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Ian P. Burns

Beyond the Skills Gap: Building a Resilient Automation Workforce

Workforce challenges, particularly the widening skills gap, remain a primary concern throughout the automation industry, with an emphasis on the shortage of skilled technical roles. This gap is rapidly increasing with the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital technologies. Controls engineering is among the most impacted areas, where demand for experienced professionals continues to exceed availability. This shortage is driven by several factors, including the retirement of experienced engineers, increasing system complexity, and the expanding technical scope required to meet evolving industry changes.

ACE Celebrates 35 Years of Expertise, Innovation, & Partnerships

Thirty-five years ago, ACE was founded by three engineers with a vision for building something...

Making Steady Progress in a Year Defined by Uncertainty

As we turn the page on 2025 and I think back on the last year, one key theme stands out to me above...

How to Select the Perfect PLC for Your Process Application: Key Factors to Consider

When faced with automating a process application, many automatically think of a Distributed Control...

Unlocking Success: The Importance of Preparation in Control System Projects

 “Chance Favors the Prepared Mind.”

When Louis Pasteur famously said this, he captured a universal...

Driving Growth with Industry 4.0: Key Takeaways from 2024

As each year comes to an end, I like to take some time to reflect on the past year and think about...

A Brief History of the Evolution of the Plant Floor Network Infrastructure

Have you ever asked a young automation engineer to crawl on the floor to search for the lost token...

Looking Back at 2023 to Prepare for the Technology Trends of 2024

As I reflect on 2023, for the first time in three years, phrases such as “managing disruptive...

My Reflections Regarding Ethics on Global Ethics Day

As a licensed Professional Engineer, I am required to abide by multiple Codes of Ethics in my...

Meet Your Sustainability Goals through Control System Modernization

Manufacturers today are faced with increasing pressure from a variety of sources – governments,...