The Industry Forward Podcast

To learn more about industrial AI, click here

Get with the program: Industrial AI won’t suddenly vaporize

siemensfm.communications@siemens.com (Siemens.FM team) — Sun, 25 Oct 2026 01:04:18 +0000

Industrial AI is here. The genie is out of the bottle. Those that adapt and embrace this new reality are setup to benefit from the technology’s force multiplication abilities. Those that cling to the way things were will be left in the dust. But AI is not a panacea, it pays to know what it can and cannot do.

In this episode of the Industry Forward podcast, host John Nixon, Global Vice President of Process Industries at Siemens Digital Industry Software, talks to Fred Husman, Senior Program Manager at SkyIO. The pair discuss the impact AI will have and—perhaps more importantly—not have on the process industry over the next three to five years.

In this podcast you will learn:

(01:10) – The importance of AI to keep up with the competition
(02:14) – What the process industry will look like over the next three to five years
(05:46) – The future impact of AI on plant operations and industry
(08:25) – How to know what you can and cannot do with AI

Connect with Fred on LinkedIn

A devastating surprise industries see with AI integration

siemensfm.communications@siemens.com (Siemens.FM team) — Sun, 25 Oct 2026 01:00:32 +0000

The artificial intelligence (AI) transition in the process industry is here. Soon, competitive advantages of AI will separate adopters from the pack. But to collect the data needed for AI, organizations must join operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT).

In today’s episode of the Industry Forward podcast, John Nixon, Global Vice President of Process Industries at Siemens Digital Industry Software, interviews Fred Husman, Senior Program Manager at SkyIO. They discuss how SkyIO customers, like Constellation Brands, can collect data from dozens of programmable logic controllers (PLCs), and similar systems, to create AI-enabled comprehensive digital twins.

In this podcast you will learn:

(03:09) – How the comprehensive digital twin helps industry prepare for AI integration
(06:16) – The benefits of virtual controllers
(12:59) – The need to have an OT-IT approach when working with production data

To learn more about industrial AI integration, click here.

Connect with Fred on LinkedIn

What it takes to power a humanoid robot

siemensfm.communications@siemens.com (Siemens.FM team) — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 21:03:06 +0000

Batteries will play a critical role in the future of energy. Already, battery technology has dramatically improved over the past two decades and is one of the key technologies enabling the next generation of innovations—from humanoid robots to AI infrastructure, and electrified transportation.

In today’s episode of The Industry Forward Podcast, host Dale Tutt, Global Vice President of Industry Strategy at Siemens Digital Industries Software, interviews Puneet Sinha, Global Head of Battery for Siemens Digital Industries Software, how digital technologies are transforming battery innovation and manufacturing across industries.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

How battery technology has rapidly advanced and what that means
The acceleration of battery demand across industries
Ways Digital Twin adoption can help manufacturers design and build batteries for the future.

Connect with Puneet on LinkedIn

Powering humanoids: the promise and reality of solid-state batteries

siemensfm.communications@siemens.com (Siemens.FM team) — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 21:00:08 +0000

The future of batteries for humanoid robots will depend on close collaboration across the entire battery ecosystem and greater use of AI-driven, data-centric manufacturing approaches. Solid-state batteries stand out as a key enabler for humanoids. Solid state batteries boast higher energy density and improved safety, but successful deployment requires advances in battery management systems and thermal management.

In today’s episode of The Industry Forward Podcast, Dale Tutt, Global Vice President of Industry Strategy at Siemens Digital Industries Software, is joined by Puneet Sinha, Global Head of Battery for Siemens Digital Industries Software, to discuss how the comprehensive Digital Twin helps companies address the challenges of designing and scaling batteries as demand grows.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

The importance of battery management systems
The major benefits of solid state batteries as they come into development
The complexity of battery design and thermal management
How to leverage the comprehensive Digital Twin to navigate these challenges

Connect with Puneet on LinkedIn

Powering the future of humanoid robotics

siemensfm.communications@siemens.com (Siemens.FM team) — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 20:57:25 +0000

Humanoid robots must operate untethered and move freely in factories, making battery performance essential. To make humanoids practical for large-scale industrial deployment, the industry must improve battery runtime, charging speed, energy density and safety.

