Register Now
Wednesday, October 7, 2026 | 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM CT
Norris Conference Center: Houston/CityCentre
816 Town & Country Blvd., Houston, TX 77024 (I-10 & Beltway 8)
Reserve your seat today!
Agenda
Join us for the full day, or pick and choose which sessions to attend.
Industry & Market Outlook
Richard Karpinski
S&P Global / 451 Research
OPC UA’s Expanding Role in the Industrial Enterprise
Mike Clark
OPC Foundation
Building a Governed Enterprise OT Data Foundation
Darek Kominek
Matrikon
Edge AI: Value at the Source
Lindi Salasko
Orilla
Open Process Automation in Practice
Don Bartusiak
Collaborative Systems Integration
Modernization Without Increasing Risk
Moderator: Richard Karpinski
S&P Global / 451 Research
Architecture Overview, Core Components & MDB Roadmap
Mohammad Areef Penukonda
Matrikon
Project Velocity by Design
Mark Halder
Matrikon
What We Heard & What’s Next
Richard Karpinski & Darek Kominek
OPC UA and UAFX: Where the Standard Is Going
Mike Clark
OPC Foundation
Secure Foundations for Industrial AI
John Archer
Red Hat
Embedded UA Customer Story
Dennis McDonald
Cummins
Native OPC UA Support in Industrial Embedded Systems
Dimitri Philippe
BE.services
SDK & Open Automation Roadmap
Mohammad Areef Penukonda
Matrikon
Closing Roundtable & Audience Q&A
Moderated by Rod Stein
Building End-to-End Industrial Data Connectivity with MDB
Mark Halder & Pat Hunt
Matrikon
Followed by an Architecture Clinic
How Do Industrial Organizations Modernize Without Creating Tomorrow’s Legacy?
AI initiatives, enterprise analytics, open automation, and digital transformation all depend on reliable access to operational data.
Yet many organizations continue to face familiar challenges:
- Connecting systems across OT and IT environments
- Governing and contextualizing data
- Supporting new business initiatives without rebuilding infrastructure
- Managing interoperability across technologies and vendors
- Scaling modernization efforts without increasing risk
The Industrial Data Forward Forum brings together industry perspectives on enterprise data, standards, architecture, and implementation approaches to explore how organizations can build foundations that support both current requirements and future opportunities.
What We'll Explore
Enterprise Data Foundations
What industrial organizations are doing to make operational data more accessible, reusable, and valuable across the enterprise.
AI Readiness
What needs to be in place before AI initiatives can deliver meaningful and sustainable results.
Open Standards & Interoperability
How technologies such as OPC UA and UAFX are influencing the next generation of industrial architectures.
Modernization Without Increasing Risk
Approaches for evolving existing systems while preserving reliability, security, operational continuity, and future flexibility.
Open Automation
How organizations are approaching greater flexibility, interoperability, and long-term technology independence.
Forums During the Day
The forum brings together perspectives from organizations including:
S&P Global / 451 Research
OPC Foundation
Cummins
Orilla
Matrikon
Discussions throughout the day will address:
- Industry and market trends
- Standards and interoperability direction
- Enterprise OT data strategy
- AI readiness and operational intelligence
- Modernization approaches and lessons learned
- Open standards and open automation
One Shared Conversation. Two Focused Afternoon Paths.
Morning Forum
The day begins with a shared forum focused on the trends, technologies, and architectural considerations shaping the future of industrial operations.
Topics Include
- Industry and market outlook
- Standards and interoperability
- Operational data and AI readiness
- Enterprise data foundations
- Practical applications of edge AI
- Customer perspectives on modernization and openness
Afternoon Track A
Focused on enterprise data foundations, architecture, governance, modernization approaches, and lessons learned.
Designed For
- Enterprise Architects
- OT Architects
- IT Architects
- Digital Transformation Leaders
- Operations and Engineering Leaders
- System Integrators
Afternoon Track B
Focused on open standards, OPC UA, UAFX, SDK implementation, embedded adoption, and technology direction.
Designed For
- OEM Product Teams
- Developers
- Automation Architects
- Embedded Engineers
- System Integrators
- Standards Practitioners
This forum is designed for professionals involved in industrial modernization, data strategy, automation, and technology transformation, including:
- Digital Transformation Leaders
- Operations and Engineering Leaders
- Enterprise, OT, and IT Architects
- Automation Professionals
- System Integrators
- OEM Product Teams
- Industrial Software Developers
Event Details
Date
Wednesday, October 7, 2026
Time
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM CT
Location
Norris Conference Center, Houston/CITYCENTRE
816 Town & Country Blvd.
Houston, TX 77024
Format
In-person, one-day industry forum
Be Part of the Industrial Data Conversation
Join industry peers, analysts, standards organizations, practitioners, architects, and technology leaders for a day focused on enterprise data, open automation, and AI readiness.
Register to Join Us in Houston on October 7
