Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Schneider Electric and Aramco to Collaborate on O-PAS Automation Test Bed

29/10/2020

Schneider Electric and Aramco to Collaborate on O-PAS Automation Test Bed 28/10/2020

Press Release industrial automation

Download PDF Companies will jointly assess and validate next-generation open and interoperable technologies

Schneider Electric, the leader in digital transformation of energy management and automation, and Aramco, the world's pre-eminent integrated energy and chemicals company that drives global commerce and enhances the daily lives of people around the globe, today announced they have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on assessing emerging technologies based on the Open-Process Automation Standard (O-PAS). Testing will take place at a new built-for-purpose test bed in the Saudi Schneider Electric Innovation and Research Center in Dhahran Techno Valley, Saudi Arabia.

The new facility will test systems for multi-vendor interoperability, cybersecurity and advanced functionality, such as artificial intelligence and advanced analytics, in real-world applications. Technologies from Schneider Electric as well as other automation vendors will be assessed on how well various solutions work together to produce the high value expected for next-generation industrial automation. Engagement of academia, third-party suppliers and other owners and operators will be explored under this agreement to benefit Aramco and the automation industry in the Middle East.

Schneider Electric has a long history of innovation and driving open industrial automation, said Nathalie Marcotte, president, Process Automation, Schneider Electric. Legacy systems have served us well and advanced us this far but now the time is right to accelerate the digital transformation of industry by taking a new approach to industrial automation with secure interoperable technologies. Aramco and other owners and operators around the globe are looking for ways to optimise their CAPEX and OPEX spend, while making step change improvements in their operational efficiencies and carbon footprint. Standards like O-PAS and IEC 61499 will ensure systems are interoperable, portable, scalable, future proof and intrinsically cybersecure. Emerging automation technologies based on these standards promise to improve uptime, add agility, enhance cybersecurity and enable new operational models at a much-reduced total cost of ownership.

Local and Global

The new test bed is part of Schneider Electric's ongoing commitment to build and develop local technical capacity close to its customers and supports Aramco's ambitious In-Kingdom Total Value Add (IKTVA) initiative. The collaboration will allow Aramco to enhance its local capacity, technical knowledge and digital readiness for Industry 4.0 operational models supported by Schneider Electric's global expertise and network.

We are pleased to leverage Schneider Electric's deep domain expertise to explore next-generation industrial automation architectures, said Ahmad Al Sa'adi, Senior Vice President, Technical Services, Aramco. Interoperable and portable systems will give us greater freedom to select and integrate the best in class technologies we need to bring step change advancements in our operations and future-proof our industrial automation system.

Digitalization and Industry 4.0

Under the agreement, Schneider Electric and Aramco will jointly define areas of technical collaboration to assess and validate multiple emerging technologies and their benefits, explore real world applications and develop a prototype system.

Ultimately, both companies will jointly deliver an O-PAS-compatible field-test pilot that depicts a section of an Aramco plant with the goal of advancing its sustainability, digitalization and operational excellence capabilities.

OPAF

Schneider Electric and Aramco are both members of The Open Group Open Process Automation Forum (OPAF), an international forum of end users, system integrators, suppliers, academia, and standards organisations who are working together to develop the specifications for utilising open process automation technology in next generation process control systems. Schneider Electric has taken a leadership position in working with other members of OPAF to define the O-PAS Standard. Once fully defined, O-PAS will allow for construction of safe, reliable, secure process automation systems that are scalable from very small to very large, which do not require system shutdown to perform updates and extensions, and which can be applied to existing systems and to new construction.

Download PDF

United Kingdom
LINK: https://www.se.com/uk/en/about-us/newsroom/news/press-releases/schneid...
See more stories from schneider

Europe Stories

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

09/10/2026

Dolby Expands Dolby OptiView Platform with New Capabilities at IBC 2026

September 10 2026, 06:00 (PDT) Dolby Expands Dolby OptiView Platform with New Capabilities at IBC 2026 New Sports Intelligence helps providers better unders...

07/10/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Media Operations from Ingest to Distribution

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...

01/10/2026

Phoenix from Spitfire Audio & BT

Third collaboration with celebrated composer Spitfire Audio have once again teamed up with Grammy-nominated composer, producer and technologist BT, creating...

01/10/2026

Novation launch the FLpad

FL Studio gets dedicated grid controller Novation have teamed up with FL Studio developers Image-Line to create another dedicated controller for the popular...

01/10/2026

Volt Gen 2 & Volt Max interfaces from Universal Audio

Six new USB interfaces introduced Universal Audio's USB audio interface line-up has just been refreshed, gaining six new models aimed at musicians, prod...

