In this special bonus episode, we revisit the future of metals through the lens of experience. Frederik Esterhuizen, Business Line Manager at ABB, reflects on his 30-year journey in the metals sector: from the biggest shifts he’s witnessed in the industry to what 'future-proofing' really means today. He also shares his advice for the next generation entering the metals world. Follow The Process Automation Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, so you never miss an episode. See omnystudio.com/l...
Jun 11, 2025•11 min•Season 4Ep. 3
Metals enable progress. They are essential to everything that shapes our daily lives, from infrastructure and transport to high technology. But with demand rising, how can the industry adapt to meet these needs in a responsible way? What steps will help to future-proof the sector? And why are automation, electrification and digitalization vital for the future of the metals industry? In this episode, host Fran Scott will be joined by: - Helena Malmqvist, Research Manager at Jernkontoret - Frederi...
May 28, 2025•30 min•Season 4Ep. 3
The story of industrial automation begins with the Industrial Revolution, when machines first replaced human muscle, and extends to today’s advanced systems that operate some of the most complex industrial infrastructures on the planet. In today’s bonus episode, we explore that evolution through the eyes of the control room operator – tracing their journey from hands-on manual control to high-level system optimization. Stefan Basenach, Senior Vice President of Pro...
Apr 23, 2025•18 min•Season 4Ep. 2
The industrial workplace is evolving rapidly with increasing automation and digitalization of operations. How can organizations ensure that their existing workforce is not left behind? Why is it crucial for companies to upskill their existing workforce? How does empowering current employees with new skills benefit the next generation workforce? Join podcast host Fran Scott, and April Whitson, Global Head of HR at ABB Process Industries, to delve deeper into the subject of upskilling ...
Apr 09, 2025•16 min•Season 4Ep. 1
Technology plays a key role in accelerating the energy transition. Yet, the true driving force is people: without human courage, curiosity, and care, innovations would remain idle theory. Across industry sectors, people aren’t just adapting to change – they are leading it, pushing boundaries to create a better future. So, how can industry attract, develop, and retain the next generation of engineers and innovators to accelerate the future of the energy transition? And how can th...
Mar 26, 2025•31 min•Season 4Ep. 1
Can CSS really help to combat the emissions from the hard-to-abate industries? What will the adoption of CCS in industry look like? How will policy play into the landscape of CCS development? What are the key aspects of the future of CCS and the role of the next generation in driving the energy transition? Join podcast host Fran Scott, and Dr Colin Hale from Imperial College London to debunk some of the lies and discuss the truths about Carbon capture and storage (CCS). &...
Dec 18, 2024•7 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) has an important role to play in the energy transition – especially in helping decarbonize traditional energy and industrial infrastructure. CCS involves capturing carbon dioxide emissions from industrial processes and then transporting these, either by ship or pipeline, to be stored underground. But how can this technology help address industrial emissions at scale? And can innovations such as digital twins help advance the CCS technology? To ...
Dec 11, 2024•30 min•Season 3Ep. 6
How can remote operations reduce the need to be in hazardous environments and help improve workforce diversity? Do remote operations also contribute to reducing negative environmental impacts? And does this mean that in the future, human involvement on-site will decrease? Join podcast host Fran Scott, and Sanjit Shewale, Global Head of Digital at ABB Process Industries, to debunk some of the lies and discuss the truths about remote industrial operations. Follow The Process Automation Podcast whe...
Nov 20, 2024•11 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Many industrial facilities like mines, wind farms or marine vessels are often located in remote areas. Operating far from other infrastructure has its challenges, such as dealing with harsh weather conditions and ensuring that a qualified workforce is available at the right spot and time. Remote, however, doesn’t always mean far away: crane operators at container terminals can work from a control room rather than high up in a crane, and in mines, blasting can be managed from a safe distance. How...
Nov 06, 2024•28 min•Season 3Ep. 5
We return to look at Green Hydrogen and its potential to scale over the coming years. What do Hydrogen, Ammonia and Methanol have in common? What will it take to drive down the cost of Green Hydrogen production? And what role will technology play to make widespread adoption possible? Join host, Fran Scott, and technology expert Ralph Burgener, Global Product Line Manager, High Power Rectifier at ABB to debunk some of the lies and discuss the truths about Green Hydrogen. Follow The Process Automa...
