PI International, a global ecosystem

Process and Discrete Manufacturing enterprises must remain competitive in today's global marketplace. Dietmar Bohn, Executive Director PROFIBUS & PROFINET International (PI), explains PI's organization structure and his vision on how to attract the next generation to industrial networking technology.

PI organization

For the next PI meeting, Dietmar has a long list of topics he wants to address. We start with the ecosystem of PI International. PI is a global organization with a technology and support center (PNO), regional organizations (RPAs) as well as test labs, competence centers and training centers. The PNO, located in Karlsruhe, Germany, is the technological core of the organization and manages the PI technologies. Its work covers four main areas: drafting the technology specifications and open standardization, developing the necessary tools to test devices in line with those specifications, marketing the technologies, and issuing certificates for experts and products.

Second, PI organizes regional training and consulting sessions for its members. These are the places where new technologies meet the PI member base, issues are resolved, and regional differences and questions are addressed.

Third, all members and other device manufacturers can have their devices tested in PI's test labs. Once a test is successfully completed the product can receive a PI certificate.

To summarize: the international PI organization consists of three key areas. First, the PNO which is responsible for developing and disseminating the PI technologies, tools, certification, supporting regional organizations, administration and international PI meetings. Second, the regional organizations. And third, the test labs, training and competence centers.

Security

Dietmar immediately points out the importance of the coming Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) and the difference between device manufacturers and end users. According to Dietmar, many companies are unsure what the CRA means for them. And the answer differs depending on whether you are a device manufacturer or end user.

For manufacturers it is important to consider what is mandatory once the CRA takes effect and to understand the specific device requirements. This knowledge will help the manufacturer to securely develop devices that comply with the security requirements. For end users, however, the perspective is different: the result is what counts. The factory must run securely and without delays. Security, maintenance and uptime are a precarious balance. Jokingly Dietmar adds: “The perfectly secure factory is a closed factory.” End users are always seeking for the right balance between security, maintenance and uptime.

Academy

The PI Academy is a platform of hand selected materials for beginners. Because if a newcomer simply starts a Google search on IO-Link, PROFIBUS or PROFINET, they will quickly be overwhelmed by the amount of highly specialized papers. Which are of little use to someone looking for elementary instructions.

According to Dietmar it is essential to refocus on beginners, given the enormous shortage of engineers. This shortage is evident in the Netherlands, in Germany, and beyond. And the younger generations that are interested in technology, rather pursue a career in software. For those students who do want to get their hands dirty and dive into areas like electrical engineering, PI International wants to make sure to point out that industrial networking technology is a highly interesting domain with excellent career opportunities. Considerable effort is being made to encourage students to explore Operational Technology automation. Dietmar considers it as one of his responsibilities to explain technology to a broader audience in a simple, easy-to-understand and interesting way.

PI follows the same strategy for the topic of security: providing PI members with a clear overview of protocols and testing certificates. Again, there are enormous amounts of highly specialized research papers. “We need to make sure to make technology easier to understand”, Dietmar repeats. With enthusiasm and a passion for technology Dietmar talks about the academy and his drive to motivate the younger generation to enter his field of interest. “Our organization is aging: we must ensure that skills and technological know-how are passed on to the next generation. And the first place to start is at the beginning, with fascination.”

Dietmar Bohn will be the opening speaker for PI Community Day.

PI Community Day

Date: November 12, 2025

Location: Van der Valk Veenendaal, the Netherlands