Insights from NAMUR General Assembly

KEYWORDS: NAMUR General Meeting, Automation, Autonomous plants, APL Industry Challenges

Overview

The 88th general meeting of NAMUR - the user association of automation technology in process industries - was held on November 27 and 28 and brought together around 650 professionals from the process industries. Sponsored by Krohne, the German manufacturer of process instrumentation, measurement solutions and services, the event’s motto was “Future-proofing our Industry: Milestones towards Autonomous Plants.” Discussions highlighted the European process and chemical industry’s struggle with high energy costs, aging infrastructure, and a shortage of skilled personnel. Market contraction and cost control are further driving a shift toward automation and autonomous operations.

While fully autonomous plants remain a long-term goal, digitalization and AI are becoming increasingly important to maintain competitiveness. Progress is slowed by regulatory hurdles and workforce gaps, but autonomous operation is seen as a key lever for transformation. Thus, strategic planning and targeted investments are essential to secure the industry’s future.

European Chemical Industry Challenges

At the NAMUR Conference 2025, experts described a European process and chemical industry under significant pressure. Only 78 percent of assets are considered competitive, according to BASF Research. The sector faces a shortage of skilled personnel, especially in automation, operational technology, and IT. High energy and raw material costs weaken global competitiveness, and aging infrastructure demands extensive maintenance while suffering from delayed investments. These factors have led to cost structures similar to the situation in the year 2000, insufficient staffing for ongoing improvement, and difficult decisions about whether to invest in or shut down assets. A “good is good enough” mindset has taken hold, favoring incremental changes over transformative ones.

The market environment is equally challenging. The industry is not just stagnating; in several European segments, it is actively shrinking. This contraction is driven by reduced demand and overcapacities, with steam cracker loads down by 20 percent. This puts a strain on supplier markets, especially those providing specialized automation and instrumentation equipment.

Cost pressure has become the central control variable, forcing companies to tightly manage variable costs, particularly energy costs, and to minimize fixed costs in order to remain competitive.

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