Welcome to the February 2026 edition of Digital Pulse, your go-to source for the latest on BW’s digital innovations, AI, and Industry 4.0 initiatives. In this edition, we’re spotlighting:

• BW’s 2026 Innovation Event starts in April! The theme this year is “From Insight to Impact.” The session nomination & planning process is underway. We look forward to another event that shares impactful innovation successes & learnings, energizes creativity, connects us with colleagues, and spotlights innovation ideas shaping our future.
• Enterprise IIoT Platform & Process: The Apollo IIoT platform has reached a pivotal milestone toward compliance with global security standards ISO 27001 and IEC 62443. This accomplishment is a major step toward further enhancing customer trust in our connected solutions along with adherence to latest cybersecurity regulations coming into effect, and it’s all thanks to the ongoing commitment and teamwork of individuals across many teams within our company. 
• Recommended Read: Why true AI fluency—not just access to tools—is becoming the defining skill for modern leaders.

2026 BW Innovation Event

BW's 2026 Innovation Event is Coming Soon

This year’s event will span three consecutive weeks, with sessions held April 28–29, May 5–6, and May 12–13 in a global virtual format. We’re gearing up for an exciting celebration of creativity, technology, and forward-thinking as we prepare for our fifth Innovation Event since 2021!

From interactive sessions to inspiring discussions, this series of events by innovators for innovators is designed to showcase innovation successes & emerging capabilities, spark new ideas, share learnings, and bring together team members across BW. Whether you’re deeply involved in innovation, digital work, or simply curious about what’s next, the Innovation Event is a great opportunity to learn, share, connect, and help shape the future of BW.

This year, the sessions will be grouped as follows. This format will give participants the chance to focus on the innovation topics that matter most to them. All sessions will be delivered via Teams, making it easy to join from any location.

• Product Showcase
• Customer Experience
• Technology Showcase (Non-Digital)
• Technology Showcase (Digital)
• Innovation Process Excellence

The session nomination process ends on February 18. Once final sessions are selected, presenters will be notified. In addition, the event agenda will be distributed in the coming weeks. Save-the-date invitations have already been sent out. If you’re interested in more information, please reach out to your leader or BWIE representative (listed below).

Roberto DaRocha / Jeff Gafner / Holger Schmitt / Maximo Leyva (Papersystems); Jim Kolmus (Packaging); Cristian Giuliani / Mark Newton (Converting); Thomas Samuel (BW Forsyth): Marius Batrin / Chad Faith (Alliance): John Katsapis (Enterprise/IT); Raghunath Kasinathan (GCC)

Have something to say? A question? Let us know here.

Security Corner

Apollo IIoT Platform Reaches Key Security Milestone

The Barry-Wehmiller Digital Innovation team has reached a pivotal milestone with Apollo, our Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) platform, by aligning it with leading global industrial security standards ISO 27001 and IEC 62443. This accomplishment toward compliance with two of the most respected and rigorous security frameworks in the industrial world is the result of months of coordinated work by engineering, cybersecurity, compliance, and product leadership 

Why This Matters 

This achievement is more than a procedural checkpoint. Above all, this matters to our customers. They increasingly require this of their partners, and it is critical to building customer trust. This is also required for adherence to latest cybersecurity regulations, along with remaining competitive among our peers. 

Apollo’s Security Alignment: ISO 27001 & IEC 62443

Apollo IIoT Platform acts as a digital backbone for BW’s IIoT-connected field equipment and Digital Products, enabling data collection from field equipment deployed to customer sites all over the world, in a wide array of varied industrial environments. Security is integral in these settings, influencing reliability, safety, compliance, and customer trust. 

• ISO 27001 establishes an organization-wide information security management system, ensuring security is a structured discipline. 
• IEC 62443 addresses cybersecurity for industrial automation and control systems, protecting against unique operational technology threats. 

Together, these frameworks provide a robust blueprint for securing data, assets, and operations, and support compliance with regulations such as the EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA).

The alignment project has given BW a detailed understanding of Apollo’s strengths and areas of opportunity, transforming abstract requirements into actionable steps.

Building the Foundation: What We Accomplished

A major outcome was the development and refinement of critical processes and policies required by ISO 27001 and IEC 62443. These are not just theoretical—they guide daily operations and decisions (SecDevOps). Key achievements include:

• Security governance and risk management processes
• Access control and identity management policies
• Incident response and escalation procedures
• Asset management and configuration standards
• Secure development lifecycle documentation
• Vendor and third-party risk management guidelines
• Operational technology controls aligned with IEC 62443

These policies ensure Apollo’s security practices are well-defined, repeatable, measurable, and auditable, supporting expansion to more products, customers, and use cases.