01/10/2026

Siretta SNYPER-5G Shortlisted for the IoT Global Awards 2026

Siretta's SNYPER-5G cellular network analyser has been shortlisted for the IoT Global Awards 2026. The IoT Global Awards recognise products, services and o...

01/10/2026

Mesh Broadcast Services and Argo M - A Perfect Fit

Mesh Broadcast Services Fits Big-Truck Audio Power into Compact Eclipse Unit with Calrec Argo M Canadian OB company Mesh Broadcast Services has fitted its Eclip...

01/10/2026

X-Rite Pantone Launches Spectura to Advance Connected Color Quality from Lab to Production

X-Rite Pantone Launches Spectura to Advance Connected Color Quality from Lab to ...

01/10/2026

Nominees revealed for 2026 Sky Arts Awards

Thursday 1 October 2026 Nominees revealed for 2026 Sky Arts Awards Current slide, 0 0, undefined1 0 Irish National Opera and Jennifer Walshe: MARS Jacob Al...

01/10/2026

Vital TV antenna replaced at Sudbury

Vital TV antenna replaced at SudburyHelicopter and broadcast engineers work together to upgrade TV services for 1.5M in the East -- Share to Linkedin Octobe...

01/10/2026

Arqiva appoints Simon Duffy as Chair

Arqiva appoints Simon Duffy as ChairSimon Duffy joins as Chair effective 01 October 2026 -- Share to Linkedin October 1, 2026 Press Office 01 October 2026...

01/10/2026

The Boys are Back! The 2 Johnnies Late Night Lock In returns for Season 4

Season 4 of the multi-award-winning hit entertainment series The 2 Johnnies Late Night Lock In is back, serving up another round of unpredictable laughs, unforg...

01/10/2026

RT lyric fm's award-winning The Lyric Feature returns for new autumn series

New season begins Sunday, 4 October at 6pm on RT lyric fm and RT Listen RT lyric fm's arts and culture documentary series The Lyric Feature returns on S...

01/10/2026

RT Supporting the Arts is supporting 32 cultural events nationwide this October

RT is proud to continue its commitment to supporting and celebrating the arts across Ireland this October, highlighting a vibrant programme of theatre, music, ...

30/09/2026

Sync Audio release MegaMorph

Add an envelope generator to any plug-in Sync Audio's latest creation is a handy utility plug-in that can be used to combine and modulate other effects ...

30/09/2026

Strymon launch the La Brea

All-analogue tape-style drive joins Series A Strymon's reputation was built on their digital knowhow, so many were surprised (and intrigued) when they a...

30/09/2026

Sonuscore The Pulse: Synth Wave & Epic Atmospheres

Two new expansion packs released Sonuscore have just introduced two new expansion packs for The Pulse, its production engine instrument for modern cinematic...

30/09/2026

Clear-Com's Arcadia Central Station Brings Professional Production Communications to...

eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({...

30/09/2026

Harmonic Launches Recon Product Family Developed in Partnership with Comcast

New Solution Expands Harmonic's Network Intelligence Portfolio and Brings Comcast-Developed Fiber Monitoring Technology to Broadband Operators, Providing Re...

30/09/2026

Claire Brock and Sophie Morris discover how consumers can shop smarter in new RT documentary series

How to Shop Well Now starts Monday at 9.35pm on RT One and RT Player On the...

29/09/2026

Zynaptiq introduce Loud & Wide

Two new plug-ins launch alongside updated bundles Zynaptiq have just announced the launch of two new plug-ins, alongside new and improved versions of two of...

29/09/2026

Wes Audio unveil the ngOmniBox

All-in-one bus processor revealed Wes Audio's ng product range has come a long way since it was first introduced, and now includes a tasty selection of ...

29/09/2026

First Baptist Nashville Drastically Upgrades Production Communications with...

eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......

29/09/2026

SES Successfully Prices 500 million Eurobond

NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN OR INTO OR TO ANY PERSON LOCATED OR RESIDENT IN, OR AT ANY ADDRESS IN, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ITS TERRITO...

29/09/2026

The energy transition will only succeed if it lasts

We tend to think we live in a digital world, with hopes and fears around artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, data centres and the next big technolo...

29/09/2026

Apple releases new guide to help families build healthy digital habits - UPDATE - Posted on 29 September 2026

Today, in partnership with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Apple relea...

29/09/2026

Final Cut Camera now supports variable aperture on iPhone\u00A018\u00A0Pro - UPDATE - Posted on 29 September 2026

Final Cut Camera, the professional filming app for iPhone, receives a major upda...

