March Technical Talk - Why OPC UA is the Foundation for Industrial AI

Join us the evening of March 19 for dinner and this Technical Talk - 20 Years of Interoperability: Why OPC UA is the Foundation for Industrial AI.

OPC UA plays in all spaces: It’s in factory automation, it’s in process automation, it’s in power generation… it's in everything, even something as obscure as a vending machine. - Michael Clark

Technical Talk Overview

You can’t run an AI-driven enterprise on fragmented data. While the pressure to modernize and strengthen cyber-resilience is at an all-time high, many organizations remain trapped by inconsistent systems.

This session explores why OPC UA is the strategic choice for standardized, secure interoperability. We will examine:

• The Field Initiative: How the field initiative standardizes critical components like drives and instrumentation.
• The Cloud Initiative: How the cloud initiative is bridging the gap between hardware and digital twins.
• The Outcome: Generating structured, contextualized data directly from the source.

Stop fighting your integration stack. Learn how to leverage interoperable profiles to simplify your architecture and accelerate the journey toward autonomous operations.

Meet Our Speaker

Michael Clark B.TECH., C.E.T.
Director, OPC Foundation North America

As the Director of OPC Foundation North America, Michael Clark continues his career-long advocacy on behalf of the automation industry as it transforms itself through IT/OT convergence into the digital era.

With over 35 years of experience in the discipline of industrial automation and controls, Mr. Clark is internationally recognized throughout the process automation sector for his expertise in Industrial Control System (ICS) fieldbus protocols. Mr. Clark is also recognized for his contributions as a principal author of the Open Process Automation Standard (O-PAS™).

As an impartial advocate for the industrial automation end-user community, Mr. Clark became the Founding Director of BusCorp Inc., a North American-based consulting firm dedicated to design, implementation, commissioning, and training in the competencies of ICS networks and fieldbus systems. He has supported industrial sectors across the globe including, refining & upgrading, chemicals, food & beverage, gas exploration, offshore production, water & waste water treatment, power generation, and nuclear remediation.

Event Schedule 

6pm - Check-In & Networking 
6:30pm - Technical Talk & Dinner

Location 

This event takes place in the AltaGas Conference Room (A&B), located on the 3rd Floor of Manulife Place, 707 - 5 St SW. Upon entering the building, take the elevator located in the lobby to floor 3.

If you arrive late and there is no one at the main lobby reception that can provide elevator access, please call or text Melissa at (403) 804-3261. 

Parking

Option 1 - The City of Calgary McDougall Parkade (Lot 28, 720 5 Avenue SW) offers evening parking for $2 starting at 4 pm. Vehicle entrance is off 5 Avenue.

Option 2 - The City of Calgary Centennial Parkade (Lot 54, 608 9 Avenue SW) offers parking evening parking for $3 starting at 4 pm. Vehicle entrance on 9th avenue.

Registration

Please use the button below to access our Eventbrite registration page. The cost is $20 for students, $35 for ISA Members and $45 for non ISA members. Please inform Melissa of any dietary restrictions, info@isacalgary.org.

Register Now