Post by Thomas Salitz

This week’s highlight was the Engineering Summit #ES25 in Darmstadt, an event filled with excellence, featuring two days of engaging presentations, networking, and plenty of fun. The first session focused on “The World in Transition – Opportunity or Challenge for the Plant Business.” I was particularly impressed by the presentation from Uwe Lauber at Everllence, who emphasized that despite the challenges, there are significant opportunities, showcasing the diversity of their business areas and their remarkable growth. The second major segment addressed the role of #AI in the plant industry. It became clear that AI will play a central role in future data-driven plant production. However, realistically, it is not yet better than human input and serves to facilitate faster decision-making. Great discussions led by THOMAS WEHRHEIM, Wolfgang Dr. Benz, Jürgen Nowicki, and Hannes Storch called for concrete action on automation in construction plants to ensure we remain competitive in the global market. The evening event provided an excellent networking opportunity, and I extend my sincere thanks to the organizers. Day two was dominated by discussions on #decarbonization opportunities in the plant industry. A highlight was the presentation by Laurent Wauters-Herlyn and Dr. Frank Schumacher from Westfalen AG, focusing on the efficiency potential within engineering when transforming an energy enterprise like Westfalen AG. Overall, the event was fantastic, particularly the takeaway that it is essential to recognize opportunities rather than just focusing on challenges. I look forward to #ES26! CU all in 2026: Jona Göbelbecker Dr. Harald Weber Armin Scheuermann Uwe LauberMartin Oetjen Martin Domagk Solveig Vitz Lucretia Löscher Daniela Quitadamo Daniel Oryan Björn Griesemann Uwe Gaudig Dieter Hofmann Laurent Wauters-Herlyn Dr. Frank Schumacher THOMAS WEHRHEIM Wolfgang Dr. Benz Jürgen Nowicki Hannes Storch Florian Stürmer Martin Mayer Dr. Robert Schleich Peter Schwarz Heino Eiynck Mesut Şahin AUCOTEC and many more and special thx to SABINE!