In today’s episode of The Industry Forward Podcast, host Dale Tutt, Global Vice President of Industry Strategy at Siemens Digital Industries Software, is joined by Puneet Sinha, Global Head of Battery at Siemens Digital Industries Software, to discuss how batteries are both a major constraint and enabler for humanoid robots.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

The critical improvements batteries require to power humanoids
How batteries must address the power needs of AI computing
The importance of collaboration between both battery and humanoid manufacturers

Connect with Puneet on LinkedIn

Training your first humanoid with AI

siemensfm.communications@siemens.com (Siemens.FM team) — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:16:35 +0000

Humanoid robots are quickly transitioning from experimental pilots to scalable industrial solutions; and at the heart of this change is AI and simulation.

In today’s episode of The Industry Forward Podcast, host Dale Tutt, Global Vice President of Industry Strategy at Siemens Digital Industries Software, is joined by Rahul Garg, Vice President of Industrial Machinery at Siemens Digital Industries Software to discuss how humanoid robots are trained, deployed and scaled, highlighting the critical roles of AI and the Digital Twin.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

How AI enables quick and continuous learning
The importance of the Digital Twin to move humanoids from projects to production
Ways to navigate software updates and cybersecurity challenges

Flexible automation powered by AI

siemensfm.communications@siemens.com (Siemens.FM team) — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 23:51:31 +0000

Humanoid robots bring humanlike flexibility while not being limited by human anatomy. Additionally, humanoids combine human compatibility with scalable, software-driven intelligence to unlock flexible automation that fits existing environments while enabling new levels of efficiency.

In today’s episode of The Industry Forward Podcast, Dale Tutt, Global Vice President of Industry Strategy at Siemens Digital Industries Software, is joined by Rahul Garg, Vice President of Industrial Machinery at Siemens Digital Industries Software to discuss how humanoids use physical AI to adapt to new environments all while augmenting the capabilities of human workers.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

How humanoids go beyond human limits
The role of physical AI
Training methods for humanoids
Industry expectations for humanoid production

Humanoids: automation that fits

siemensfm.communications@siemens.com (Siemens.FM team) — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 22:06:04 +0000

Humanoid robots are emerging now because technology maturity, workforce needs and economics have all aligned. Combined with labor shortages and lowering costs of materials, advancements in AI, compute, batteries, sensing and digital engineering are pushing these robots into real production environments.

In today’s episode of The Industry Forward Podcast, Dale Tutt, Global Vice President of Industry Strategy at Siemens Digital Industries Software, is joined by Rahul Garg, Global Head of Industrial Machinery at Siemens Digital Industries Software, to discuss how humanoids represent a powerful new form of flexible automation, particularly for brownfield and human‑centered environments, and how they are poised for rapid growth in the coming years.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

What technologies are enabling the fast evolution of humanoids
Where to use the digital thread, digital twin, and AI to wrangle these technologies
Why the human form factors matter for their integration

The major shift toward humanoids

siemensfm.communications@siemens.com (Siemens.FM team) — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 21:17:40 +0000

Humanoid robots are mobile, software-defined robots designed with a human-like body structure. Their key purpose is to operate in environments built for humans. They may be coming to a factory near you.

In today’s episode of the Industry Forward podcast, Dale Tutt, Global Vice President of Industry Strategy, Siemens Digital Industries software, is joined by Rahul Garg, global head of industrial machinery, Siemens Digital Industries Software. The discussion focuses on what humanoid robots are, how they differ from other industrial robots and their role in modern factories—especially brownfield environments.

During this conversation, you’ll learn:

The definition of a humanoid robot
What sets the humanoid apart from other advanced robots
The advantages of the humanoid form
How to sidestep challenges to designing and integrating humanoids

Industrial AI jeopardy: the truth about inaction

siemensfm.communications@siemens.com (Siemens.FM team) — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 19:38:20 +0000

Many companies become complacent when they are leading the market. But history proves the only lesson from inaction is extinction. Thanks to the benefits, and risks, of industrial artificial intelligence (industrial AI), this truth has never been more salient.

