Real-Time Water Testing: Why Minutes Matter in Industrial Operations
In industries where water use is measured in millions of liters, small decisions carry big weight. Especially when those decisions rely on data that often arrives too late.
With growing interest from water utilities, pulp and paper operations, and heavy industry, real-time water quality testing is becoming less of a luxury and more of a necessity especially in a regulatory climate where every discharge is monitored, recorded, and accountable. The future isn’t just about testing faster. It’s about knowing sooner and acting smarter.
Traditional testing methods for water quality parameters like Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) were designed for labs — not real-time operational decisions. But industrial processes don’t wait for lab results.
That disconnect is what Canadian company MANTECH is working to fix, offering water testing solutions that provide lab-grade results in under ten minutes, using safe, green chemistry that eliminates the need for toxic reagents like dichromate, mercury, or strong acids.
“We’re not trying to reinvent the lab, said Rob Menegotto, CEO of MANTECH. We’re trying to get meaningful data into the hands of plant operators before it’s too late to act on it.”
From Post-Mortem to Real-Time. In most industrial plants, from wastewater treatment facilities to pulp and paper mills pollution control tests can take hours or even days. That delay turns monitoring into a post-mortem. By the time a test flags a problem, the discharge has already happened.
MANTECH’s approach flips that dynamic. A test that used to take 5 days (BOD) or 3 hours (COD) now takes about 10 minutes, on-site. And the implications go far beyond compliance.
One real-world example underscores the point. In Menegotto’s home city in Canada, a sudden storm overwhelmed the wastewater system. Operators, lacking timely COD data, didn’t know the level of organic loading and couldn’t respond in time.
Untreated waste was discharged into a nearby river.
“The storm lasted an hour. That’s all it took, Menegotto said. -By the time they got lab results, the damage was done. They were fined $200,000 for the pollution event, not because they didn’t care, but because they didn’t have the data when they needed it.”
With live testing in place, they could have immediately diverted flow, activated reservoirs, or adjusted treatment inputs. Instead, they were flying blind.
What Real-Time Looks Like. The system can be deployed as a manual station: grab a sample, prepare it in three minutes, run the test. Or fully automated, mounted to the wall and programmed to run at set intervals.
In pulp and paper mills, where chemical usage and discharge are tightly regulated, MANTECH’s PeCOD® Analyzer has already demonstrated value. Menegetto revealed that a mill in Chile used real-time COD data to optimize hypochlorite dosing and reduce organics in effluent, cutting chemical costs while improving environmental compliance. The result? Over $3 million saved in a year with no loss in product quality.
AI in the Pipeline, but with caution. Menegotto says they are also exploring how artificial intelligence can support predictive water quality management, spotting trends before they escalate, identifying anomalies, and automating alerts. But bringing AI into water infrastructure isn’t straightforward.
“The idea is solid, but the implementation hits a wall. Utilities are rightfully wary of connecting water systems to the internet. The risk of hacking is not theoretical.”
Menegetto explained that water infrastructure is increasingly a target for cyberattacks, and many utilities have blanket bans on connecting testing or control equipment to the cloud. MANTECH’s response is a hybrid model: local AI servers installed on site, running offline but periodically updated with encrypted packages.
“It’s about delivering smart analysis without opening the door to external threats. We’re building intelligence into the process but with security built in by default.”
From the Lab to the Plant Floor. MANTECH’s systems are already established in certified labs. But fair presence like in Ecomondo marks a turning point. According to Menegotto, his company is shifting focus from controlled lab environments to live industrial operations where every minute, every reading, and every decision counts.
“We’ve been a lab-focused company, that’s where our roots are. But it’s time to get out of the lab. That’s why we’re here. We want to meet the operators, the engineers, and the people who are running the plants.”
Text and photo: Mia Heiskanen
Subscribe to the free Maintworld newsletter here!
Cleaning Without Plant Shutdown
Industrial boilers are essential workhorses in waste-to-energy, sludge incineration, and other high-heat process industries. But they share a common challenge: fouling. Over time, fly ash and other particles build up on heat exchange surfaces, reducing efficiency, restricting steam output, and forcing unscheduled shutdowns for manual cleaning.
At Ecomondo, one technology stood out for offering a simple but powerful solution: online cleaning without stopping the plant.
Swiss company Explosion Power has developed a shock pulse generator (SPG), a device that uses controlled bursts of pressure to regularly dislodge fouling inside boilers. The result: less downtime, more consistent performance, and longer intervals between manual maintenance.
How It Works. The SPG is mounted through the boiler wall via a fixed nozzle. Inside its pressure vessel, a mixture of methane, compressed air, and nitrogen is ignited in a combustion chamber. The resulting shock pulse travels into the boiler, loosening buildup from the heat exchanger surfaces.
These pulses are fired on a regular cycle, typically every one to two hours, which prevents major fouling from ever accumulating. It’s not just a cleaning method; it’s a continuous maintenance process built into the operation.
“The key advantage is online cleaning, said Marco Bernasconi, Sales Manager at Explosion Power. According to Bernasconi plants no longer need to shut down to remove fouling as the cleaning is automated and integrated into regular operation.”
Operational Benefits. According to Bernasconi, the impact on plant performance is:
• No need to shut down for cleaning
• Stable steam output with fewer performance dips
• Reduced thermal stress on heat exchangers
• Higher overall plant availability
And for maintenance teams, it introduces flexibility. While the system is designed to operate continuously, maintenance can be done during scheduled outages or even while the plant is running by disconnecting the SPG and sealing the nozzle.
Once installed, the system can essentially run forever, with only periodic maintenance. Even that can be done without taking the whole plant offline, Bernasconi explained.
A Fit for Almost Any Boiler. The system is adaptable to a range of boiler types beyond waste-to-energy, including coal-fired units, black liquor boilers, and hazardous waste incinerators. Installation requires some structural modification including routing through boiler tubes and mounting the recoil-absorbing hardware but once installed, it is built for long-term operation.
“And we provide training for operators either on-site or at their facility to ensure smooth implementation,” Bernasconi added.
Supporting Predictive Maintenance. The company also works with customers to analyze boiler performance and fouling behavior. Bernasconi noted that many plant managers initially misidentify where their fouling issues originate.
