An Interview with Robbrecht van Amerongen

Robbrecht van Amerongen

Key Topics:Scale IoT solutions, Business development, Industrial IOT, Sustainability with IoT data, Strategic Business and IT alignment, Business case development, troubleshooting, digital transformation

Location:The Netherlands

Bio:

I try to create the type of world I want to live in. By doing this I help and challenge others to take the next step, and grow. My life motto is derived from the quote of Pippi Longstocking: “I have never tried that before, so I think I should be able to do that.” Knowing I have a team of experts around me who can add to my competencies I know we can do anything. And the past 2 decades I have helped and taken the lead in delivering a large number of innovative and effective digital technology solutions for retail, energy, insurance, public transport, agriculture, government, and the medical industry.

How did you get to become an expert in your key topics?

For the past 22 years, I have always worked between business value and digital technology. My first job involved a large-scale data platform used to automatically detect fraud for insurance companies. My passion is combining business vision with technical knowledge to create valuable solutions. Working on projects that involve the newest technology and most innovative business models. I have been leading the growth of innovative ideas with the help of my team, peers, and partners. At the moment I am focusing on the Industrial Internet of Things (IoT), Smart Grid solutions for energy companies, condition monitoring, and predictive maintenance.

My experience drives from just executing ideas in practice and learning as we go. I try to keep my mind as open as possible and view every new development with enthusiasm and a healthy dose of realism. Then I ask myself: “what will happen when this works? what will we need as the next step when demand explodes and usage grows a thousand times more than anticipated?

I have learned most from the experts in my field who were kind enough to share their time and knowledge and were willing to listen to my questions and uncertainties about technology and market directions. The market develops so rapidly that it is an illusion to pretend to know everything. I have learned most from sharing ideas and concepts with others.

What sub-topics are you most passionate about?

I am most passionate about accelerating sustainability using data. This way organizations can use digital facts to steer their operations and focus their strategy on those topics that are most beneficial. I strongly believe there is a happy marriage between sustainability and profitability. And this combination of planet goals and a healthy bottom line accelerates innovation in this field. I believe sustainability has to start at the source by preventing excess waste and emissions. And by monitoring existing equipment we can optimize its usage, prevent unnecessary maintenance and extend its technological lifespan. Data and digital technology are forming the foundation for efficient decisions and optimisations in this field.

Who influences you on these topics?

Jeff Merritt of the World Economic Forum has shared so many in-depth insights on this topic from an academic and research point of view. Knud Lasse Lueth and his team share very deep and well-informed insight into the maturity of the market of tools and solutions. And of course all the makers and entrepreneurial people who work every day to solve the most complex issues to advance this market.

What challenges are brands facing in this space?

Bridging the gap between OT systems and IT systems and opening up closed siloed solutions. The secure, reliable, and open link between OT- and IT world is the key to success in this market and they need each other. Making data, messages, and instructions flow between these two worlds will accelerate innovation on both sides. The challenge is creating an ecosystem of innovative companies that are willing to work with each other. Willing to learn and innovate with each other and accept that they need each other to be successful in this space. Too many large suppliers in this market still think they can solve everything and dominate the industry.

What do you think the future holds in this space?

More collaboration between IT and OT. This will lead to an explosion of OT data in cloud environments with analytics, and machine learning on top of this. We will learn that most of the operational processes can be optimized using the computing power of cloud systems. Manual and human decision-making will be reduced to acting on exceptions and analyzing false positives. And with all this (real time) data accessible new applications will emerge from the strangest places. There will be a cross-pollination of ideas and concepts jumping from industry to industry. Real digital twin models will emerge per industry and become practical and useful. These digital twin models will eventually transform into a digital master where design and production will be simulated before one physical component of a factory or asset will be built in real life.

What brands are leading the way in this space?

There is not a real leader in this space since the market is huge and the applications are so widespread. At the moment it is not my place to name specific companies. In my view, there are several categories. The top 3 generic cloud vendors. A large number of mid-size companies can scale up the digital IoT data processing and offer concrete business value to essential processes. Many very specializing R&D companies are doing groundbreaking work in the field of computer vision, anomaly detection, and artificial intelligence. And very professional hardware companies building the foundation in sensors and processing units.

If a brand wanted to work with you, which activities would you be most interested in collaborating on?

I am always interested in participating in the opportunity to discuss market developments, innovations, and the execution of new ideas to scale-up companies. I am open to any suitable for this such as video interviews, speaking opportunities, podcasts, or a webinar. Feel free to reach out to me online.

What are your passions outside of work?

I enjoy cooking, modern art, nature walks, and the history of industrial revolutions. And of course, visit the world and see interesting new places and meet inspiring people.

What would be the best way for a brand to contact you?

Email me or send me a message on Linkedin.

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