In today’s episode of the Industry Forward podcast, host John Nixon, Global Vice President of Process Industries at Siemens Digital Industry Software (Siemens) and William (Bill) Hahn, Director of Solutions Consulting at Siemens discuss why organizations must adopt industrial AI technologies. They then dig into how to convince skeptics before it is too late.

In this podcast you will learn:

(01:07) – The dangers of inaction with AI
(02:45) – How automating the mundane encourages buy-in
(08:02) – What happens when "we've always done it that way" meets "we don't know what is unknown"

The value of process industry AI: shatter the one-size-fits-all myth

siemensfm.communications@siemens.com (Siemens.FM team) — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 19:34:03 +0000

There is no industrial AI for all. Just as the value of employees increase with specialization; AI tools become more valuable through improved expertise in particular areas. So, this begs the question, what roles can AI play in process industries?

In today’s episode of the Industry Forward podcast, host John Nixon, Global Vice President of Process Industries at Siemens Digital Industry Software (Siemens) asks this question to William (Bill) Hahn, Director of Solutions Consulting at Siemens. The conversation that ensues shows why AI tools must be tuned to specific users and functions.

In this podcast you will learn:

(01:08) – The role of AI in process industries

(04:43) – Anecdotes of how AI could have helped engineers of the past

(10:40) – The value AI brings to individuals across product lifecycles

The 5 best FAIR data secrets to empower process engineers

siemensfm.communications@siemens.com (Siemens.FM team) — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 19:28:39 +0000

Process industry data is only useful if it is findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable. This concept, often truncated to FAIR data, represents how information can feed digital twins, simulations and AI systems that herald the next industrial revolution.

In today’s episode of the Industry Forward podcast, host John Nixon, Global Vice President of Process Industries at Siemens Digital Industry Software (Siemens) will speak with William (Bill) Hahn, Director of Solutions Consulting at Siemens. In this discussion, they highlight five key takeaways about FAIR data for engineers modernizing industrial applications.

In this podcast you will learn:

(01:04) – The concept of FAIR data
(03:15) – How FAIR data links to platforms, digital twins and simulations
(05:44) – The role of FAIR data to produce AI tools for the process industry

How data is the new oil

siemensfm.communications@siemens.com (Siemens.FM team) — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 19:24:51 +0000

Data lakes, like oil reservoirs, are filled with vast industrial and economic potential. And much like how we dig for oil, we must wade through data reservoirs to find the hidden AI insights within. Thus, companies without a data strategy have no AI strategy!

In today’s episode of the Industry Forward podcast, host John Nixon, Global Vice President of Process Industries at Siemens Digital Industry Software (Siemens) will speak with William (Bill) Hahn, Director of Solutions Consulting at Siemens. These experts will discuss strategies to mine the insights from data lakes, how data can be as valuable as oil and the future of multidisciplinary AI for engineering applications.

In this podcast you will learn:

(00:56) – Why we say “data is the new oil”

(05:16) – How data density is like energy density

(09:16) – How, with context, the insights you gleam from data are as precious as oil

(10:31) – How ontologies build a multi-persona, authoritative source of truth

Ontologies: How to make sense of the data explosions in process industries

siemensfm.communications@siemens.com (Siemens.FM team) — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 19:04:32 +0000

The new digitalization era of the process industry is burying organizations under a mountain of information. Data, like entropy, is always increasing, but there is no use collecting all these digital records if they drown in obscurity within an abandoned data lake. Industry leaders must learn how to make sense of all this information and transform it into revenue.

In today’s episode of the Industry Forward podcast, host John Nixon, Global Vice President of Process Industries at Siemens Digital Industry Software (Siemens) will speak with William (Bill) Hahn, Director of Solutions Consulting at Siemens. Their discussion shows industry leaders the digital transformations workflows they need to not only collect data but also make sense of it using artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and visual communications via ontologies, simulations and digital twins.

In this podcast you will learn:

(02:20) - Why industries must make sense of their exploding data
(04:18) - Where various industries are with their data maturity levels
(06:02) - What are ontologies
(12:19) - How to extract value and revenue from real-world and synthetic data