For a broader adoption of AI in industrial production, adequate infrastructure capabilities are crucial. This includes easing the integration of AI with industrial devices, support for distributed deployment, monitoring, and consistent system configuration. Existing IIoT platforms still lack required capabilities to flexibly integrate reusable AI services and relevant standards such as Asset Administration Shells or OPC UA in an open, ecosystem-based manner. This is exactly what our next level Intelligent Industrial Production Ecosphere (IIP-Ecosphere) platform addresses, employing a highly configurable low-code based approach. In this paper, we introduce the design of this platform and discuss an early evaluation in terms of a demonstrator for AI-enabled visual quality inspection. This is complemented by insights and lessons learned during this early evaluation activity.

In this special guest feature, Stuart Gillen, Senior Manager at Kalypso, offers a few ways manufacturing organizations can leverage predictive maintenance to identify potential issues, reduce the occurrence and length of unplanned downtime, and get the most value from assets and budgets. Stuart is a proven leader passionate about AI and able to successfully work through the hype to provide clients actual implementation in IoT and Machine Learning projects which provide true business value and positive ROI. His areas of specialty include IoT architectures, platforms, and technologies. With testimonial success applying leading innovation capabilities, Stuart has a unique perspective on how clients can enhance their creative aptitude and maximize their return on innovation investments.. As manufacturers become increasingly connected, their systems, machines, sensors and other devices are generating a wealth of new data, and given the sheer volume of data generated, that isn't easily analyzed.

ThoughtWire, developers of the award-winning Ambiant IIoT platform, today announced the closing of a combined $20 million debt and Series A financing. ThoughtWire will use the financing to further the company's geographic growth using Ambiant to make cities smarter, buildings more automated and energy efficient, and hospitals and workplaces safer, by interconnecting and orchestrating people, workflows, data and things in real-time. The investment round includes a respected syndicate of new and current investors including Yaletown Partners, BDC Capital, Round13 Capital, Epic Capital and Comerica. "We are proud to have new partners who are invested in our vision and mission to orchestrate a healthier, safer and cleaner world, and the enormous market opportunity that lies ahead for ThoughtWire," says Michael Monteith, CEO of ThoughtWire. "We're excited to have the opportunity to apply this latest investment to grow our team and expand the impact of our forward-thinking technology on Smart Cities and buildings, better healthcare and advanced manufacturing." Over the last two years, after attracting worldwide recognition from both Gartner and Frost & Sullivan for Ambiant's use in healthcare, the Ambiant IIoT platform is now being applied across diverse industries to deliver intelligent automation and provide real-time guidance to machines and staff to predict and resolve issues, ensure safety, and achieve energy efficiency.