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3/<strong>2025</strong> www.maintworld.com<br />

maintenance & asset management<br />

FROM COST TO<br />

VALUE: HOW<br />

NORWAY IS<br />

RETHINKING<br />

MAINTENANCE<br />

page 18<br />

European Industrial<br />

Excellence in Focus:<br />

Diego Galar at the<br />

Helm of EFNMS page 10<br />

JAN STOKER: HUMAN-CENTRIC MAINTENANCE FOR INDUSTRY 5.0 page 20


EDITORIAL<br />

Print media is not<br />

dead – it is alive,<br />

stronger than ever<br />

YOU ARE HOLDING THE<br />

FRESHLY PRINTED MAINT-<br />

WORLD – the voice and<br />

trailblazer of the maintenance<br />

sector, now carefully<br />

crafted into a visual<br />

magazine.<br />

At <strong>Maintworld</strong>, we believe<br />

that in today’s digital<br />

era, print is more than<br />

just a medium – it is an<br />

experience. Print is tangible,<br />

authentic, and valuable.<br />

When a reader opens<br />

Photo: Sami Perttilä<br />

a magazine, they pause<br />

and dive in – receiving a<br />

calm, structured reading experience that leaves a lasting impression.<br />

Well-curated print content is at its best personalized, multisensory,<br />

and above all, trustworthy.<br />

Of course, <strong>Maintworld</strong> is also easily accessible online and through its<br />

newsletters. Going forward, we aim to further develop a content strategy<br />

where print and digital complement each other seamlessly. While our belief<br />

in print remains strong, we are equally committed to expanding our<br />

digital services together with you.<br />

<strong>Maintworld</strong> has reached its audience well online, too. Our ambition is<br />

to offer members and readers the best possible combination: the quality<br />

and presence of print alongside the speed and flexibility of digital.<br />

In this issue as well, we want to open the world of maintenance as<br />

broadly as possible. Be inspired and motivated. Share your feedback or<br />

send us your story ideas – we are curious and highly motivated to create<br />

the very best maintenance content for you.<br />

Print lives on and thrives wherever a community values depth, trust,<br />

and the opportunity to pause with important information. Print is not<br />

yesterday – it is today’s premium and a strong partner for all of us working<br />

in the field.<br />

And that is precisely why our professional magazine is an investment<br />

for you and the community you represent. Together, we want to strengthen<br />

trust within the maintenance profession, build on our shared expertise,<br />

and leave a lasting mark in our common story.<br />

Jari Kostiainen<br />

Editor-in-Chief, <strong>Maintworld</strong><br />

4 maintworld 3/<strong>2025</strong><br />

34<br />

Galvatek's<br />

Global<br />

Transformation:<br />

From Chrome to<br />

Defense Industry


IN THIS ISSUE 3/<strong>2025</strong><br />

16<br />

Machinery<br />

Regulation<br />

2027: The Clock is<br />

Ticking for Safety,<br />

Compliance and<br />

Competitive Edge<br />

=<br />

40<br />

What<br />

the Future<br />

Holds for Large-Scale<br />

Floating Solutions<br />

4 Editorial<br />

7 EFNMS questionnaire<br />

10<br />

European Industrial Excellence in<br />

Focus: Diego Galar at the Helm of<br />

EFNMS<br />

16<br />

18<br />

Machinery Regulation 2027:<br />

The Clock Is Ticking for Safety,<br />

Compliance and Competitive Edge<br />

From Cost to Value: How Norway<br />

Is Rethinking Maintenance<br />

Human-Centric Maintenance for<br />

20 Industry 5.0<br />

22<br />

24<br />

28<br />

32<br />

34<br />

Future-Proofing Maintenance:<br />

Why Sustainable Asset<br />

Management Is Mission Critical<br />

Meet the Bright Minds Shaping the<br />

Future of Maintenance<br />

From Firefighting to Forecasting:<br />

Van Geloven’s Journey Toward<br />

Smart Maintenance<br />

Future of Sustainability:<br />

What Maintenance Leaders<br />

Need to Know<br />

Galvatek's Global Transformation<br />

Toward Defense Industry<br />

37<br />

40<br />

42<br />

44<br />

46<br />

Rising Role of Smart Coatings<br />

What the Future Holds for<br />

Large-Scale Floating Solutions<br />

Multitasking to keep course<br />

Industrial AI to double<br />

within a year<br />

The New Arsenal of Military<br />

Readiness Part I -<br />

Eight Trends Transforming<br />

Defence Maintenance<br />

50 News<br />

Issued by Finnish Maintenance Society, Promaint, Messuaukio 1, 00520 Helsinki, Finland, tel. +358 50 441 8915, Editor-in-chief<br />

