation systems integrator specialising in mining and mineral processing. When Rockwell acquired Hiprom, a company spokesperson revealed that the acquisition was a strategic play to strengthen their global project management and delivery capabilities in the mining, metals and minerals industries. According to John Lewis, Rockwell's current director of business partnering, Hiprom - which is still run out of South Africa - is now the group's global mining competency centre of excellence. In a recent podcast conversation I had with Lewis, he shared how Rockwell is adapting to changing times by hiring software developers and tech-savvy business specialists who can speak to the myriad optimisation challenges faced by their clients all over the world.