Beyond the Control Room: AI, Automation & The Future of Manufacturing

The Beyond Show

Beyond the Control Room explores realistic future concepts in industrial automation — from AI-powered operator co‑pilots to offline digital twins and edge‑based ESG tracking. We tackle today’s manufacturing challenges in design, operation, and maintenance, reimagining PLCs, DCS, MES, and edge intelligence as the brain of a sustainable, resilient industry. These aren’t product pitches — they’re blueprints for what’s next.

Episodes

  1. Episode 6: The Day the Plant Rewrote Itself — AI, Software-Defined Automation, and Self-Healing Systems

    09/11/2025

    Episode 6: The Day the Plant Rewrote Itself — AI, Software-Defined Automation, and Self-Healing Systems

    What if a factory could rewrite itself in real time? In this episode of Beyond the Control Room, we step into the world of Software Defined Automation (SDA) — where control logic, I/O assignments, HMI screens, and even operator dashboards adapt instantly to change. From spare I/O taking over failed channels to dynamic HMIs rebuilding on the fly, discover how SDA transforms plants into living, flexible systems. This is more than theory: virtual PLCs, real-time edge orchestration, secure code signing, and Ethernet backbones already exist today. The next step is convergence. It’s not about replacing humans — it’s about giving operators superpowers. Software Defined Automation, SDA in manufacturing, future of control systems, adaptive HMI, virtual PLC, edge orchestration, dynamic operator dashboards, I/O remapping, AI-driven automation, real-time plant reconfiguration, Industry 4.0 future, software-defined networks in industry, beyond the control room podcast, automation 2035 vision #SoftwareDefinedAutomation #IndustrialAutomation #SmartManufacturing #VirtualPLC #AdaptiveHMI #EdgeComputing #FutureOfAutomation #Industry40 #BeyondTheControlRoom #AIInManufacturing #DigitalTransformation

    4 min
  2. Episode 5: The Plant That Passed Every Test — How AI Ensures Quality, Compliance, and Resilience

    09/04/2025

    Episode 5: The Plant That Passed Every Test — How AI Ensures Quality, Compliance, and Resilience

    What if a pharmaceutical plant could pass an FDA inspection — even during an equipment failure? In this episode of Beyond the Control Room, we step into the future of pharma and biotech manufacturing, where compliance is not a stack of papers but a living system. From vendor-agnostic SCADA platforms and predictive digital twins to AI co-pilots, blockchain audit trails, and AR-guided changeovers… discover how plants in 2031 turn surprise inspections into seamless demonstrations of capability. It’s not fiction — the building blocks exist today. This is how tomorrow’s manufacturing will protect patients, empower operators, and inspire trust. 🔑 SEO Keywords Pharma automation, biotech manufacturing, GMP compliance, FDA audit readiness, predictive maintenance in pharma, AI co-pilot in manufacturing, blockchain audit trail, AR guided changeover, MES & SCADA integration, future of pharma 2031, digital twin in pharma, vendor-agnostic automation, Industry 4.0 in pharma 📌 Hashtags #PharmaAutomation #BiotechManufacturing #FDACompliance #DigitalTwin #PredictiveMaintenance #IndustrialAI #AutomationFuture #PharmaTech #BeyondTheControlRoom #SmartManufacturing #MES #SCADA #Blockchain #Pharma2031

    6 min
  3. Episode 4: The Day the Plant Powered the City — Industrial AI and the New Energy Revolution

    08/28/2025

    Episode 4: The Day the Plant Powered the City — Industrial AI and the New Energy Revolution

    Episode 4 — The Day the Plant Powered the City In 2030s a manufacturing plant did something unthinkable — it powered a hospital. This episode explores the dawn of grid-aware manufacturing, where factories don’t just consume energy… they give it back. With GreenOps PLCs forecasting renewables, iMCCs reshaping loads in seconds, and AI co-pilots negotiating with city grids, this is the birth of industrial resilience. Real-time energy intelligence. Zero disruption. Maximum impact. Welcome to a world where production powers people. — #GridAwareManufacturing #GreenOps #EnergyResilience #SmartFactory #IndustrialAutomation #SustainableManufacturing #DigitalTwin #AIcoPilot #iMCC #CleanEnergy #NetZeroFactory #ESGTech #ManufacturingInnovation #FutureOfWork #BeyondTheControlRoom #AIinIndustry

    4 min
  4. Episode 3: The Day the Plant Made a Choice — How Digital Twins and AI Redefine Industrial Decision-Making