Jari Kostiainen, jari.kostiainen@kunnossapito.fi Advertisements Otso Aunola, +358 45 315 8233, otso@maintworld.com<br />

Mika Säilä, +358 50 352 3277, mika.saila@totalmarketing.fi Layout Sirli Siniväli, sirli.fotod@gmail.com Printed by Savion Kirjapaino Oy<br />

Frequency 4 issues per year, ISSN L 1798-7024 (print), ISSN 1799-8670 (online) Cover photo Luleå University & Sisteplant.<br />

3/<strong>2025</strong> maintworld 5


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QUESTIONNAIRE<br />

Compiled: MIA HEISKANEN<br />

What do you think is currently the biggest<br />

challenge in industrial maintenance?<br />

What is the top priority in solving it?<br />

Our biggest challenge by far is attracting<br />

the right people. Specifically mechanics with<br />

a special focus on Electrical, Instrumentation<br />

and Automation.<br />

Jan Teun Koningen<br />

Chairman, EFNMS EHSEC Committee<br />

Manager Site Projects<br />

Most of the top management don’t see<br />

the unleashed potential in maintenance.<br />

Christian Jorgensen Storm<br />

Chairman EFNMS EMAC Committee<br />

Foreman / Inspector / Supervisor<br />

Today’s biggest challenge in industrial maintenance<br />

is turning abundant data into dependable, scalable<br />

decisions—hampered by skills gaps, fragmented systems,<br />

and uneven trust in AI.<br />

The top priority is to build disciplined assetmanagement<br />

governance (aligned with ISO 55000)<br />

and shift decisively to condition-based maintenance<br />

at scale, underpinned by interoperable data architecture.<br />

Pair that with targeted upskilling and humanin-the-loop<br />

AI focused on clear ROI, safety, and reliability<br />

outcomes.<br />

Diego Galar<br />

EFNMS Chairman<br />

Professor of Condition Monitoring<br />

Division of Operation and Maintenance Engineering<br />

Luleå University of Technology<br />

The biggest challenge in European industrial maintenance<br />

is scaling the twin transition on the frontline: a structural<br />

skills shortage/mismatch coincides with fragmented, noninteroperable<br />

industrial data, slowing the diffusion of AIenabled<br />

condition-based and predictive maintenance across<br />

ageing assets. The top priority is to build a pan-European<br />

“skills-and-data infrastructure”: align training and certification<br />

to ISO 550XX:2024 and the EN/TC319 standards<br />

(leveraging EFNMS), and deploy interoperable manufacturing<br />

data spaces under the EU Data Act so asset data can<br />

be shared and made AI-ready. This requires coordinated,<br />

large-scale investment consistent with the Draghi report’s<br />

competitiveness agenda.<br />

Jan Stoker<br />

Chairman EFNMS ETC Committee<br />

Sr. Strategic Advisor Asset & Maintenance Management<br />

Digitalisation and sustainability are reshaping<br />

maintenance and asset management, driving<br />

innovation and new ways of working. The<br />

challenge, and the opportunity, is to integrate<br />

these advances into asset lifecycle management,<br />

share best practices, and embed them into<br />

daily operations. By doing so, we can deliver<br />

real impact and contribute to a stronger, more<br />

sustainable future.<br />

Timo Lehtinen<br />

Executive director<br />

Finnish maintenance society, Promaint<br />

3/<strong>2025</strong> maintworld 7


NEWS<br />

Text: NINA GARLO-MELKAS Photos: TAPIO KATKO’S PHOTO GALLERY<br />

Dispelling Myths<br />

About Water Services<br />

Water is invaluable to life, yet water services remain among the least<br />

understood public infrastructures. A newly published book, Dispelling Myths<br />