“We help operators interpret the pressure and temperature data. Often the real problem is somewhere else and not where they think. ”
For production environments under pressure to increase uptime and reduce energy losses, tools like the shock pulse generator can offer more than convenience, enable a smarter maintenance strategy that aligns with the demands of modern industry.
Text and photo: Mia Heiskanen
Subscribe to the free Maintworld newsletter here!
Belgium’s Path to Excellence in Maintenance and Asset Management
Since its founding in 1989, the Belgian Maintenance Association (BEMAS) has played a leading role in advancing maintenance, reliability, and asset management across Belgium.
Over the past decade, the field has evolved significantly—from a narrow focus on keeping equipment running to a broader, lifecycle-based approach.
“Maintenance now encompasses the entire lifespan of assets,” explains Wim Vancauwenberghe, Director of BEMAS. This shift has been accelerated by digitalisation, with tools like predictive maintenance, IoT technologies, data-driven decision-making, and
Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) systems transforming industrial operations.
BEMAS has helped drive this change by offering targeted training, collaborative projects, and events such as the Asset Performance Conference. These initiatives help professionals align with global standards like ISO 55000 and reliability-centred maintenance—essential for improving asset performance and working effectively across borders.
One example of BEMAS’s European impact is the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul for Competitive Regions in North-West Europe (MORE4CORE) project, launched in 2013 with partners from the Netherlands, Germany, and France. The initiative aimed to raise awareness of maintenance and asset management across Europe. As part of the project, BEMAS conducted a benchmark study to track key maintenance indicators, particularly in relation to asset age.
“This provided valuable insights into how organisations can adjust strategies over the lifecycle of equipment—extending asset life, reducing costs, and improving performance,” says Vancauwenberghe.
Tackling the Talent Challenge
Attracting young talent remains a pressing issue in Belgium, as in many European countries. In Flanders, three maintenance-related professions consistently rank among the top shortage occupations. In Wallonia, a structural deficit in qualified technicians spans multiple industries.
But the challenge goes beyond technical skills. “Maintenance is often seen as outdated or ‘dirty,’ despite being increasingly high-tech, innovative, and vital to industrial competitiveness and sustainability,” Vancauwenberghe notes. “This perception makes it harder to attract young professionals, who are drawn to booming sectors like IT, automation, and pharma.”
To introduce young people to careers in maintenance, BEMAS supports initiatives such as Repair Teens, the Flemish STEM Platform, and Global Maintenance Day. Through Repair Teens, 12–14-year-olds gain hands-on experience repairing equipment at companies and Repair Cafés—developing problem-solving skills and learning the environmental benefits of reuse.
For early-career professionals, BEMAS offers more than visibility campaigns. In 2024 alone, nearly 3,000 participants took part in over 160 training sessions covering technical disciplines, asset management, reliability, sustainability, and leadership. “These efforts help companies bridge today’s skill gaps while preparing their workforce for tomorrow’s technologies,” says Vancauwenberghe.
Sustainability as a Strategic Driver
Sustainability has become a central driver in maintenance and asset management. Well-maintained assets run more efficiently, reduce material use, minimise waste, and prevent environmental incidents. Maintenance also plays a direct role in meeting climate goals—by improving asset efficiency, extending equipment lifetimes, and supporting renewable energy and electrification.
To make sustainability actionable, BEMAS developed the Sustainable Asset Management Framework as part of the MORE4Sustainability project. This tool helps organisations assess performance, benchmark against peers, and implement improvements that enhance both efficiency and environmental impact. A free e-learning course is available in English, French, German, and Dutch.
“Maintenance is not just about uptime and cost—it’s a key enabler of the energy transition and ESG targets,” Vancauwenberghe emphasises.
Belgium’s Unique Maintenance Ecosystem
Belgium’s dense industrial landscape has fostered a robust network of specialised suppliers and service providers in maintenance. Companies benefit from easy access to technical spare parts and expert maintenance firms for regular servicing, major shutdowns, or complex repairs. This ecosystem also fuels the growth of innovative service providers.
“It’s no coincidence that Belgium is home to world leaders in condition monitoring and predictive maintenance, alongside a vibrant start-up scene,” says Vancauwenberghe.
“This unique Belgian ecosystem in industry and maintenance is also the reason why BEMAS annually organises the international Asset Performance Conference,” he continues.
Innovation and Digital Transformation
Innovation is central to Belgian maintenance. Predictive strategies, condition-based monitoring, and data-driven decision-making help minimise downtime and optimise lifecycle costs. A 2023 study found that 79% of Belgian manufacturing companies have implemented or are initiating Predictive Maintenance 4.0 initiatives.
BEMAS fosters innovation through projects, conferences, and international collaborations—ensuring that technological advances translate into real-world performance. Looking ahead, digital twins, AI, and generative AI will become standard tools for strategic decision-making and reliability enhancement.
Vancauwenberghe also sees maintenance and asset management as vital enablers of competitiveness, sustainability, and resilience in the BANI world we currently live in. With this, he refers to a world defined by fragility, unpredictability, and a lack of clarity.
“Factories of the future will rely on skilled maintenance professionals, advanced automation, and fully data-driven operations,” Vancauwenberghe explains. “Attracting and training this new generation is essential.”
For him, BEMAS is more than a technical association—it’s a platform that connects people, companies, and knowledge in a field often underestimated but critical to industry and society. Today, BEMAS unites around 650 corporate members and over 850 active contacts across Belgium. With more than half of its members being asset owners, the association remains closely tied to operational realities.
By actively participating in the European Federation of National Maintenance Societies (EFNMS) and the Global Forum on Maintenance and Asset Management (GFMAM) BEMAS brings international best practices into everyday use for Belgian companies. These global networks help translate expert knowledge into practical tools.
Reflecting on his career, Vancauwenberghe concludes: “I feel very fortunate to work in a field I’m passionate about. Together with a strong team, a visionary board, and many active members, we serve a valuable community of maintenance, reliability, and asset management professionals—contributing to a sustainable future for Belgian and European industry.”