29/09/2026

RT lyric fm launch the hunt for Choirs for Christmas

RT lyric fm is proud to announce the annual Choirs for Christmas competition callout. Warm up those vocal chords and join us on RT lyric fm for a celebration ...

28/09/2026

Scaler Music introduce Scaler EQ Pro

EQ plug-in can now be played via MIDI Scaler Music have recently released a new and improved version of their patented musical EQ plug-in, kitting it out wi...

28/09/2026

The Asura from Animal Factory Amps

New synth developed in collaboration with philterSoup Boutique effects pedal and Eurorack manufacturer Animal Factory Amps have announced that the new compa...

28/09/2026

Rohde & Schwarz adds an integrated multi-channel pulse analysis option to its FSWX signal and spectrum analyzer

Rohde & Schwarz adds an integrated multi-channel pulse analysis option to its FS...

28/09/2026

Sky launches Full Fibre 1.6 Gbps for millions of homes

Monday 28 September 2026 Sky launches Full Fibre 1.6 Gbps for millions of homes Sky has launched a new Full Fibre 1.6 Gbps product, rolling out from today, gi...

28/09/2026

Arvato Systems Highlights Its Role for Automakers and Suppliers

Arvato Systems Highlights It's Role for Automotive Manufacturers and Suppliers TISAX Arvato Systems has successfully completed the TISAX Level 3 assess...

28/09/2026

Crimecall returns for a brand-new series

Crimecall, presented by Carla O'Brien, returns tonight for a brand new series at 9.35pm on RT One and RT Player. In tonight's episode, alongside appe...

28/09/2026

RT SHORT STORY COMPETITION 2026 - SHORTLISTED STORIES ANNOUNCED

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS AT THE HEART OF NEW IRISH WRITING LIVE FROM POETRY IRELAND, DUBLIN AND ON RT RADIO 1 FROM 7PM DETAILS: www.rte.ie/writing | FOLLOW: #r...

27/09/2026

Boss launch the EX-4 Effects Expander

New compact pedal packs in 120 effects The latest multi-effects pedal from Boss is a compact unit that promises to give any pedalboard a massive boost in s...

26/09/2026

Native Instruments update Maschine

Launched alongside three new expansion packs In celebration of their 30th anniversary, Native Instruments have released a major update for their Maschine 3 ...

25/09/2026

Antares release AutoTune Advanced

Algorithm update & new DVA vibrato-detection engine A new flagship version of Antares' iconic pitch-correction software has arrived, and along with a co...

25/09/2026

Two notes to launch the Captor X Pro

New flagship unit to arrive in early 2027 Two notes Audio Engineering have revealed that a new and improved version of their hugely popular reactive load bo...

25/09/2026

Finalist 2 from Tim Exile

AI-free mixing tool gets an upgrade Launched in October 2025, Tim Exiles Finalist is an algorithmic mixing tool that's been designed for those who don&#...

25/09/2026

Rohde & Schwarz Mobile Test Summit 2026 puts the spotlight on 6G - registrations open

Rohde & Schwarz Mobile Test Summit 2026 puts the spotlight on 6G - registrations...

25/09/2026

IBC 2026: When Intelligence Became the Industry's New Competitive Advantage

In our latest blog, Tim Pearson reflects on IBC 2026 and considers the main learnings against an industry that saw AI finally coming out of the labs and into pr...

25/09/2026

How to watch an unmissable weekend of womens football on Sky Sports and NOW

Friday 25 September 2026 How to watch an unmissable weekend of women's football on Sky Sports and NOW Sky Sports and NOW will broadcast seven live games f...

25/09/2026

YAGA trailer released, coming exclusively to Sky and NOW on 31 October in the UK and Ireland

Friday 25 September 2026 YAGA trailer released, coming exclusively to Sky and N...

25/09/2026

'Watch this space: a new strategic direction for UK media'.

Watch this space: a new strategic direction for UK media. Arqiva has submitted its response to the Governments Green Paper on the future of television distribut...

25/09/2026

Last chance to apply to be part of this year's Late Late Toy Show

Want to be part of this year's Late Late Toy Show? Final call for applications in search for this year's stars The most wonderful night of the year is...

24/09/2026

Waves introduce Tracks Live 2.0

The next generation of multitrack recording for live sound The latest version of Waves' dedicated live multitrack recording software delivers an array ...

24/09/2026

Polyend introduce the Loop

An idea machine for musicians Described as an idea machine for musicians , the latest addition to Polyend's growing collection of guitar pedals combin...