About Water Services, explores and debunks widespread misconceptions<br />

that distort public understanding, hinder good governance, and endanger<br />

sustainable management of this vital resource.<br />

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN in Finnish and<br />

now extensively revised in English, this<br />

book draws on global case studies and<br />

expert insights from six continents. It<br />

challenges common assumptions about<br />

water supply and sanitation—the invisible<br />

lifelines of modern life—and urges<br />

readers to view these systems with a<br />

more informed, critical perspective.<br />

In high-income countries, water<br />

flows effortlessly from taps and disappears<br />

down drains, often taken for<br />

granted. Meanwhile, billions worldwide<br />

lack reliable access to safe water<br />

and sanitation, with nearly 1,000<br />

children dying daily from waterborne<br />

diseases. The authors argue that public<br />

complacency, especially in wellserviced<br />

regions, masks the complexity<br />

and critical importance of water infrastructure.<br />

The book emphasizes that much of<br />

this infrastructure is hidden underground,<br />

overlooked until failure occurs.<br />

This invisibility fosters underinvestment<br />

and vulnerability, threatening<br />

public health and societal stability.<br />

“In developed countries, the greatest<br />

challenge is aging infrastructure<br />

and insufficient investment in network<br />

renewal,” says Tapio S. Katko, one of<br />

the book’s key authors.<br />

Tapio S. Katko is a Finnish water services<br />

expert and former UNESCO Chair<br />

(2012–2020), known for his global work<br />

in infrastructure history, environmental<br />

policy, and water governance.<br />

“IN DEVELOPED COUNTRIES,<br />

THE GREATEST CHALLENGE<br />

IS AGING INFRASTRUCTURE<br />

AND INSUFFICIENT<br />

INVESTMENT IN NETWORK<br />

RENEWAL,” SAYS TAPIO S.<br />

KATKO, ONE OF THE KEY<br />

AUTHORS OF THE BOOK.<br />

Why Myths Matter<br />

Water services refer primarily to the<br />

provision and production of clean<br />

water and sanitation—specifically, the<br />

collection, treatment, and disposal<br />

of wastewater. Stormwater management,<br />

while related, is not the central<br />

focus of the book.<br />

Since 2010, the authors—researchers<br />

from Tampere University’s<br />

Capacity Development of Water<br />

and Environmental Services team<br />

(CADWES)—have identified recurring<br />

misconceptions about water services<br />

through lectures, interviews, and public<br />

discussions. These myths range<br />

from misunderstandings about water<br />

sources and treatment technologies to<br />

misconceptions about pricing, ownership,<br />

and governance.<br />

One prominent example, Myth<br />

17, tackles the belief that privatising<br />

water services inherently improves<br />

efficiency and would increase competition.<br />

The book examines the UK’s experience,<br />

where privatisation in 1989<br />

led to soaring customer bills, poor<br />

infrastructure investment, and £64.4<br />

billion in corporate debt by 2023. Despite<br />

rising costs to consumers, companies<br />

paid generous dividends and<br />

avoided significant tax obligations.<br />

8 maintworld 3/<strong>2025</strong>


NEWS<br />

THE AUTHORS ARGUE THAT<br />

PUBLIC COMPLACENCY,<br />

ESPECIALLY IN WELL-<br />

SERVICED REGIONS, MASKS<br />

THE COMPLEXITY AND<br />

CRITICAL IMPORTANCE OF<br />

WATER INFRASTRUCTURE.<br />

Instead of increasing competition,<br />

privatised firms became regional monopolies—an<br />

outcome that challenges<br />

the very rationale behind privatisation<br />

in essential public services.<br />

Linking Water Services to<br />

Global Goals<br />

The book connects water governance<br />

to broader global challenges, particularly<br />

the UN’s Sustainable Development<br />

Goals (SDGs). Reliable water<br />

and sanitation services underpin<br />

SDG 6 and are essential to progress in<br />

health, education, poverty reduction,<br />

and climate resilience and many other<br />

SDGs as well.<br />

The COVID-19 pandemic underscored<br />

the fundamental role of<br />

water in public health. Handwashing<br />

emerged as a frontline defence, yet<br />

billions still lack access to clean water.<br />

The authors stress that investing in<br />

sustainable water systems is crucial<br />

PUBLISHING DATE:<br />

4 SEPTEMBER <strong>2025</strong><br />

• Publisher: IWA Publishing<br />

(International Water<br />

Association)<br />

• Title: Dispelling Myths<br />

About Water Services<br />

• © 5 Sept, <strong>2025</strong> IWA Publishing<br />

• DOI: https://doi.org/<br />

10.2166/9781789064162<br />

not only for routine health and hygiene<br />

but also for navigating future<br />

crises—from pandemics to conflicts<br />

and climate disruptions.<br />

Built on over 120 interdisciplinary<br />

research projects, the book integrates<br />

perspectives from engineering, health<br />

sciences, economics, governance, and<br />

environmental policy. Reflective essays<br />

from professionals around the world<br />

enrich the book’s core messages and<br />

encourage readers to consider diverse<br />

solutions for water service challenges.<br />

An Open-Access Resource and<br />

a Call to Action<br />

By uncovering and explaining 21 core<br />

myths, Dispelling Myths About Water<br />

Services aims to bridge the gap between<br />

scientific knowledge and public understanding.<br />

Published as an open-access<br />

book in both digital and print formats, it<br />

is intended as a practical tool for educators,<br />

decision-makers, and advocates of<br />

sustainable development. It will be available<br />

also as a print on demand version.<br />

– Dispelling Myths About Water<br />

Services is not just about water — it's<br />

a deep dive into how infrastructure<br />

is misunderstood, underfunded, and<br />

poorly managed due to persistent<br />

myths, explains Katko.<br />

– For industrial maintenance professionals,<br />

it provides a mirror: many<br />

of the challenges, misconceptions,<br />

and solutions discussed are directly<br />

transferable to factories, plants, and<br />

technical service operations. It’s a call<br />

to revalue maintenance as a foundation<br />

for resilience, sustainability, and<br />

societal well-being, Katko adds.<br />

3/<strong>2025</strong> maintworld 9


LEADERSHIP<br />

European Industrial Excellence in Focus:<br />

Diego Galar at the<br />

Helm of EFNMS<br />

Text:<br />

NINA GARLO-MELKAS<br />

Photos: LULEÅ UNIVERSITY & SISTEPLANT<br />

When Professor Diego Galar took over as Chair of the European Federation<br />

of National Maintenance Societies (EFNMS) in May, he inherited not only the<br />

leadership of Europe’s umbrella organisation for maintenance but also the<br />

responsibility to redefine its role in a fast-changing industrial landscape.<br />