Oct 23, 2024•7 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Green hydrogen has an important role to play in the global effort to achieve decarbonization goals. Produced using renewable energy, it offers the potential to help many industries move towards more sustainable operations. However, there are also challenges to overcome, including bringing down the costs of production as well as further developing the necessary infrastructure. In this episode, we will explore the question: Scaling up green hydrogen – what will it take? To find answers, The Proces...
Oct 09, 2024•29 min•Season 3Ep. 4
We are back for a bonus episode to continue investigating Offshore Wind’s role in the energy transition. What could wind farms of the future look like? How can technology help ensure maximum efficiency in the process? And how much power is offshore wind capable of generating? Join host, Fran Scott, and Head of Supply Chain Development at Copenhagen Offshore Partners, Victoria Sinclair, to debunk some of the lies about Offshore Wind and discuss the truths about how to quickly and sustainably this...
Sep 25, 2024•11 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Offshore wind power plays an increasingly important role in the energy transition. According to the International Energy Agency, it’s expected to grow rapidly in the coming years. But the big question is: how to scale up this renewable energy source quickly and sustainably? Wind farms have existed around the world since the 1980s. What needs to be in place so the full potential of offshore wind can be realized? What technological developments need to happen? And what other factors need to come i...
Sep 11, 2024•28 min•Season 3Ep. 3
We continue our exploration into the move from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources in Industry. Is it possible to reliably run industry on renewables?, What will the future make up of energy look like for industry? And how can technology help make this possible? Join host, Fran Scott, and process automation technology expert Stefan Basenach to debunk some of the lies about renewable energy and discuss the truths about the reality of powering industry with renewables. Follow The Process Auto...
Aug 28, 2024•10 min•Season 3Ep. 2
While industry is responsible for a substantial share of global greenhouse gas emissions, there is no denying the fact that as the world’s population grows, so will the demand for energy and materials. The big question is: how to meet these needs in the most sustainable way? Boosting energy efficiency and electrification are key, and so is increasing the share of renewables in industrial operations. But how can industry go about switching from fossil fuels to renewable power? And how can technol...
Aug 14, 2024•33 min•Season 3Ep. 2
The investigation continues into the invisible threat of methane emissions. Does methane impact our atmosphere in the long term? Can technology provide a solution? Join host, Fran Scott, and methane expert David Allen to debunk some of the lies about methane emissions and discuss the truths about this potent greenhouse gas. Follow The Process Automation Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss an episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Jul 31, 2024•14 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Methane is the second-largest contributor to global warming after carbon dioxide (CO2). According to the International Energy Agency, it is responsible for around 30 percent of the rise in global temperatures since the Industrial Revolution. While methane absorbs more energy than CO2 in the atmosphere, it has a much shorter atmospheric lifespan – around 12 years. The good news is that tackling methane emissions can make a significant difference to addressing climate change. But how to reduce emi...
Jul 17, 2024•31 min•Season 3Ep. 1
The Process Automation Podcast with presenter and engineer Fran Scott returns with a third season! In this series, we'll discover how we can tackle harmful emissions, power industrial operations with renewables, and what energy sources we will see come into play in the future, all thanks to process automation. Follow The Process Automation Podcast wherever you get your podcasts to make sure you never miss an episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Jul 10, 2024•1 min
Our smartphones, laptops and electric vehicles all need batteries to operate, but these powerhouses offer so much more, playing an important role in the clean energy transition. In this episode of The Process Automation podcast, we delve into the world of batteries: how they are being used, their ongoing innovation and development, what happens when a battery reaches the end of its life and what we could expect from this technology in the future. In this episode, host Fran Scott meets Nora Rosen...
Nov 07, 2023•31 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Goods that we rely on every day – food, clothing, medicine and much more – are shipped across the oceans in container ships. 11 billions of tons of goods annually, to be precise! For all this cargo to get to its destinations in a safe, reliable and timely manner, much must fall in place – and ports are key to this. Massive containers moved by cargo ships need to be handled at container terminals as quickly, safely and reliably as possible. In this episode of The Process Automation Podcast from A...
