114 INTERVIEW AI projects often fail because of silos between operational technology (OT) and IT. How can enterprises bridge that divide and create the right foundation for industrial AI? Failed AI projects often share the same root causes: industrial IT and enterprise IT teams working in silos; companies chasing the next shiny technology without building the right foundations; and organisations treating industrial time-series data as if it were just another enterprise dataset by ignoring its operational context and physical-world specificity. In truth, streaming industrial data is the heartbeat of operations – and it demands a fundamentally different approach. Companies can bridge this divide by securely integrating their existing systems – SCADA, historians and enterprise resource planning – with cloud-native architectures. This allows data to flow freely and meaningfully. It’s about unlocking what’s already there and connecting it to modern AI frameworks and enabling OT and IT collaboration. AVEVA was recognised as Microsoft’s 2025 Manufacturing Partner of the Year. What does the award signify for the future of industrial AI? This award is a shared achievement that reflects our commitment to innovation and customercentric implementation. It recognises AVEVA’s leadership in delivering transformative industrial and manufacturing solutions powered by Azure. However, this achievement is not the finish line – it’s a launchpad. The work our teams do is transforming how industrial organisations harness data and AI. Every customer success story strengthens an ecosystem where partners and customers thrive together. If you had to give one piece of advice to industrial leaders embarking on their AI journey, what would it be? The most successful AI journeys start with collaboration, not disruption. Focus on securely connecting your existing systems, unifying your data and fostering cooperation across teams and partners. No company can transform alone. Radical collaboration isn’t just a strategy; it’s the foundation for scaling AI that truly works in the real world. Find out more about radical collaboration by following Guillaume Boué’s new ‘PartnerTalk: Radical Collaboration in Action’ blog series at: bit.ly/44UH7pm Food and beverage manufacturer Nestlé has cut waste and improved product quality since working with AVEVA to minimise inefficiencies in the manual agglomeration process for its Nesquik and Ovaltine products “ Radical collaboration is absolutely critical for delivering trustworthy, scalable AI” Photo:Flicr/Nestlé
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