BASED AT LULEÅ University of Technology<br />

in Sweden, where he serves as<br />

Professor of Condition Monitoring,<br />

Galar is also Director of Technology<br />

and Research at Madrid-based industrial<br />

solutions company, Sisteplant.<br />

This dual role keeps him grounded in<br />

both academia and real-world industrial<br />

challenges.<br />

In his new role as Chair of EFNMS,<br />

Galar is committed to advancing a progressive<br />

vision that<br />

ensures EFNMS<br />

remains a strong<br />

and influential<br />

representative of<br />

European maintenance<br />

interests<br />

both within the European<br />

Union and<br />

internationally.<br />

As the Galar<br />

puts it:<br />

“Our mission is<br />

not only to promote excellence in<br />

maintenance but to embed it firmly<br />

within the broader discipline of asset<br />

management—ensuring that European<br />

industry remains globally competitive,<br />

technologically advanced, and sustainably<br />

resilient.”<br />

At its core, EFNMS exists to connect<br />

and amplify expertise: “So that<br />

we speak with one coherent European<br />

voice.” “This is critical in international<br />

AT ITS CORE, EFNMS EXISTS<br />

TO CONNECT AND AMPLIFY<br />

EXPERTISE: “SO THAT WE<br />

SPEAK WITH ONE COHERENT<br />

EUROPEAN VOICE.”<br />

forums, whether we are shaping global<br />

standards, influencing EU policy, or defining<br />

the industrial research agenda.”<br />

Painting the Future of<br />

Industrial Maintenance<br />

Galar anticipates that the European<br />

maintenance industry will rapidly shift<br />

from a reactive, operational task to a<br />

proactive, strategic discipline, supporting<br />

the entire value lifecycle of industrial<br />

assets.<br />

“In this future,<br />

maintenance is defined<br />

not by breakdowns<br />

or scheduled<br />

checks, but<br />

by an ‘intelligence<br />

layer’ that keeps<br />

equipment continuously<br />

healthy and<br />

high performing.<br />

Emerging technologies<br />

are driving<br />

this shift,” Galar explains.<br />

Artificial Intelligence (AI), advanced<br />

analytics, and predictive algorithms<br />

will play an increasingly significant<br />

role in identifying problems early, preventing<br />

failures, and enhancing planning<br />

and decision-making. Meanwhile,<br />

robotics—from drones to tracked<br />

crawlers—will increasingly operate in<br />

hazardous or inaccessible areas, transmitting<br />

real-time data to digital twins<br />

10 maintworld 3/<strong>2025</strong>


LEADERSHIP<br />

that replicate physical assets. Combined<br />

with AI, these twins will predict<br />

maintenance needs, support repairor-replace<br />

decisions, and optimise<br />

resources, enabling a truly conditionbased,<br />

predictive approach.<br />

While the efficiency gains from<br />

such technological developments can<br />

be significant, Galar stresses that the<br />

human factor must remain a priority.<br />

“Technology must go hand in hand<br />

with human capability,” he emphasises.<br />

“We need skilled professionals<br />

to interpret AI outputs, validate digital<br />

twin predictions, and manage robotic<br />

systems within an asset management<br />

strategy that balances risk, cost, and asset<br />

lifespan.”<br />

GALAR STRESSES THAT<br />

MACHINES CAN FIND<br />

ISSUES, BUT HUMANS<br />

MAKE THE FINAL CALL.<br />

The professor underscores the<br />

importance of human expertise in<br />

the face of technological progress. He<br />

warns that an overreliance on automation<br />

could lead to a loss of fundamental<br />

knowledge about how machines work.<br />

For him, the solution lies in Industry<br />

5.0, a phase where people remain at the<br />

center and technology supports rather<br />

than replaces them.<br />

“In Industry 5.0, technology is a<br />

partner, not a substitute,” Galar explains.<br />

Robotics will take on tasks<br />

that are risky, physically demanding,<br />

or repetitive—such as inspecting tall<br />

structures, navigating pipelines, or performing<br />

precision work in hazardous<br />

settings—while AI analyses sensor data<br />

to predict failures earlier than before.<br />

Galar stresses that machines can<br />

find issues, but humans make the final<br />

call. “AI might detect a gearbox problem,<br />

but it’s the engineer who must<br />

consider the bigger picture, safety, and<br />

long-term plans before deciding what<br />

to do. For EFNMS, this means putting<br />

people first: using AI and robotics to<br />

provide better tools, richer data, and<br />

safer work environments while respecting<br />

human judgment.”<br />

3/<strong>2025</strong> maintworld 11


LEADERSHIP<br />

Diego Galar works at Luleå University as a Professor of Operation, Maintenance and Acoustics at the Department of Civil, Environmental<br />

