How will the industrial automation industry develop?
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For those of us who are responsible for maintaining multiple systems, it would be great to be able to predict future developments. I can see now that there are two distinct development paths in our industry: one is within chemical companies ； II. Enterprises specialized in control system maintenance ； I wonder which type of chemical enterprises will be more prevalent in the future? The second type: Once, I told an experienced colleague that a job like this might require constant mobility... It’s quite scary when you think about it.
Personally, I think the direction of moving industrial control systems toward automation, remote operation, and intelligence is the right one; as for the career development of professionals in this field, different people have different opinions.
I. Within chemical enterprises； (Doing it myself) II. Companies that specialize in control system maintenance, working as project engineers or field service engineers ； (Friends of mine have switched to working in this field.) 3. Manufacturers of highly automated complete package equipment who work as on-site service engineers ； (Some friends also changed jobs to do this.) Fourth, they started working on their own as watch sellers, and at the same time developed their own sets of automated equipment for sale. (I’ve met a very successful colleague.) 5. Completely leave the instrumentation and automation industry. First is stability; it’s best to work for a state-owned enterprise, as such companies have no great ambitions and aim for a stable life by following established procedures. Second and third, it means following the project wherever it takes you – you don’t end up without a fixed residence. There are many business trips involved. My two friends worked for foreign companies; back in the 2000s they earned over 2,000 euros per year. One of them has now become the technical director for the company’s Asia-Pacific region. On-site work doesn’t require being in the office; tasks are scheduled via company phone or email, which is why I bought villas in my hometown. Fourthly, these are usually people who have good relationships within companies and are quite smart; they first set up a shell company to supply parts and supplies for their own businesses, and then gradually develop the business from there. It’s hard to say about number five; one of my colleagues quit his job and ended up working in the finance sector, more specifically in a microloan company. Everyone is talking about Industry 4.0; in my opinion, it’s nothing more than industrial automation. Things will definitely get better in the future, but as for exactly how they will change, I think no one can say for sure at the moment. This is my personal opinion for reference only.
Working as a process control engineer is tough; one has to travel frequently and can’t even spend a few days at home throughout the year
This post was last edited by hamiltontai on 2016-7-20 at 11:48. Such a job might require constant mobility... It’s quite scary to think about.
One can work in design; there aren’t as many business trips, and although the salary is lower, it’s stable, and one can learn a lot
The job is also unstable; one can get laid off if the overall situation worsens. If you excel in a particular area of the industrial automation sector, you can make a living, but it will only be enough to cover basic needs.