Automation World: Beginning in January, you are assuming a leadership role within the ISA. Which areas of the Society do you want to tackle and improve?
Nelson Ninin: ISA is very well known globally and, for this reason, I think that we can change the strategies to double the number of members that we have now.
By devising specific strategies, we can develop each area more strongly and generate professionals’ interest, and that of their companies, to participate in more and more ISA activities. ISA is the largest source of standards and norms in the instrumentation and industrial process control area. This area can be expanded and bring more benefits for professionals and for their companies. One of my goals is to create a base to increase the number of ISA members. The number today is around 30,000. A goal would be 60,000 in 2015 and 100,000 in 2020.
AW: You will be the first Brazilian elected to the ISA presidency when you take office in 2010. To what do you attribute this achievement?
Ninin: Due my work in the international area, not only in Latin America, but also in Europe and in Asia, I have the whole market credibility to drive a society with headquarters in the USA.
We are in a globalization moment and I am already a Yokogawa International Board member in Singapore, as well as a member of the Yokogawa Strategic Committee in Japan—countries of distant continents from Brazil—so I have been acquiring significant international experience. I have a great network of professional contacts from everywhere, something that facilitates communication with engineers from many countries.
AW: Brazil Automation 2008 was held last November in São Paulo, Brazil. Do you think that it can be a model for more international events for ISA?
Ninin: The Brazil Automation exhibition is one of the best of this type in the world. It is more exciting than other fairs in several aspects, especially in the close, informal relationships of visitors and exhibitors. Besides, the event has a glamour that needs to be implemented in other ISA world fairs that are characteristically very technical. The Latin American spirit is what differentiates Brazil Automation, leading to its success. Other ISA fairs should implement some of that same environment.
AW: What are the other priorities are you drafting for when you assume the presidency in 2010?
Ninin: Stimulating activities in order to provide more financial resources from training, congress, standards and exhibitions is also one of my goals. It is very important to avoid the consumption of the Society reserves. I think that through its Districts, ISA needs, as in the past, to reinvigorate the process of local meetings as an automation society. I understand that it will be necessary to create an office in Europe, besides promoting greater exchange all over the world among the ISA members. That is fundamental.
International Society of Automation (ISA)
