Building a Unified Data Layer for IT & OT: The Foundation of Scalable Industrial AI

As manufacturers accelerate AI adoption, the biggest barrier isn’t algorithms—it’s data fragmentation. Operational Technology systems, such as PLCs, SCADA, and MES, seldom speak the same language as IT systems like ERP, QMS, and cloud data platforms. This results in siloed insights, inconsistent data quality, and AI models that can't scale beyond isolated lines or plants.

This executive-level panel brings together IT/OT, CIOs, plant digitization leaders, and industrial data architects to explore what it takes to build a unified data layer that seamlessly connects IT and OT environments.

Panelists will address:

• Strategies for bridging legacy OT equipment with modern data platforms

• Leveraging industrial protocols, data brokers, and middleware to create real-time data pipelines

• Architecting secure, governance-ready connections between IT cloud resources and OT networks

• Creating semantic models and standardized taxonomies to enable cross-plant AI reuse

• Managing data quality, synchronization, and contextualization at scale

• Avoiding “data swamp” pitfalls through proper lineage, tagging, and MDM

• Ensuring cybersecurity and compliance as data flows across IT/OT boundaries

Attendees will learn how to build the foundational data fabric required for predictive maintenance, AI-driven quality, autonomous operations, and global scaling of digital solutions.