Text: NINA GARLO-MELKAS Photos: BEMAS
BEMAS: Advancing Maintenance in Belgium
BEMAS supports maintenance and asset management through training, certifications, and flagship events like the Asset Performance Conference. With over 630 company members, it helps professionals align with global standards such as ISO 55000 and drives innovation through European projects like MORE4CORE. In 2024, more than 160 trainings, seminars, company visits, and webinars helped nearly 3,000 professionals strengthen their expertise in reliability, sustainability, and leadership.
Subscribe to the free Maintworld newsletter here!
Value by Design
The European Federation of National Maintenance Societies (EFNMS) wants asset management to do more than support operations — it wants it to shape strategy.
That mission is led by Janez Tomažin, the long-serving chair of EFNMS’s Asset Management Committee, and a man whose career arc mirrors the transformation he now champions.
Starting out in paper mills in Slovenia, Tomažin’s journey from maintenance manager to technical director — and eventually to independent advisor and non-profit leader — has given him a unique vantage point. “I’m still a maintenance guy at heart,” he says. “But I’ve come to understand that if we want maintenance to be valued, we have to speak the language of value.”
That shift didn’t happen alone. Tomažin credits much of his evolution to Kari Komonen, a long-time EFNMS thought leader and one of the architects behind the EN 17485 standard, which links maintenance to asset management across the asset lifecycle.
“Without Kari, I wouldn’t have stepped into asset management,” he says. “He’s been my mentor, and I’m deeply grateful for him.”
From shop floor to strategy. The Asset Management Committee (EAMC) is one of several working bodies within EFNMS, but it operates with a distinct focus: to bring ISO 55000 principles to practical use, and to raise the level of asset management maturity across Europe.
“Most people in our field know maintenance,” Tomažin says. “Fewer really understand asset management. We’re trying to bridge that gap — not only through awareness, but through structure, certification, and shared language.”
That structure is built on several fronts. The committee has developed a one-day training program — the Awareness in Asset Management Certificate (AAMC) aimed at professionals across different roles. It’s already been delivered in countries like Slovenia, Italy, Greece, and Lithuania, with more sessions in the pipeline. Trainers such as Andrej Androjna and
Giedrius Slavickas have played key roles in adapting the content to local contexts and languages.
Global standards, local strength. EFNMS isn’t working alone. Through its collaboration with the Global Forum on Maintenance and Asset Management (GFMAM) and World Partners in Asset Management (WPiAM), the committee is linking Europe’s training schemes with globally recognized certifications like CAMA (Certified Asset Management Assessor).
This global integration effort has involved colleagues like Jan Stoker, an experienced trainer and certification advocate, and Janez Teun Koningen, who contributes to sustainability-focused initiatives. “We have strong individuals pushing these efforts,” Tomažin says. “But our strength comes from the fact that we work together.”
The certification ecosystem is also expanding. As part of the Global Certification Scheme, EFNMS is working to align future levels such as CTAM, CPAM, CSAM, CEAM, and CFAM — a step that would allow European professionals to have their competencies recognized anywhere in the world.
Manuals as strategic tools. One area where Tomažin is especially passionate is documentation — the overlooked power of well-designed maintenance and operational manuals. His message is clear: treat manuals as assets, not just instructions.
“Most manuals are delivered too late, or are written solely by the equipment supplier, or without enough context. But if you involve maintainers during the design phase — if you treat the manual as a strategic tool — it increases safety, reliability, and traceability. It even makes training easier.”
It’s a small example, but it reflects a larger belief: that value is realized not just through assets, but through knowledge, integration, and foresight. Tomažin emphasized this by walking through oil system manuals that incorporate lifecycle thinking, sensor integration, and ISO 55000 guidance — all created collaboratively with operators, engineers, and suppliers.
Collaboration, not siloed behavior. The EAMC’s scope extends into multiple international working groups. Alongside peers like Giel Jurgens, asset management lead at the Port of Rotterdam, and Reinhard Korb, who co-leads a metrics-focused project, the committee contributes to a series of live GFMAM initiatives. Topics include ESG, reliability integration, indicators, and global survey development.
“It’s not about one committee or one country,” says Tomažin. “It’s about harmonizing how we think about value, risk, and performance — across industries, geographies, and organizations.”
Slovenia 2028 — and the road ahead. Recently, EFNMS confirmed that Slovenia will host EuroMaintenance 2028, a bid supported in Athens with backing from both industry and government. Tomažin was part of the team that secured the candidacy.
“It wasn’t easy,” he admits. “But it shows how far asset management has come. Ten years ago, few people in ministries or chambers of commerce had even heard of ISO 55000. Now they’re backing an international event built around it.”
What comes next? Though officially retired, Tomažin still works full days — writing, advising, organizing, and mentoring. What keeps him going is the impact he sees in others: when a technician starts thinking strategically, when leader shifts focus from uptime to lifecycle value, when national societies come together under a shared vision.
“I want people to remember that I started in the field,” he says. “And that I worked to help maintenance professionals — people like me — be taken seriously at the strategic table. Asset management makes that possible.”
Text: Mia Heiskanen Photo: Janez Tomažin photo archive
From Awareness to Accreditation
Subscribe to the free Maintworld newsletter here!
Maintenance Redefined
As convenor of the EFNMS Body of Knowledge, Antoine Despujols is on a mission to create a unified European maintenance culture. The comprehensive publication defines the scope and best practices of maintenance across Europe – and it’s available for free. But more importantly, it’s changing how we think about the profession itself.
The European Federation of National Maintenance Societies (EFNMS) Body of Knowledge is not just another technical manual. It’s a decade-long collaborative effort to define what maintenance truly means in the modern industrial landscape – and to elevate its status from a reactive necessity to a strategic competitive advantage.
Antoine Despujols, who retired from EDF (the French electricity utility) after a distinguished career spanning nuclear power plants, wind farms, gas turbines, and hydroelectric stations, has been the driving force behind this ambitious project. As convenor, in collaboration with the EFNMS coordinator, Lovro Frkovic, he has coordinated contributions from approximately 20 European experts, managed a review committee of 10 specialists from different countries, and overseen the creation of what is becoming the definitive reference for maintenance professionals across Europe.
