HomeGeneral InformationPress RoomPress Releases

International Society of Automation News Release
Contact: Jennifer Infantino
(919) 990-9287
jinfantino@isa.org

ISA EXPO Technical Conference Committee Develops Strategy for 2009 Conference Program; Technical Tracks to Include Energy Component

Research Triangle Park, NC (17 February 2009) – The ISA EXPO Technical Conference Committee met in Research Triangle Park earlier this month to identify key topics and potential speakers for the ISA EXPO 2009 Conference Program. A team of 26 industry experts, including representatives from end users, contractors, consultants, consortia, institutes, regulators and vendors, discussed industry trends, new technology, and the most pressing issues facing companies today.

As a result of the meeting, the team identified the topics that the conference program will cover within the six technical exchanges: safety, security, process automation and control, energy and environment, wireless and networking, and enterprise integration. ISA EXPO 2009 will be held at the Reliant Center in Houston, Texas, 6-8 October.

Paul Gruhn, PE, CFSE, of ICS Triplex, is the ISA EXPO 2009 Program Chair. “Each year, the ISA EXPO conference program covers the hot topics of today. This year, we’re not just covering those topics; we’re bringing groundbreaking information and resources to the program so that our attendees can truly influence the direction of technology in the future. That’s what it takes for a conference to truly impact its attendees, and we’re bringing the top experts from every industry together to make that happen. Our program committee volunteers are active in cutting-edge research, the development of new technology, and the creation of standards used globally in our industries. They have the contacts within industry and government to deliver a top-notch technical program with some really groundbreaking sessions like a live “hack and protect” security session, a live social engineering and open source intelligence demonstration, and a panel session that connects academia and industry to talk about the future of our profession,” said Gruhn.

The safety exchange, chaired by Charles Fialkowski of Siemens, will feature paper sessions on the implementation of safety Fieldbus, the impact of instrumentation in safety instrumented systems (SIS) applications, SIS maintenance, detailed implementation and applications of SIS, and the use of safety lifecycle tools. Tutorials on safety lifecycle processes, alternative risk analysis techniques, and lessons learned from safety disasters are also planned, along with a panel session on the ISA safety standards.

The security exchange, chaired by James Gilsinn of NIST, will include groundbreaking, edgy sessions on important topics like wireless security and security concerns in social engineering. The sessions on wireless security will be organized into a tutorial and a panel session, held back-to-back on 7 October. The sessions will bring experts together to discuss best practices for installing wireless applications, and will feature a red team/blue team concept with a live demonstration of security attacks at each level of a wireless application. Experts in wireless applications security, electrical implications of security concerns, physical attacks on wireless applications, and networking technology attacks will join the demonstration and show techniques and concepts over large screens with a moderator discussing each phase of the demonstration. The session will be the first-ever “hack and protect” live demonstration at a process control event.

The group plans to hold a paper session on the denial of safety at the device level, followed by a panel session on system and process level security. Compliance issues will also be addressed in the track, with dedicated panel sessions on the implications and implementation of CFATS, and the landscape of regulatory and standards relationships.

In another ISA EXPO first, the security track will feature a tutorial on SmartGrid security, and a live demonstration tutorial session on social engineering and open source intelligence.

The process automation and control exchange, chaired by Kevin Wilhelm of Eli Lilly, will feature technical information on topics like instrumentation applications and selection criteria, process control applications to improve energy usage within industrial environments, adding value to business from process data, instrumentation maintenance practices, successful and sustainable advanced process control applications, grounding interference and noise suppression, and control room strategies and designs. A session on process control project justification techniques, especially timely given the economic downturn, is planned. Industry expert Harold Wade, one of the session developers on the team, will also give a tutorial on regulatory control strategies. For the first time ever, the track will also feature a special panel session focused on connecting academia to industry, tentatively titled “Trends in Engineering Programs, Curricula, and Workforce Development.” The panel will bring major players in industry and academia together to discuss these critical issues in an open environment.

The environmental control exchange will be combined with an all-new energy component, reflecting the top trends and issues of today. The environmental control portion, chaired by Joe Provenzano of Aaron Associates, will feature paper presentations covering practical process solutions for water treatment plants, combustion monitoring and control, water runoff management, and wastewater treatment applications. Tutorials on SCADA and the EPA’s carbon dioxide regulations, along with panel sessions on process fugitive emission and vent monitoring and the future of SCADA systems are also planned.

The energy component of the exchange is a brand new part of ISA EXPO and is chaired by Dave Hardin of Invensys Global Management. The track will include tutorials on hot topics like SmartGrid, NERC CIP, and transportation fuels.

“I think that the message is becoming clearer that we must move toward a future driven by sustainable energy. Energy must be harnessed from a wide range of diverse sources and delivered cost-effectively, efficiently and securely to consumers of all types and sizes. This is the role of the SmartGrid. The ISA EXPO 2009 Energy track will explore SmartGrid and the many opportunities and challenges that lay ahead for industry and industrial automation as the world's energy supply-chain is modernized,” said Hardin.

Panel sessions will focus on distributed generation, alternative energy sources, the future of energy management, and applying industrial automation to building management. A paper session on nuclear energy is also being planned.

The wireless and networking track, chaired by Sean Vincent of Fieldbus Inc., will feature presentations and tutorials on wireless to enterprise integration, power over Ethernet, WirelessHART, ISA100.11a, and industrial Ethernet. The team is also planning panel sessions on wireless technology, FOUNDATION Fieldbus Safety Instrumented Function, and user experiences in wireless deployment.

The enterprise integration exchange, chaired by Cliff Pederson of Pederson Enterprises Inc., will cover topics like Open O&M, integrated enterprise information modeling, and enterprise information management. Distinct panel sessions and tutorials will cover a range of enterprise integration issues specific to several industries, including the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries; the capital, fleet, and upstream oil and gas industries; the power and utilities industries; and the food and pharmaceutical industries.

A bonus track, covering aerospace issues, will feature a presentation of the three best aerospace papers presented at the 55th International Instrumentation Symposium, including the best student paper. The track will also host a panel on wireless technology for aerospace applications.

ISA EXPO attracts more than 12,000 attendees from over 70 countries each year. For more information about ISA EXPO 2009, visit www.isa.org/isaexpo2009.

About ISA

Founded in 1945, the International Society of Automation (www.isa.org) is a leading, global, nonprofit organization that is setting the standard for automation by helping over 30,000 worldwide members and other professionals solve difficult technical problems, while enhancing their leadership and personal career capabilities. Based in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, ISA develops standards; certifies industry professionals; provides education and training; publishes books and technical articles; and hosts the largest conference and exhibition for automation professionals in North America. ISA is the founding sponsor of The Automation Federation (www.automationfederation.org).