    08/21/2025

    Episode 3: The Day the Plant Made a Choice — How Digital Twins and AI Redefine Industrial Decision-Making

    Episode 3 — The Day the Plant Made a Choice What happens when your plant faces a dilemma between delivery targets and sustainability goals… and the system itself offers options? In this powerful episode, we witness a groundbreaking moment where AI, GreenOps PLCs, and predictive iMCCs converge to make not just decisions — but ethical trade-offs in real time. Explore how future-ready control rooms negotiate uptime vs. emissions, motor life vs. deadlines, and profit vs. planet… without halting a single line. This is where automation becomes conscience. — #SmartManufacturing #SustainableAutomation #PredictiveMaintenance #AIinManufacturing #GreenOps #DigitalTwin #iMCC #IndustrialAI #ControlSystems #EdgeComputing #NetZeroManufacturing #AIcoPilot #BeyondTheControlRoom #ManufacturingInnovation #ESGTech #FutureOfIndustry

    4 min
  5. Episode 2: The Day the Motors Spoke — How Smart Machines and AI Are Transforming Industry

    08/14/2025

    Episode 2: The Day the Motors Spoke — How Smart Machines and AI Are Transforming Industry

    Episode 2 — The Day the Motors Spoke What if your motors could talk? In this gripping episode, we step into a near-future plant where intelligent drives, digital twins, and AI co-pilots silently reshape industrial operations. From predictive cooling to harmonic tuning, discover how self-optimizing systems make breakdowns obsolete and efficiency automatic — without overwhelming your team. This is no sci-fi fantasy. It’s tomorrow’s reality. Welcome to the day when motors spoke… and manufacturing changed forever. — #SmartManufacturing #IndustrialAutomation #AICoPilot #DigitalTwin #SmartDrives #EdgeComputing #iMCC #Industry40 #FutureOfWork #PredictiveMaintenance #SustainableManufacturing #ControlSystems #AIinIndustry #BeyondTheControlRoom #ProcessAutomation #CybersecureAutomation

    4 min
  6. Episode 1: The GreenOps Shift — How AI and Automation Drive Sustainable Manufacturing

    08/07/2025

    Episode 1: The GreenOps Shift — How AI and Automation Drive Sustainable Manufacturing

    In this debut episode of Beyond the Control Room, we reimagine PLCs and DCSs as GreenOps sustainability engines — calculating CO₂, water, and energy per unit in real time, predicting impact before it happens. Step into a cement plant where invisible emissions rise unnoticed… and discover how AI co‑pilots, offline digital twins, and edge historians could transform manufacturing, energy efficiency, and ESG compliance forever. From steel mills to pharma, this is a future that’s realistic — but not here yet. industrial automation, AI in manufacturing, sustainable manufacturing, edge computing, ESG compliance, PLC, DCS, industrial AI, predictive analytics, GreenOps, digital twin, Industry 4.0 #️⃣ Hashtags: #IndustrialAutomation #AIinManufacturing #Sustainability #GreenOps #DigitalTwin #EdgeComputing #Industry40 #ManufacturingInnovation #ESG #SmartFactory

    4 min
  7. Trailer

    SEASON 1, EPISODE 1,001 TRAILER

    Trailer

    Step into the future of manufacturing. Beyond the Control Room is where visionary industrial automation meets AI, edge computing, MES, cybersecurity, and next‑generation control strategies. In this trailer, you’ll get a first look at how sensors, networks, and intelligent systems could work together — not just to automate, but to think, adapt, and evolve. Hosted by Ankur Pancholi, a transformational leader with over two decades of experience in automation and software, this series dives into real‑world challenges and realistic futures for OEMs and end users across industries. Keywords / Hashtags: #IndustrialAutomation #FutureOfManufacturing #AIinIndustry #MES #EdgeComputing #SmartFactories #Industry40 #AutomationPodcast #ManufacturingInnovation #CybersecurityInIndustry

    3 min

Trailer

Shows with Subscription Benefits

BEYOND EARLY ACCESS

Get exclusive episodes, early access, and more

$0.99/mo or $5.99/yr after trial

View Subscription FAQs

About

Beyond the Control Room explores realistic future concepts in industrial automation — from AI-powered operator co‑pilots to offline digital twins and edge‑based ESG tracking. We tackle today’s manufacturing challenges in design, operation, and maintenance, reimagining PLCs, DCS, MES, and edge intelligence as the brain of a sustainable, resilient industry. These aren’t product pitches — they’re blueprints for what’s next.

Information

More From The Beyond Show