The genesis of the Body of Knowledge dates back more than 10 years, though active development began in 2017. “The objective of EFNMS is to share experiences and to increase the visibility of maintenance,” Despujols explains. “We decided to work on the maintenance concept and to think about what the content of maintenance is. What are the borders, the perimeter of maintenance?”
Maintenance is both defensive – avoiding risk – and offensive – enhancing competitiveness. It’s both a shield and a sword.
This question led to a fundamental mapping exercise. The team identified three crucial domains interconnected with maintenance: asset management, risk management, and sustainability. “Maintenance is a part of all three,” Despujols notes. “It makes maintenance both defensive – avoiding risk – and offensive – enhancing competitiveness. It’s both a shield and a sword.”
The BoK’s structure is built on the foundation of the EN17007 European standard for maintenance processes. From this process model, the team identified approximately 80 distinct maintenance subjects, ranging from maintenance management activities and maintenance engineering techniques to maintenance support, occuparional risk management and maintenance execution.
These subjects are organized into six chapters, with each topic covered in a concise 2–3-page summary written by European experts, accompanied by relevant bibliographies for readers seeking deeper knowledge.
The development process is rigorous. Each article undergoes review by two experts from the reading committee, followed by linguistic quality control from a native English speaker in Canada, and finally professional formatting by a UK-based specialist. “It’s quite difficult to make a short article,” Despujols admits. “We have a small compensation for authors because it is real work.”
Finding new authors has become increasingly challenging. “At the beginning, members of EFNMS were significant contributors, but now they’ve written articles and we need to find others,” he says. The current version contains 25 articles, with plans to expand to more than 30 by early next year. But the long-term vision is even more ambitious: a Wikipedia-like collaborative platform where readers can propose modifications and improvements, ensuring the BoK remains a living product.
The decision to make the BoK freely downloadable was deliberate. “It is the role of EFNMS to make these articles accessible,” Despujols explains. “And because it is the first version and not complete, we need authors. If readers can say, ‘I have something to propose about an article, that could be a way to find authors.”
But perhaps the most significant development is the direct link between the BoK and the revised EN15628 standard for qualification of maintenance personnel. Despujols, who is deeply involved in standardization efforts through Technical Committee 319, was instrumental in establishing this connection. “To be qualified in maintenance, you need to have knowledge about these subjects,” he explains. “For companies, it is important for recruitment, for training people, and to know if the people they recruit are qualified.”
This connection transforms the BoK from a reference document into a practical framework for workforce development – addressing one of the industry’s most critical challenges.
When asked about the biggest challenges facing European maintenance today, Despujols points to the gap between research and implementation. “In papers, we often read articles written by researchers, but in companies, it takes time to be implemented. The main difficulty is how to implement these new technologies and new ways to perform maintenance. The relation between research and the field is not simple.”
Looking ahead, Despujols sees digitalization, predictive maintenance, artificial intelligence, and digital twins playing increasingly important roles. However, he’s quick to dispel the notion that these technologies will replace traditional approaches. “Predictive maintenance will not take the place of other kinds of maintenance. We will still have condition-based maintenance, predetermined maintenance, and corrective maintenance. All the techniques will be used in the future, even if predictive will be used increasingly.”
Currently, Despujols is focused on developing a maintenance ontology – defining the relationships between maintenance concepts to enable better use of artificial intelligence. “We need to understand the relation between concepts like failure mode, failure mechanisms, failure rate, maintenance tasks, etc.,” he explains. “This is needed to use artificial intelligence to take into account experience feedback written by technicians.”
You must think about maintenance not as the work of car repair, but as the work of doctors. We are doctors of equipment.
The potential impact is significant. “In the nuclear industry, it is difficult to consider regularly the events and to react and improve continuously the maintenance plan. It is done, but with delays. If we can do that quickly, thanks to digitalization, that will be very efficient in the future.”
But perhaps Despujols’s most compelling contribution is his reframing of the maintenance profession itself. When teaching, he challenges students to reconsider their perception of maintenance work. “Very often, what comes to mind is the person who repairs your car – the garage mechanic. But if we change the maintenance definition slightly and consider the living bodies, the definition is close to medicine. You must think about maintenance not as the work of car repair, but as the work of doctors.”
This parallel is more than rhetorical. “Predictive maintenance and predictive medicine use the same kind of tools. We work on failure mechanisms, which are illnesses of equipment. We are doctors of equipment.” The implications for workforce development are profound. “This image opens the door for young people to be interested. It’s more attractive than putting your head in a car motor. And it opens the door for women too – there are few women car mechanics, but many women doctors.”
The Body of Knowledge represents more than a compilation of technical expertise. It’s an effort to create a unified European maintenance culture, to establish common standards and shared language across national boundaries, and to elevate the profession’s status. As Despujols notes, “One objective of the BoK is to have a European maintenance culture which is the same for all European countries.”
With 80 subjects identified and only 30 articles completed, the work continues. But the foundation has been laid for a comprehensive, evolving resource that bridges theory and practice, research and implementation, and perhaps most importantly, connects maintenance professionals across Europe in a shared mission to keep the continent’s industrial infrastructure running efficiently, safely, and sustainably.
The EFNMS Body of Knowledge is available for free download at www.efnms.eu .
Antoine Despujols career spans the intersection of research, education, and industrial practice. After working in the research and development division of EDF (Électricité de France), where he gained experience across nuclear power plants, wind farms, gas turbines, and hydroelectric stations, he simultaneously served for 12 years as head of a Master’s degree program in maintenance and risk management at a Paris university.
“I was working one day per week at university, and it was really nice for me,” he recalls. “I had the opportunity to visit many companies and to follow many students.” This dual perspective – combining cutting-edge research with practical industrial challenges and academic teaching – uniquely positioned him to lead the Body of Knowledge project.
Now 71 and retired, Despujols continues as a consultant for EDF while remaining active in standardization work and serving as the French delegate to EFNMS, a role he has held since 2008. He previously served on the EFNMS board and continues to contribute to the evolution of maintenance standards and practices across Europe.
His current focus on maintenance ontology – defining the relationships between maintenance concepts to enable AI applications – reflects his ongoing commitment to bridging the gap between theoretical advancement and practical implementation, the challenge he identifies as maintenance’s greatest hurdle.