and Natural Resources Engineering.<br />

“The future isn’t about replacing<br />

workers, but about raising their roles—<br />

turning technicians into system designers,<br />

supervisors into data analysts,<br />

and engineers into strategic managers.<br />

The best maintenance teams will be<br />

those that combine human insight with<br />

technological precision.”<br />

Building the Foundations<br />

of Industry 5.0<br />

Translating the promise of Industry 5.0<br />

into reality requires more than technology<br />

and ambition, Galar reminds.<br />

“It demands robust frameworks,<br />

credible research, and supportive policy<br />

to ensure AI, robotics, and digital<br />

twins are deployed safely, effectively,<br />

and with human expertise at the core.”<br />

Galar highlights that under his<br />

leadership, EFNMS will focus on three<br />

interconnected pillars – standards,<br />

research, and policy. This, he says, will<br />

help steer the maintenance profession<br />

through this transformation.<br />

“Standardisation is not just technical,”<br />

Galar explains. “It ensures innovations<br />

like AI-driven diagnostics or<br />

robotic inspections are implemented<br />

safely, interoperably, and in ways that<br />

maximise value across sectors.”<br />

On the research front, EFNMS<br />

will strengthen its role as a bridge<br />

between academia and industry, ensuring<br />

research is relevant, applied,<br />

and scalable to help tackle Europe’s<br />

most urgent maintenance challenges.<br />

Current priorities include<br />

AI prognostics, hazardous-environment<br />

robotics, sustainable lifecycle<br />

management, and even metaversebased<br />

training. “Our role is to turn<br />

academic insight into operational<br />

best practice,” Galar notes.<br />

The professor emphasises EFNMS's<br />

role in advocating for maintenance as<br />

a strategic enabler. The organisation<br />

continues to push for recognition of<br />

maintenance's importance, particularly<br />

in the context of the European Green<br />

Deal, the circular economy, and competitiveness<br />

agendas.<br />

“By the end of my term, I want EFNMS to<br />

be recognised not only as Europe’s maintenance<br />

authority but also as a global thought<br />

leader, shaping how assets are managed,<br />

maintained, and valued,” Galar says.<br />

“This means pushing for frameworks<br />

that incentivise investment in condition-based<br />

maintenance, digitalisation,<br />

and workforce development – ensuring<br />

Europe leads rather than follows in the<br />

next industrial revolution.”<br />

12 maintworld 3/<strong>2025</strong>


LEADERSHIP<br />

Empowering the Next<br />

Generation<br />

With discussions about work shortages<br />

in many technical fields, including maintenance,<br />

engaging young talent is not just<br />

a strategic priority but a crucial necessity<br />

for maintaining Europe's leadership in<br />

industrial innovation. The active involvement<br />

of young professionals is key to<br />

shaping the future of maintenance and<br />

ensuring its continued relevance in the<br />

rapidly evolving industrial landscape.<br />

“We need clear pathways for students,<br />

graduates, and early-career<br />

engineers to connect with our network,<br />

contribute to projects, join working<br />

groups, and see the scale of opportunities<br />

available,” Galar says,<br />

He adds that cross-border collaboration<br />

is not just essential, but also a<br />

cornerstone of EFNMS's approach.<br />

“Maintenance challenges—from<br />

AI-driven diagnostics to robotics in<br />

hazardous environments and sustainable<br />

lifecycle management—are global.<br />

Involving young professionals in multinational<br />

teams fosters knowledge<br />

transfer and exposes them to diverse<br />

approaches and innovations.”<br />

ON THE RESEARCH<br />

FRONT, EFNMS WILL<br />

STRENGTHEN ITS ROLE<br />

AS A BRIDGE BETWEEN<br />

ACADEMIA AND INDUSTRY,<br />

ENSURING RESEARCH<br />

IS RELEVANT, APPLIED,<br />

AND SCALABLE TO HELP<br />

TACKLE EUROPE’S MOST<br />

URGENT MAINTENANCE<br />

CHALLENGES.<br />

Galar notes that EFNMS’s extensive<br />

network enables exchanges, mentorship<br />

programmes pairing emerging<br />

talent with seasoned experts, and<br />

