Succesful Food & Pharma Symposium completed!

Nearly 130 professionals within the automation and control field and the pharmaceuticals and food industries gathered in Philadelphia last week to explore solutions to the critical challenges relating to automation in food processing and drug manufacture and distribution. The second annual ISA Food and Pharmaceutical Industries Division (FPID) Symposium delivered best-practice insights and approaches to leaders of pharmaceutical and food processing companies seeking to improve quality, safety, reliability, profitability, cost control and production throughput. The meeting’s content-rich technical program, titled a “Pharmaceutical Automation Technology Update: Control, Optimization, Measurement, and Serialization,” highlighted the latest trends, innovations, strategies and techniques in process automation through expert-led technical sessions and numerous roundtable discussions. A spectrum of technical sessions covered key topics and issues of importance, such as: Measureable Business Value Improvement from Automation Investments Implementing Electronic Record Systems - Through an Operations Information Infrastructure Benchmark Summary of Automation in Pharmaceutical and Biotech Manufacturing Operations Automation, Disposables, and Factory of the Future: What Does it Mean to Automate a Flexible Facility? How to Pick an MES or Batch Execution System Using Data to Optimize the Product Life Cycle Serialization Training Serialization Case Study with Global perspective Recent Trends in Data Integrity Compliant Optimized Business Processes within a Regulated Industry Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) – A Perspective Integrated Factory Infrastructure - Mitigating Security Risks (Cyber Security) Alarm Management Reflection and Update The Future is Now - Integration of Process, Electrical and Process Control Engineering Other valuable components of the 2015 FPID Symposium included: Featured presentations by two visionary experts in automation and control: Paul McKenzie, Ph.D., (Vice President of Manufacturing and Technical Operations at Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson) and Peter Martin, Ph.D., (Vice President of Business Value Solutions at Schneider Electric). Dr. McKenzie’s presentation, titled “Using Data to Optimize Product Life Cycle,” illustrated how organizations are recalibrating their knowledge management strategies through better use of information technologies. Dr. Martin’s presentation, titled “Applying Control Theory to the Real-Time Value Chain,” revealed how industrial companies can more effectively apply automation strategies and solutions to achieve optimum results. A vendor exhibit featuring the products and services of 19 leading companies. The opportunity to gain professional development hours (PDHs). Each attendee  could obtain up to 16 PDHs. “I want to take this opportunity to recognize the pharmaceutical and food industry subject-matter experts—particularly the end-user presenters—the event speakers and the ISA professionals and volunteers whose time and contributions made the symposium so rewarding and successful,” said Bill Dugary, the Conference Chair of the 2015 ISA FPID Symposium. “I also want to sincerely thank the International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE), the Philadelphia Drug Exchange (PDE), other sponsors and the many automation companies and suppliers on hand for their involvement and vital support.” Dugary, a Life Member of ISA who serves as an automation consultant and Senior Business Development Manager at Applied Control Engineering, Inc., emphasized that ISA is committed to continually enriching the content and broadening the appeal and reach of its FPID event. “First of all, there is no substitution for a live, in-person gathering,” he insists. “Attending, in person, an event provides the personal interaction and emotional resonance that are so essential to learning and building relationships. The feedback I received from attendees at this year’s FPID Symposium made that clear.” Dugary encouraged all professionals in the automation community and throughout the pharmaceutical and food industries to explore ways that they can contribute to next year’s FPID event. “FPID is a unique opportunity because, to great degree, it’s designed to furnish the real-world perspectives of end users, to illustrate what challenges they’re facing and what solutions they need,” he explained. “Whatever your role—supplier, system integrator, engineering firm or other—we invite you to get involved, whether it’s by attending, volunteering, sponsoring or speaking. Our focus is on continuing education and learning and bringing value to everyone.” • ISA’s 2016 FPID Symposium is tentatively scheduled to take place 15-16 March 2016 in Cork (IRL). Symposium organisers are already recruiting volunteers, participants and speakers for the event.