Subscribe to the free Maintworld newsletter here!
Maintenance Strategies Can Help ESG Goals
Predictive maintenance and obsolescence management have long been recognised as ways for manufacturers to reduce downtime. But these approaches can also help companies meet their ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) objectives, argues Matthias Ludwig, Managing Director of Radwell International Germany.
The high cost of downtime
A new Siemens report, The True Cost of Downtime 2024, highlights the financial scale of the problem. It found that unplanned downtime now costs the world’s 500 largest companies an average of 11% of their revenues – a staggering $1.4 trillion, equivalent to the GDP of Spain.
The challenge is exacerbated by ageing assets. A recent white paper by ERIKS UK & Ireland and IET revealed that more than 50% of equipment in 65% of factories is over ten years old. In over 70% of cases, no OEM spare parts are available. While equipment suppliers promote Industry 5.0 and IIoT solutions to minimise downtime in the future, many businesses must continue operating with legacy systems.
This reality makes effective maintenance not only a financial necessity but also an opportunity to strengthen sustainability strategies.
ESG benefits of maintenance and spares
Choosing to repair or replace individual parts, rather than entire systems, brings clear ESG benefits:
• Environmental: Resource efficiency, reduced waste, lower carbon emissions, and less water and energy use compared to full system replacement.
• Social: Support for local suppliers and service providers, plus longer product lifecycles that increase customer trust.
• Governance: Better resource stewardship, reduced operational and compliance risks, and improved transparency in sustainability reporting.
In short, maintenance decisions can make a measurable contribution to a company’s ESG commitments, while also protecting the bottom line.
A strategic approach
To capture these benefits, Ludwig recommends combining predictive maintenance and obsolescence management in a structured plan. The process typically follows four stages:
1. Risk Assessment: Identify critical assets and evaluate obsolescence risk using data such as maintenance logs, supplier reliability, and end-of-line (EOL) plans.
2. Repairs: Define in advance what can be repaired, who will do it, and what lead times apply – particularly for critical components like HMIs.
3. Spare Parts: Secure key spares in advance to minimise downtime. Buying before a breakdown can save costs compared to last-minute sourcing of rare items. Subscription-based inventory services, such as Radwell’s new SparesVault, can also support this process.
4. Strategy and Upgrades: Review maintenance policies regularly and plan upgrades proactively, rather than during unplanned downtime. For example, AC drives are often cost-effective upgrade candidates, offering higher productivity, reliability and energy savings.
Financial and operational gains
Planned upgrades and well-managed spares can significantly cut downtime and reduce costs. In some cases, obsolete parts may be more than twice as expensive as modern equivalents. By upgrading in advance, companies gain access to warranties, longer-term support, and more energy-efficient technologies.
As Matthias Ludwig concludes, “Maintenance is no longer just about keeping the line running. Done strategically, it supports ESG targets, reduces costs, and ensures manufacturers get the best performance from both their people and their capital assets.”
Subscribe to the free Maintworld newsletter here!
Print media is not dead – it is alive, stronger than ever
You are holding the freshly printed Maintworld – the voice and trailblazer of the maintenance sector, now carefully crafted into a visual magazine.
At Maintworld, we believe that in today’s digital era, print is more than just a medium – it is an experience. Print is tangible, authentic, and valuable. When a reader opens a magazine, they pause and dive in – receiving a calm, structured reading experience that leaves a lasting impression.
Well-curated print content is at its best personalized, multisensory, and above all, trustworthy.
Of course, Maintworld is also easily accessible online and through its newsletters. Going forward, we aim to further develop a content strategy where print and digital complement each other seamlessly. While our belief in print remains strong, we are equally committed to expanding our digital services together with you.
Maintworld has reached its audience well online, too. Our ambition is to offer members and readers the best possible combination: the quality and presence of print alongside the speed and flexibility of digital.
In this issue as well, we want to open the world of maintenance as broadly as possible. Be inspired and motivated. Share your feedback or send us your story ideas – we are curious and highly motivated to create the very best maintenance content for you.
Print lives on and thrives wherever a community values depth, trust, and the opportunity to pause with important information. Print is not yesterday – it is today’s premium and a strong partner for all of us working in the field.
And that is precisely why our professional magazine is an investment for you and the community you represent. Together, we want to strengthen trust within the maintenance profession, build on our shared expertise, and leave a lasting mark in our common story.
Jari Kostiainen
Subscribe to the free Maintworld newsletter here!
European Industrial Excellence in Focus: Diego Galar at the Helm of EFNMS
When Professor Diego Galar took over as Chair of the European Federation of National Maintenance Societies (EFNMS) in May, he inherited not only the leadership of Europe’s umbrella organisation for maintenance but also the responsibility to redefine its role in a fast-changing industrial landscape.
Based at Luleå University of Technology in Sweden, where he serves as Professor of Condition Monitoring, Galar is also Director of Technology and Research at Madrid-based industrial solutions company, Sisteplant. This dual role keeps him grounded in both academia and real-world industrial challenges.
In his new role as Chair of EFNMS, Galar is committed to advancing a progressive vision that ensures EFNMS remains a strong and influential representative of European maintenance interests both within the European Union and internationally.
As the Galar puts it:
“Our mission is not only to promote excellence in maintenance but to embed it firmly within the broader discipline of asset management—ensuring that European industry remains globally competitive, technologically advanced, and sustainably resilient.”
At its core, EFNMS exists to connect and amplify expertise: “So that we speak with one coherent European voice.” “This is critical in international forums, whether we are shaping global standards, influencing EU policy, or defining the industrial research agenda.”
Painting the Future of Industrial Maintenance
Galar anticipates that the European maintenance industry will rapidly shift from a reactive, operational task to a proactive, strategic discipline, supporting the entire value lifecycle of industrial assets.
“In this future, maintenance is defined not by breakdowns or scheduled checks, but by an ‘intelligence layer’ that keeps equipment continuously healthy and high performing. Emerging technologies are driving this shift,” Galar explains.