participation in EU-funded research.<br />

“A young engineer in Portugal could<br />

work alongside a robotics specialist<br />

in Finland and a digital twin expert<br />

in Germany—accelerating innovation<br />

and ensuring continuity.”<br />

Galar notes that nurturing talent<br />

is not just about technical skills, but<br />

also about building curiosity, adaptability,<br />

and systems thinking—qualities<br />

essential for integrating asset<br />

management with the potential of<br />

new technologies.<br />

“We have to meet young professionals<br />

where they are—online, connected,<br />

and ready to collaborate in real time.<br />

And we must cultivate not just technical<br />

skills, but curiosity, adaptability,<br />

and systems thinking.”<br />

If the EFNMS Chair<br />

Had One Message<br />

When asked what single message he<br />

would deliver to industry leaders, policymakers,<br />

and young professionals,<br />

Galar doesn’t hesitate:<br />

“If I had to distil my message into<br />

one call to action, it would be this:<br />

treat maintenance not as a cost to be<br />

contained, but as a strategic investment<br />

in the future of your assets, your<br />

organisation, and your people.”<br />

MAINTWORLD: EUROPE’S VOICE IN MAINTENANCE & ASSET MANAGEMENT<br />

<strong>Maintworld</strong> magazine bridges research,<br />

industry, and policy—translating complex<br />

developments, such as AI-driven predictive<br />

maintenance or sustainability-focused asset<br />

strategies, into practical insights.<br />

“Maintenance is the invisible backbone<br />

of industry,” says EFNMS Chair<br />

Diego Galar. “When maintenace<br />

work is performed well, no one<br />

notices. When it’s neglected,<br />

it suddenly becomes<br />

the centre of attention –<br />

usually for the wrong<br />

reasons.”<br />

Galar emphasises<br />

that stronger<br />

visibility is crucial,<br />

as industrial media<br />

effectively connects<br />

asset reliability to<br />

profitability, safety,<br />

and sustainability.<br />

<strong>Maintworld</strong>,<br />

published quarterly and read worldwide,<br />

delivers features, case studies, and<br />

interviews spanning energy, transport,<br />

manufacturing, and more—sharing best<br />

practices across borders.<br />

“My goal is to spark dialogue,<br />

not just share ideas,” he adds.<br />

“This exchange is the heart<br />

of a strong professional<br />

community, and <strong>Maintworld</strong><br />

is the ideal place for it.”<br />

“<strong>Maintworld</strong> is more<br />

than a media partner –<br />

it’s a strategic ally,” Galar<br />

says. “What works in one<br />

country can be adapted in<br />

another.” As digitalisation<br />

and decarbonisation<br />

reshape industry, the<br />

magazine’s role grows—<br />

producing thematic reports,<br />

benchmarking, and expanding<br />

into interactive formats.<br />

3/<strong>2025</strong> maintworld 13


LEADERSHIP<br />

To industry leaders, Galar urges<br />

placing maintenance and asset management<br />

at the heart of strategy. The<br />

era of reactive, invisible maintenance<br />

is over. Today, it is a data-rich, technology-driven,<br />

innovation-led discipline.<br />

AI, robotics, digital twins, and condition-based<br />

maintenance are no longer<br />

emerging ideas—they are operational<br />

realities that, when used strategically,<br />

deliver measurable gains in performance,<br />

safety, and sustainability. Those<br />

who embrace this shift will lead; those<br />

who ignore it will fall behind.<br />

To policymakers, Galar calls for recognising<br />

maintenance as a key enabler<br />

of their agendas. The European Green<br />

Deal, the circular economy, and industrial<br />

decarbonisation all depend on assets<br />

operating efficiently for as long as possible,<br />

with minimal waste and maximum<br />

safety. Policies that incentivise proactive<br />

maintenance, accelerate the adoption<br />

of advanced technologies, and invest in<br />

workforce skills will not only strengthen<br />

industries but also drive Europe’s environmental<br />

and social progress, he notes.<br />

And to young professionals, Galar’s<br />

message is one of opportunity and purpose.<br />

Maintenance and asset management<br />

offer a career path that is intellectually<br />

