Event Recap: Hannover Messe – June 2022

Alex West

Senior Principal Analyst, Industrial IoT

Alex West, senior principal analyst for the manufacturing technology group, leads its coverage of industrial sustainability, including readiness benchmarking, analysis of company sustainability performance, technology impact, and tracking legislation and sustainability start-ups. Alex also examines technology’s impact on the future of work and regularly contributes to Omdia’s Industrial Sustainability Today newsletter.

Over his 20 years as an analyst, covering discrete and process automation and machinery markets, he has helped customers understand the potential of the technology markets and perform voice-of-the-customer analyses. Alex has analyzed competitive environments, business models, technology trends, and end user requirements. He has consulted on the best practices for implementing IIoT, supported go-to-market strategies, and created market positioning content. He is a regular keynote speaker at industry events, tradeshows, and conferences worldwide. Alex holds a Bachelor of Science (Honors) in physics from the University of Bath, England, and is based in Northampton, UK.

Mark Watson

Senior Director, Manufacturing Technology & Smart Infrastructure

Mark has direct responsibility for the core strategy, personnel, research, analysis, and commercial planning of the Manufacturing Technology and Smart Infrastructure research practices. He oversees an extensive research portfolio that covers Discrete Automation, Electric Motor Systems, Industrial IoT & Sustainability, Physical Security, Critical Communications & Safe Cities, and Smart Building and Energy Infrastructure.
Mark joined the company in August 2005 and has authored many research projects on a variety of industrial electronic component and end-equipment markets. He has also led custom research engagements and strategic consultancy projects for some of the world’s largest technology providers, and has established new syndicated research on emerging and transformative technologies.
Mark is passionate about developing a team of opinionated and inquisitive analysts and providing customers with consistent quality and insightful research that addresses specific industry challenges.
Mark holds a Bachelor of Science (Honors) degree in management science from the University of Wales, Swansea.

Anna Ahrens

Principal Analyst

As a member of the Industrial IoT, software & communications team, Anna focuses on Industrial IoT. She examines the state of IIoT maturity and trends and transformations in automation approaches, edge and cloud computing, AI, cybersecurity, and predictive maintenance.

Anna joined Omdia in January 2019 and has more than 10 years of experience in the electronic components industry. Her background includes roles in forecasting, market intelligence, business development, and product management for display devices. Anna is based in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

Peter Taylor

Research Manager, Manufacturing Technology

Peter is a research manager in Omdia’s manufacturing technology team. He previously worked as lead analyst on several research areas, including LV drives and LV MCCs.

Prior to joining Omdia, Peter worked in a variety of project management roles within the manufacturing sector, most notably at General Electric. Peter holds a BA (honors) in business management from the University of Derby. He is based in the UK.   

Jonas Vestlund

Director, Technology Consulting

Jonas Vestlund is the subject matter expert (SME) for computer vision within the Transformative Technologies team. A key objective of his is to provide guidance on major trends and to offer strategic support to clients with an interest in the area.

Jonas also manages the Manufacturing Technology consulting practice, offering over 15 years of research and consulting experience with an extensive focus on corporate strategy. His specific areas of interest include market entry and development, competitive strategy, operational excellence, smart manufacturing, and corporate strategy. With clients, he supports strategic planning, business development, and customer relationships.

Jonas has led consulting projects covering both manufacturing and medical technologies, addressing trends in transformative technologies within deep-learning-based machine vision, 3D printing, and robotics. Earlier in his career, he worked as a senior consultant and project manager with Frost & Sullivan’s industrial automation and electronics practice. He was also a lead analyst at various industrial corporations, including Air Products, the Linde Group, and Sandvik.

Jonas has a Master of Science degree in business administration from Karlstad University in Sweden. He is based in the United Kingdom.