Oct 05, 2023•29 min•Season 2Ep. 5
From the early days of transferring books and newspapers into digital formats – to the modern digital ecosystems that utilize data to make complex industrial operations more effective and sustainable. Digitalization offers industrial companies new tools that can help improve energy and resource efficiency, lower harmful emissions, and drive sustainable change. In this episode of The Process Automation Podcast, host Fran Scott meets Amit Joshi Professor of AI Analytics and Marketing Strategy at t...
Aug 22, 2023•25 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Industries that play a crucial role in enabling our daily lives – energy, water, transportation and many more – rely on lifecycle support to ensure smooth and uninterrupted operations. But how does this happen and what technologies are out there to optimize the operations of some of the world’s most complex infrastructures? And what role does lifecycle support play in helping industries evolve as they undergo energy transition? In this episode of The Process Automation Podcast, host Fran Scott m...
Jul 25, 2023•25 min•Season 2Ep. 3
While many engineering jobs have traditionally been dominated by men, the tide has turned in recent years with more and more women now stamping their mark and making a difference in industry. But there’s still work to be done. In this episode of The Process Automation Podcast, host Fran Scott is joined by Marie Helene Westholm-Knebel, Sustainability Manager at ABB Process Automation, and Christine Skaramaga, Senior Environmental Engineer at leading resource management company Veolia to discuss t...
Jun 20, 2023•31 min•Season 2Ep. 2
While many of us takes access to energy for granted, today, 770 million people live without access to electricity. As the world’s population grows, so does energy demand, making energy security more important than ever. Energy is not only key to having comfortable lives; it is also crucial for economic growth and social progress. But what exactly is energy security – and how do we ensure energy security today and for the future? To find answers to these questions, The Process Automation Podcast ...
May 23, 2023•28 min•Season 2Ep. 1
This episode of The Process Automation Podcast explores the topic of green hydrogen – an important pillar of the ongoing energy transition. Hydrogen has great potential to play a central role in helping the world meet its climate goals, particularly when it comes to decarbonizing heavy industries where emissions are hard to abate. In this episode, presenter and engineer Fran Scott is joined by Marc-Antoine Eyl-Mazzega, Director of the Energy & Climate Center at French Institute for Internati...
Feb 16, 2023•32 min•Season 1Ep. 7
For more than a century, automation systems have been central to enabling the operation of industries that provide the basic building blocks of our everyday lives – energy, power, water, metals, minerals, chemicals, and transportation. So how are automation systems being used now to scale to the needs of a growing population – while helping industries reduce carbon emissions? Tune in to the latest episode of The Process Automation Podcast, where host and engineering enthusiast Fran Scott speaks ...
Dec 01, 2022•29 min•Season 1Ep. 6
“Water is the driving force of all nature” – Leonardo da Vinci This episode of The Process Automation Podcast delves deep into the world of water. Our need for water is essential and that need is ever-growing. About 70 percent of our world is covered in water and only 3 percent of that is drinkable. Moreover, only one-fifth of the wastewater generated around the world is currently reused. Scarcity, ageing infrastructure, limited access and climate change all demand more efficient management of a...
Nov 03, 2022•31 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Shipping is key for the world economy and our everyday lives – over 80% of world traded goods is carried by sea, while ferries transport over 4 billion passengers a year. What goes behind the scenes of this massive – and yet often invisible – industry? Join host and engineering fan Fran Scott as she learns about the technologies that are propelling ships toward a sustainable future in conversation with ex-mariner and shipping journalist Craig Eason, ABB’s passenger vessel expert Marcus Högblom, ...
Oct 06, 2022•32 min•Season 1Ep. 4
How important it is to continuously monitor our global emissions to ensure that the air we breathe is safe for humans, animals, and the environment? From what's being monitored, to how it is dealt with, join host and engineering fan Fran Scott as she learns how ABB's solutions tackle these challenges. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aug 09, 2022•26 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Fran Scott discovers just how critical the mining industry is, the challenges it faces in 2022, and how ABB technology and solutions are helping to tackle these challenges while also supporting the clean energy transition. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jul 05, 2022•30 min•Season 1Ep. 2
