IT/OT convergence: how to connect the information system to the shop floor? Panel discussion at Tech For Industry Show 2026 (Paris Expo Porte de Versailles), featuring Schneider Electric / OPC Foundation France, Bel Group, Siemens France and Renault Group.
For fifteen years, digital transformation has faced one challenge: making the world of operations (OT) talk to the world of information systems (IT). This panel brings together a technology vendor, a standards body and two manufacturers to share methods and field experience.
Key topics: data as the "black gold" — to be made reliable, contextualized and usable; the role of the OPC UA standard, the "lingua franca" of interoperability, and of MQTT; Renault's strategy (25,000 connected machines, data subscription logic); Bel Group's Edge platform, which decouples connectivity from functional projects to boost ROI; and the Agro Digital Ready standard driven by the food industry.
The shared conclusion: IT/OT convergence isn't a technology problem "all the building blocks are there" but a matter of organization, data governance and culture.