challenging, technologically<br />

advanced, and socially relevant.<br />

“This is the field where you can<br />

work with robotics one day, AI algorithms<br />

the next, and sustainability<br />

strategies the day after. You will be<br />

solving real problems that keep factories<br />

running, infrastructure safe, and<br />

societies functioning.”<br />

The future of maintenance will be<br />

integrated, autonomous, and intelligent,<br />

Galar continues.<br />

“If we work together—industry, academia,<br />

policymakers, and professionals<br />

across borders—we will not only keep<br />

our assets in operation; we will ensure<br />

that they operate at their best, delivering<br />

value to both business and society<br />

for decades to come.”<br />

As a regular contributor to <strong>Maintworld</strong><br />

magazine, the EFNMS Chair<br />

also highlights the role of industrial<br />

media in driving this shift. By reporting<br />

on innovations, sharing best practices,<br />

and amplifying success stories, such<br />

media can change perceptions—moving<br />

maintenance from the background<br />

to the centre of strategic conversations<br />

on performance, sustainability, and<br />

competitiveness, Galar concludes.<br />

STANDARDISATION AND EU POLICY INFLUENCE:<br />

HOW EFNMS MAKES A DIFFERENCE<br />

EFNMS plays a crucial role in shaping European policies on maintenance, sustainability,<br />

and industrial competitiveness. Rather than just observing, it works<br />

closely with policymakers, offering practical, trusted advice based on real-world<br />

experience in maintenance and asset management.<br />

A significant part of EFNMS’s impact stems from its collaboration with standardisation<br />

groups, including CEN, ISO, and IEC. Here, it helps create clear rules<br />

for new technologies, such as AI, digital twins, and robotics, used in challenging<br />

environments. As EFNMS Chair Diego Galar says, “standards act as the bridge<br />

between technical innovation and regulatory acceptance.”<br />

These standards facilitate the safe and confident adoption of new technologies<br />

across European industries.<br />

EFNMS also engages directly with European institutions to demonstrate that<br />

effective maintenance is crucial to key initiatives such as the European Green<br />

Deal and the EU’s Industrial Strategy. They explain how smart maintenance<br />

reduces waste, digital tools improve efficiency, and robotics make work safer —<br />

all of which help Europe meet its environmental and economic goals.<br />

EFNMS also guides the types of research that should receive funding, focusing<br />

on smart assets that can monitor themselves, advanced robotics, AI for predicting<br />

failures, designing for reuse, and cybersecurity for connected systems.<br />

Most importantly, EFNMS supports its advice with real-world examples. As<br />

Galar says: “Real-world results speak more convincingly to policymakers than<br />

theoretical arguments, showing them that well-managed assets are not only more<br />

efficient but also more sustainable and more resilient.” By highlighting successful<br />

projects, EFNMS is proving that maintenance is vital for Europe’s future green<br />

and digital progress.<br />

The European Federation of National Maintenance Societies (EFNMS) is the<br />

leading umbrella organisation for maintenance and asset management across<br />

Europe, representing 24 national societies. More than just a thought leader,<br />

EFNMS backs its advice with real-world success stories. As Chair, Diego Galar<br />

notes: “Real-world results speak more convincingly to policymakers than theoretical<br />

arguments.” By showcasing proven projects, EFNMS demonstrates how wellmanaged<br />

assets drive efficiency, sustainability, and resilience—making maintenance<br />

a cornerstone of Europe’s green and digital transformation.<br />

14 maintworld 3/<strong>2025</strong>


REGULATION<br />

Text: MIA HEISKANEN Photos: ABB<br />

Machinery Regulation 2027:<br />

The Clock is Ticking for Safety,<br />

Compliance and Competitive Edge<br />

The new EU Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 takes full effect on January 20,<br />

2027, replacing the long-standing Machinery Directive. It’s not just an update—it’s a<br />