Artificial Intelligence (AI), advanced analytics, and predictive algorithms will play an increasingly significant role in identifying problems early, preventing failures, and enhancing planning and decision-making. Meanwhile, robotics—from drones to tracked crawlers—will increasingly operate in hazardous or inaccessible areas, transmitting real-time data to digital twins
that replicate physical assets. Combined with AI, these twins will predict maintenance needs, support repair-or-replace decisions, and optimise resources, enabling a truly condition-based, predictive approach.
While the efficiency gains from such technological developments can be significant, Galar stresses that the human factor must remain a priority. “Technology must go hand in hand with human capability,” he emphasises. “We need skilled professionals to interpret AI outputs, validate digital twin predictions, and manage robotic systems within an asset management strategy that balances risk, cost, and asset lifespan.”
The professor underscores the importance of human expertise in the face of technological progress. He warns that an overreliance on automation could lead to a loss of fundamental knowledge about how machines work. For him, the solution lies in
Industry 5.0, a phase where people remain at the center and technology supports rather than replaces them.
“In Industry 5.0, technology is a partner, not a substitute,” Galar explains. Robotics will take on tasks that are risky, physically demanding, or repetitive—such as inspecting tall structures, navigating pipelines, or performing precision work in hazardous settings—while AI analyses sensor data to predict failures earlier than before.
Galar stresses that machines can find issues, but humans make the final call. “AI might detect a gearbox problem, but it’s the engineer who must consider the bigger picture, safety, and long-term plans before deciding what to do. For EFNMS, this means putting people first: using AI and robotics to provide better tools, richer data, and safer work environments while respecting human judgment.”
“The future isn’t about replacing workers, but about raising their roles—turning technicians into system designers, supervisors into data analysts, and engineers into strategic managers. The best maintenance teams will be those that combine human insight with technological precision.”
Building the Foundations of Industry 5.0
Translating the promise of Industry 5.0 into reality requires more than technology and ambition, Galar reminds.
“It demands robust frameworks, credible research, and supportive policy to ensure AI, robotics, and digital twins are deployed safely, effectively, and with human expertise at the core.”
Galar highlights that under his leadership, EFNMS will focus on three interconnected pillars – standards, research, and policy. This, he says, will help steer the maintenance profession through this transformation.
“Standardisation is not just technical,” Galar explains. “It ensures innovations like AI-driven diagnostics or robotic inspections are implemented safely, interoperably, and in ways that maximise value across sectors.”
On the research front, EFNMS will strengthen its role as a bridge between academia and industry, ensuring research is relevant, applied, and scalable to help tackle Europe’s most urgent maintenance challenges. Current priorities include AI prognostics, hazardous-environment robotics, sustainable lifecycle management, and even metaverse-based training. “Our role is to turn academic insight into operational best practice,” Galar notes.
The professor emphasises EFNMS’s role in advocating for maintenance as a strategic enabler. The organisation continues to push for recognition of maintenance’s importance, particularly in the context of the European Green Deal, the circular economy, and competitiveness agendas.
“By the end of my term, I want EFNMS to be recognised not only as Europe’s maintenance authority but also as a global thought leader, shaping how assets are managed, maintained, and valued,” Galar says.
“This means pushing for frameworks that incentivise investment in condition-based maintenance, digitalisation, and workforce development – ensuring Europe leads rather than follows in the next industrial revolution.”
Empowering the Next Generation
With discussions about work shortages in many technical fields, including maintenance, engaging young talent is not just a strategic priority but a crucial necessity for maintaining Europe’s leadership in industrial innovation. The active involvement of young professionals is key to shaping the future of maintenance and ensuring its continued relevance in the rapidly evolving industrial landscape.
“We need clear pathways for students, graduates, and early-career engineers to connect with our network, contribute to projects, join working groups, and see the scale of opportunities available,” Galar says,
He adds that cross-border collaboration is not just essential, but also a cornerstone of EFNMS’s approach.
“Maintenance challenges—from AI-driven diagnostics to robotics in hazardous environments and sustainable lifecycle management—are global. Involving young professionals in multinational teams fosters knowledge transfer and exposes them to diverse approaches and innovations.”
Galar notes that EFNMS’s extensive network enables exchanges, mentorship programmes pairing emerging talent with seasoned experts, and participation in EU-funded research. “A young engineer in Portugal could work alongside a robotics specialist in Finland and a digital twin expert in Germany—accelerating innovation and ensuring continuity.”
Galar notes that nurturing talent is not just about technical skills, but also about building curiosity, adaptability, and systems thinking—qualities essential for integrating asset management with the potential of new technologies.
“We have to meet young professionals where they are—online, connected, and ready to collaborate in real time. And we must cultivate not just technical skills, but curiosity, adaptability, and systems thinking.”
If the EFNMS Chair Had One Message
When asked what single message he would deliver to industry leaders, policymakers, and young professionals, Galar doesn’t hesitate:
“If I had to distil my message into one call to action, it would be this: treat maintenance not as a cost to be contained, but as a strategic investment in the future of your assets, your organisation, and your people.”
To industry leaders, Galar urges placing maintenance and asset management at the heart of strategy. The era of reactive, invisible maintenance is over. Today, it is a data-rich, technology-driven, innovation-led discipline. AI, robotics, digital twins, and condition-based maintenance are no longer emerging ideas—they are operational realities that, when used strategically, deliver measurable gains in performance, safety, and sustainability. Those who embrace this shift will lead; those who ignore it will fall behind.
To policymakers, Galar calls for recognising maintenance as a key enabler of their agendas. The European Green Deal, the circular economy, and industrial decarbonisation all depend on assets operating efficiently for as long as possible, with minimal waste and maximum safety. Policies that incentivise proactive maintenance, accelerate the adoption of advanced technologies, and invest in workforce skills will not only strengthen industries but also drive Europe’s environmental and social progress, he notes.
And to young professionals, Galar’s message is one of opportunity and purpose. Maintenance and asset management offer a career path that is intellectually challenging, technologically advanced, and socially relevant.
“This is the field where you can work with robotics one day, AI algorithms the next, and sustainability strategies the day after. You will be solving real problems that keep factories running, infrastructure safe, and societies functioning.”
The future of maintenance will be integrated, autonomous, and intelligent, Galar continues.
“If we work together—industry, academia, policymakers, and professionals across borders—we will not only keep our assets in operation; we will ensure that they operate at their best, delivering value to both business and society for decades to come.”