A Collaborative Effort Across the Organization

The successful Apollo IIoT alignment reflects widespread collaboration across BW. Engineers contributed technical expertise in system architecture and data flows; cybersecurity specialists mapped controls and assessed risk, and ensured alignment with regulations; and product leaders ensured alignment with Apollo’s vision and business goals. This cross-functional teamwork embodies the company’s culture of continuous improvement and commitment to customers. The Apollo initiative is about more than technology—it’s about enabling better outcomes and empowering teams with trustworthy tools.

What Comes Next?

With gap analysis complete and documentation in place, BW now moves into the next phase: preparing for formal compliance. The coming steps include:

• Implementing remaining controls from the gap analysis
• Conducting internal audits and readiness assessments
• Validating process consistency across teams
• Demonstrating evidence of compliance to external auditors as needed
• Continuing to refine and enhance security

Compliance is an ongoing process, and the work completed thus far provides the structure and momentum for continued progress.

Looking Ahead: Strengthening Apollo’s Future

While this is a moment to celebrate, it also serves as a launchpad for future growth. Apollo is central to BW’s digital IIoT strategy, and ISO 27001 and IEC 62443 alignment will further establish our reputation as a secure, innovative foundation. Adherence to these standards will guide decisions about architecture, development, operations, and governance; bolster customer trust; and ensure resilience amid evolving cyber threats. Most importantly, this milestone reflects BW’s commitment to excellence in both its products and supporting systems.

A Moment of Pride and Progress

This milestone was achieved through focus, discipline, and teamwork across multiple divisions, demonstrating the power of shared purpose. With the path to compliance now clear, Apollo remains on track as an industry-leading IIoT platform that exemplifies BW’s values and vision.

💡 Have questions or want to get involved? Please reach out to the Digital Innovation team or Pete Bremer. 

Have something to say? A question? Let us know here.

Recommended Reads

AI Fluency: The Skills for Thriving in a Changing World

Recently, the team at Zapier published an article on AI fluency, and it’s one of the clearest explanations yet of why simply having AI tools isn’t the same as knowing how to use them.

AI is everywhere. Copilot write our emails. Chat tools summarize our meetings. AI drafts reports, generates code, builds presentations, and analyzes data in seconds.

But here’s the real question: Are we actually fluent or just experimenting?

What Is AI Fluency?

AI fluency isn’t about being a data scientist. It’s not about coding neural networks. And it’s definitely not about memorizing technical jargon!

AI fluency is the ability to:

• Understand what AI is good at, and what it’s not
• Ask better questions to get better outputs
• Evaluate responses critically instead of accepting them blindly
• Integrate AI into workflows in a meaningful way

Think of it like learning a new language. You don’t become fluent by downloading Duolingo.
You become fluent by practicing, experimenting, making mistakes, and improving.

AI works the same way.

The Four Levels of AI Fluency

In their article, Zapier outlines their “AI fluency rubric,” a framework for describing how individuals might be using AI currently and what their personal next step can be: 

1. Unacceptable - Avoiding AI entirely or dismissing it as hype.
2. Capable - Using AI occasionally for tasks like drafting or summarizing.
3. Adoptive - Regularly integrating AI into daily workflows.
4. Transformative - Designing systems and processes that leverage AI at scale to create new value.

Today, globally, most professionals sit somewhere between capable and adoptive. 

The opportunity for BW? Moving toward transformative.

Why this matters (Especially Now…)

AI isn’t slowing down. It’s accelerating.

Organizations who build fluency will:

• Work faster without sacrificing quality.
• Make more informed decisions.
• Focus on higher-value strategic thinking.
• Lead change instead of reacting to it.

Organizations who don’t build AI fluency?
These organizations risk becoming dependent on AI without understanding it, or being outpaced by competitors who know how to wield it strategically.

AI fluency is quickly becoming a professional differentiator. Copilots and AI assistants are tools.
Fluency is the skill.  And the people who combine human judgement, creativity, and critical thinking with AI capability? They’re going to lead the next wave of innovation.

The question isn’t whether AI will change how we work. It already has. The real question is: Will you just use AI or will you become fluent in it?

Have something to say? A question? Let us know here.

Coming in March

More details about BW’s 2026 Innovation Event, including some of the speakers and topics to look forward to as we approach our first sessions in April.

A special feature from Pete Bremer focused on secure equipment cameras and video systems, offering insights into how BW is strengthening safety and security across our operations.

Stay tuned—and as always, thanks for being part of our digital journey.

How to Get Involved

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