In our first ARC Advisory Group SPARC podcast, Steve Blackwell of AWS and I explored the vision for Software Defined Manufacturing, where Agentic AI acts as the "brain and central nervous system." Our second conversation brought that vision to the factory floor, examining the "muscles" of the operation with the rise of Physical and Embodied AI.

In this third installment of our ongoing dialogue, we connect the brain and the muscles. A central theme in my new ARC research series on the Voyage to Physical Intelligence is that for any system to perceive, reason, and act in the physical world, it needs a deep, contextual understanding of that world. This brings us to the critical role of the digital twin—not as a static model, but as a live, learning environment that serves as the foundation for the next wave of industrial autonomy.

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Do you have an intriguing or thought provoking topic you'd like to discuss on our podcast? Please contact Our Producer Tom Cabot at: Tcabot@Arcweb.com

View all the episodes here: https://thedigitaltransformationpodcast.buzzsprout.com

As manufacturers and processors globally navigate through an era marked by rapid technological advancements, trade and geopolitical uncertainties, and evolving consumer demands, the need for flexible, interoperable, and software-centric automation systems has never been more critical. Open software-defined automation is not just an incremental improvement; it's a strategic imperative that enables industries to enhance their competitiveness, operational resilience, efficiency, and sustainability. In this podcast, Craig Resnick, Vice President, from the ARC Advisory Group. and Hany Fouda, Senior Vice President, Process Automation, Industrial Automation Business, at Schneider Electric, will provide their insights on the transformative impact of open software-defined systems, explore the challenges faced by industry leaders, the role of Schneider Electric in driving this transformation, the benefits of adopting open software-defined automation, and real-life applications and future directions that affect industrial automation users globally.

Would you like to be a guest on our growing podcast?

Do you have an intriguing or thought provoking topic you'd like to discuss on our podcast? Please contact Our Producer Tom Cabot at: Tcabot@Arcweb.com

View all the episodes here: https://thedigitaltransformationpodcast.buzzsprout.com

In our first ARC Advisory Group SPARC podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Steve Blackwell, Head of the Manufacturing Center of Excellence at Amazon Web Services (AWS), about the transformative shift towards Software Defined Manufacturing (SDM) in the Era of Agentic AI.1 We explored how Agentic AI is becoming the "brain and central nervous system" of the future factory, orchestrating complex digital workflows across the enterprise.2

In this second episode, we bring that vision down to the factory floor. We're moving from the digital intent to the physical action—from the brain to the "muscles" of the operation. Steve and I discuss the physical embodiment of SDM through robotics, exploring AWS's evolving strategy and the rise of a new, more capable class of automation: Physical and Embodied AI.

Would you like to be a guest on our growing podcast?

Do you have an intriguing or thought provoking topic you'd like to discuss on our podcast? Please contact Our Producer Tom Cabot at: Tcabot@Arcweb.com

View all the episodes here: https://thedigitaltransformationpodcast.buzzsprout.com