As a regular contributor to Maintworld magazine, the EFNMS Chair also highlights the role of industrial media in driving this shift. By reporting on innovations, sharing best practices, and amplifying success stories, such media can change perceptions—moving maintenance from the background to the centre of strategic conversations on performance, sustainability, and competitiveness, Galar concludes.
Standardisation and EU Policy Influence: How EFNMS Makes a Difference
EFNMS plays a crucial role in shaping European policies on maintenance, sustainability, and industrial competitiveness. Rather than just observing, it works closely with policymakers, offering practical, trusted advice based on real-world experience in maintenance and asset management.
A significant part of EFNMS’s impact stems from its collaboration with standardisation groups, including CEN, ISO, and IEC. Here, it helps create clear rules for new technologies, such as AI, digital twins, and robotics, used in challenging environments. As EFNMS Chair Diego Galar says, “standards act as the bridge between technical innovation and regulatory acceptance.”
These standards facilitate the safe and confident adoption of new technologies across European industries.
EFNMS also engages directly with European institutions to demonstrate that effective maintenance is crucial to key initiatives such as the European Green Deal and the EU’s Industrial Strategy. They explain how smart maintenance reduces waste, digital tools improve efficiency, and robotics make work safer — all of which help Europe meet its environmental and economic goals.
EFNMS also guides the types of research that should receive funding, focusing on smart assets that can monitor themselves, advanced robotics, AI for predicting failures, designing for reuse, and cybersecurity for connected systems.
Most importantly, EFNMS supports its advice with real-world examples. As Galar says: “Real-world results speak more convincingly to policymakers than theoretical arguments, showing them that well-managed assets are not only more efficient but also more sustainable and more resilient.” By highlighting successful projects, EFNMS is proving that maintenance is vital for Europe’s future green and digital progress.
The European Federation of National Maintenance Societies (EFNMS) is the leading umbrella organisation for maintenance and asset management across Europe, representing 24 national societies. More than just a thought leader, EFNMS backs its advice with real-world success stories. As Chair, Diego Galar notes: “Real-world results speak more convincingly to policymakers than theoretical arguments.” By showcasing proven projects, EFNMS demonstrates how well-managed assets drive efficiency, sustainability, and resilience—making maintenance a cornerstone of Europe’s green and digital transformation.
Text: Nina Garlo-Melkas
Photos: Luleå University & Sisteplant
Subscribe to the free Maintworld newsletter here!
Rising Role of Smart Coatings
New self-healing, anticorrosive, and antimicrobial coatings can reduce maintenance costs, and their use is expected to increase in the coming years.
Smart coatings may change their structure or appearance when exposed to heat, humidity, mechanical stress or chemical changes such as corrosion. Some are even designed to react to microbial growth.
The scope of applications is broad. In 2011, researchers developed a spray-on antenna that, at a thickness of 8 microns or less, could give electronics wireless connectivity. In 2016, another group created a smart paint that reacts to the metal tip of specialized canes to help pedestrians with visual impairments navigate.
Self-Healing Capabilities
One of the most notable advantages of certain smart paints in industrial maintenance is their ability to repair themselves. In the automotive sector, self-healing clear coats have been in use for years. These coatings typically contain polymers that react to sunlight, releasing a resin that hardens quickly within the paint.
Manufacturers in other industries can also make use of similar solutions. While self-repairing paints cannot restore extensive mechanical damage, they can prevent scratches, chips and surface warping from developing into deeper structural issues. New developments have improved performance as well. A study in 2022 demonstrated a paint that was able to fully recover within just 30 seconds when exposed to heat.
Such coatings are particularly valuable for machinery operating in demanding conditions.
Color-Changing Smart Paint
Another category of smart coatings does not repair damage but reveals it more clearly. Coatings that respond to the chemical changes presented by corrosion are a common and advantageous example.
Severe rust is clearly visible to the naked eye, but this degradation is not always easy to see in its earliest stages. A rust-reacting paint can produce a more dramatic color difference, so technicians can recognize the need for repairs before structural damage occurs.
Smart paints may not offer the same in-depth analysis as an IoT maintenance sensor. They do make some amount of condition-based care possible, which leads to fewer breakdowns and avoids unnecessary repairs.
Anticorrosive and Antimicrobial Coatings
Some reactive coatings go a step further by slowing or stopping corrosion once it is detected. One example, adapted from a NASA-developed paint, releases anticorrosive agents when pH levels indicate rust.
Although it cannot completely prevent corrosion, this approach can cut maintenance costs by as much as 50 percent by limiting how far the damage spreads.
When combined with color-changing indicators, such coatings make repair work more efficient. Slowing corrosion until a technician can intervene is especially useful for smaller operators who may not always have maintenance staff available.
Antimicrobial coatings offer a comparable advantage. Using naturally antimicrobial substances such as silver strengthens the protective qualities of paint, preventing the growth or spread of bacteria, fungi or other contaminants. Semiconductor fabs and pharmaceutical production facilities will see the biggest improvements from this use case.
Electronics Protection
Many uses of smart paint act as alternatives to IoT- and AI-based maintenance, but the same technology can also complement these systems to improve their performance. Reactive coatings help safeguard sensitive electronic components, ensuring that advanced systems remain reliable.
Antimicrobial, dust-resistant and scratch-healing layers can keep sensors in good condition, preventing contamination that could interfere with measurements. By reducing these risks, smart coatings support higher data quality and consistency in IoT and AI applications such as predictive maintenance. With poor-quality data costing businesses millions each year, even small improvements in reliability can lead to major savings.
In other cases, facilities may apply smart paints to shield solar panel cells from sun damage or to react to heat in ways that boost efficiency. These adjustments can lower the long-term maintenance costs of renewable energy and help manufacturers reach their climate goals more easily.
One of the most notable advantages of certain smart paints in industrial maintenance is their ability to repair themselves.
Smart Paint Challenges
Smart coatings offer a wide range of applications in factory maintenance, but the technology is not without its limits. These paints can address only minor damage and cover a restricted set of operating concerns.
As such, smart paints can push facility maintenance investments further, but they cannot replace other innovations entirely. This may lead to high upfront costs, even if the coatings themselves are not expensive compared to IoT and AI technologies.
Many of the most disruptive smart coating applications are also in their early stages. More dramatic self-healing, damage prevention and reactive polymers have not seen extensive real-world testing, especially in their newer, more promising forms.
Smart Coatings Market
The economic potential of smart coatings is significant. Market researchers estimate that the global smart coatings industry was valued at $6.34 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach $7.9 billion in 2025, reflecting an annual growth rate of roughly 25 percent. Longer-term projections suggest that the sector could even surpass $19 billion by 2029 if current trends continue. The
Asia-Pacific region was the largest segment of the smart coatings market in 2024 and is expected to be the fastest-growing region in terms of market share.
Key drivers include demand for corrosion protection, antimicrobial properties and self-healing materials. Industries such as automotive, aerospace, construction and energy are expected to lead adoption. In northern regions, anti-icing and de-icing nanocoatings are emerging as a growing niche.
Sources: American Coatings Association (ACA), The Business Research Company, revolutionized.com
Text: Vaula Aunola Photos: Shutterstock
Subscribe to the free Maintworld newsletter here!
Industrial AI to Double Within a year
A new global survey of more than 1,700 senior executives reveals that industrial AI is advancing faster than expected.
Industrial AI is no longer a distant prospect. According to the IFS Invisible Revolution Study 2025, the use of AI in manufacturing companies is predicted to almost double in the next 12 months, from 32% today to 59%. At the same time, profitability improvements are already widespread, with 88% of organisations worldwide reporting that AI has had a positive impact on their bottom line.
“AI is a key driver of business performance. Now is the time to close the adoption gap – bringing people, processes and products together to deliver tangible results,” says Kriti Sharma, CEO of IFS Nexus Black.
For example, in the US, 90% of senior decision makers plan to increase AI investment in 2025 compared to 2024.
AI First Becomes the Norm
The shift in organizational AI maturity is even more dramatic. Today, just under one-third of businesses (32%) claim to be “AI First,” meaning AI is deeply embedded into workflows and decision-making. But within a year, nearly 60% expect to achieve this level of integration. The number of companies still “experimenting” with AI is expected to plummet from 24% to just 7%.
The research shows that companies are rapidly moving beyond pilot projects and concept testing. The proportion of organisations still “experimenting” with AI is expected to fall sharply, from 24% today to just 7% within a year.
This marks a decisive shift towards integrating AI into key functions such as asset management, supply chain optimisation and manufacturing.
“More than half of managers admit that their organisation does not yet have a coherent AI strategy.”
But the momentum also reveals vulnerabilities. More than half of executives admit that their organisations do not yet fully understand AI. This lack of clarity can undermine adoption at a time of increasing competitive pressure.
Training gaps become critical
Skills development has emerged as one of the most pressing challenges. Most managers believe that up to 60% of their workforce will need retraining to adapt to AI-enabled activities. Significantly, a third of respondents estimate that this need could apply to all employees in their organisation.
This training gap is already being felt in recruitment. Many managers describe hiring AI talent as “extremely difficult”, even in countries where the education system is seen as supporting the skills of the future. Without large-scale retraining programmes, organisations risk being left behind just as the AI revolution accelerates.
Over half of US firms (54%) offer formal training, yet 65% of US senior decision makers say their businesses still lack the knowledge to use AI to its fullest. By contrast, just 46% of respondents in Japan feel this gap exists, pointing to stronger internal confidence.
AI Gains Without Strategy
Another barrier is the lack of a strategy. More than half of managers, 53%, admit that their organisation does not yet have a coherent AI strategy.
Despite this, financial returns have exceeded expectations. Globally, 70% of respondents report better-than-expected returns on their AI initiatives, which has driven investment. This figure rises to 92% in the US and 94% in Germany.
Companies are achieving measurable benefits but do not yet have the strategies and governance models needed to sustain long-term change.
Trust remains a barrier
Over half of US organizations are already using automation AI (56%), predictive AI (54%), and agentic AI (35%), systems that can act autonomously to execute decisions. Globally, the numbers are slightly lower but still significant, demonstrating early momentum across industries.
Despite improved profitability and operational efficiency, many managers remain hesitant to hand over decision-making power to AI. Only 29% say it would be easy to let AI systems make strategic decisions on their own. A large majority – 68% – believe that human judgement is still necessary before AI-based insights can be deployed.
Concerns about bias and fairness remain acute. In the US, 63% of respondents consider bias to be a major concern, compared to only 40% in the Nordic countries. This difference shows how cultural and regional differences influence the speed and scale of AI adoption.
Global AI Oversight
That lack of trust extends to how AI is governed. While many enterprises are moving forward with implementation, the call for oversight is growing louder. 71% of US senior decision-makers, and 62% globally, believe AI needs some form of regulation.
Notably, 65% of global respondents support the creation of an international, independent body to oversee AI development and deployment, signalling that organizations are not only concerned about risk within their own walls but are calling for globally coordinated oversight as AI becomes more deeply embedded in critical systems.
However, respondents in Japan (22%), Nordics (19%), the Netherlands (16%), and Germany (13%) were the most resistant to the idea of a global independent AI organisation.
Transforming Business
AI is no longer just transforming operations; it’s redefining business models. 77% of respondents (and 85% in the US) believe servitization — the shift from selling products to delivering value through services and outcomes — will become a dominant revenue model enabled by AI.
Furthermore, 80% of senior decision-makers globally (and 90% in the US) expect AI-driven savings to be reinvested into their enterprises, fueling further innovation, growth, and expansion. Nearly three-quarters (73%) plan to pass some of these savings on to customers through improved pricing and enhanced service.
However, this customer-centric view is not universally shared, particularly in asset-heavy industries where margins are tight and competition is fierce. In these sectors, many expect efficiency gains from AI to be channelled directly into strengthening profitability rather than shared externally.
Environmental impact is also firmly on the agenda. 86% of senior decision-makers believe AI will help organizations meet sustainability goals — from energy efficiency and emissions reporting to CO₂ management.
Source: IFS Invisible Revolution Study 2025.
text: Vaula Aunola
photo: iStock
Subscribe to the free Maintworld newsletter here!
Latest