whole new rulebook. Are you ready to play by it?<br />

THE OLD MACHINERY Directive<br />

(2006/42/EC) has governed machine<br />

safety and compliance for over two<br />

decades, but its time is up. In its place<br />

comes the Machinery Regulation<br />

(EU) 2023/1230, bringing changes that<br />

every OEM, automation specialist, and<br />

maintenance professional in the EU—or<br />

selling into the EU—must understand.<br />

And this time, there are no opt-outs,<br />

no delays, no loopholes: unlike a directive,<br />

a regulation applies directly and<br />

uniformly across all EU Member States.<br />

Translation: you either comply—or<br />

you’re out.<br />

ABB’s recent webinar, led by standardisation<br />

and certification specialist Anette<br />

Wester-Odbratt and market developer<br />

Andree Hoffmann, served up a timely<br />

breakdown of what’s coming. Here’s what<br />

Mainworld readers need to know—and do.<br />

The regulation’s scope is broader<br />

and tougher than ever. It now formally<br />

includes “quasi-machinery”, digital<br />

safety components (including software),<br />

partly completed machinery, and<br />

introduces new categories like related<br />

products (e.g., sensors, slings, chains).<br />

One of the most significant gamechangers<br />

is mandatory third-party<br />

“ARE YOU READY?”<br />

CHECKLIST FOR<br />

MANUFACTURERS:<br />

Reviewed machine portfolio<br />

for affected products<br />

Identified if Annex I applies<br />

Updated CE mark labeling<br />

Shifted to digital<br />

documentation<br />

Prepared cybersecurity<br />

protections<br />

Established change-log<br />

tracking for software<br />

16 maintworld 3/<strong>2025</strong>


REGULATION<br />

certification for six types of machinery<br />

listed in Annex I, especially those with<br />

self-evolving behavior or AI-driven<br />

functions. For the first time, cyber risks<br />

and software integrity are part of the<br />

safety equation.<br />

And this is not theoretical. From 2027<br />

onwards, any new machinery placed on<br />

the EU market must meet these standards.<br />

Practically it means, if your machine<br />

isn’t compliant, it isn’t sellable.<br />

Even the documentation game<br />

has changed. Manufacturers can now<br />

provide digital-only instructions, but<br />

customers can still request printed<br />

manuals at the time of purchase. CE<br />

markings also get a digital upgrade—<br />

products certified by a notified body<br />

must now include that body’s ID number<br />

next to the CE mark. QR codes are<br />

encouraged to streamline access to declarations<br />

of conformity, instructions,<br />

and technical files.<br />

The regulation also raises the bar<br />

for machine software updates, which<br />

now require detailed logging of safetyrelevant<br />

changes—retained for five<br />

years and accessible by authorities. That<br />

means more traceability and less room<br />

for error—or excuses—when accidents<br />

happen.<br />

Then there’s "substantial modification",<br />

a term now legally defined. If a<br />

machine is modified post-market in a<br />

way not planned by the original manufacturer—and<br />

that change introduces<br />

new hazards—it must be recertified<br />

from scratch. Think of it as a forced reset<br />

button on your compliance obligations.<br />

One standout element in the new<br />

regulation is its emphasis on cybersecurity<br />

and communication integrity.<br />

Machines must now withstand not only<br />

physical stress but also intentional digital<br />

interference—in line with the EU’s<br />

Cybersecurity Act. A new standard, EN<br />

50742, is in development to guide manufacturers<br />

through these challenges.<br />

Another critical evolution:<br />

human-machine collaboration is addressed<br />

with stricter rules. From ergonomic<br />

design to minimizing psychological<br />

stress when working near collaborative<br />

robots, the regulation is catching up<br />

with how automation functions today.<br />

As for harmonized standards, over<br />

850 are in the process of being revised or<br />

transferred to align with the new regulation.<br />

For machines not covered by an<br />

updated harmonized standard, a full notified<br />

body certification will be required.<br />

TIMELINE: KEY DATES TO WATCH<br />

• July 19, 2023 – Machinery Regulation enters into force<br />

• NOW – Transition period (voluntary preparations, documentation updates,<br />

training)<br />

• January 20, 2027 – Machinery Regulation fully replaces Machinery Directive<br />

• After Jan 20, 2027 – All new machinery must be compliant to be marketable<br />

in the EU<br />

MUST-KNOW CHANGES IN MACHINERY REGULATION 2023/1230<br />

• Applies from: January 20, 2027<br />

• Direct replacement for: Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC<br />

• Mandatory third-party certification: For six machine types (incl. AI-enabled)<br />

• New requirements on: Cybersecurity, corruption protection, remote/autonomous<br />

machines<br />

• Digital instructions allowed: But printable copies must be supplied on request<br />

• Software updates: Must be logged and traceable for 5 years<br />

• New term: “Substantial modification” may trigger full recertification<br />

• Scope widened: Includes digital safety components, software, quasi-machinery<br />

• New harmonized standard incoming: EN 50742 for corruption protection<br />

WHERE SHOULD COMPANIES START?<br />

• Audit your machinery portfolio: Which products fall under new rules?<br />

• Engage your notified body: For those in Annex I, certification isn't optional.<br />

• Digital infrastructure check: Are your instructions, labels, declarations QR-ready?<br />

• Cyber-hardening your systems: Communication interfaces must be corruption-proof.<br />

• Documentation and version control: Set up update tracking and change logs now.<br />

REGULATION ALSO<br />

RAISES THE BAR FOR<br />

MACHINE SOFTWARE<br />

UPDATES.<br />

To sum it up, the EU Machinery<br />

Regulation (2023/1230) marks a shift<br />

in how machines are certified, documented,<br />

and maintained across the continent.<br />

It’s not a bureaucratic reshuffle—<br />

it’s a digital, legal, and safety revolution.<br />

ABB’s experts made one thing clear:<br />

2027 is not far away. If you're waiting<br />

until then to prepare, you’ve already<br />

waited too long. This isn’t just about<br />

ticking a regulatory box. It’s about<br />

staying competitive in an industrial<br />

world increasingly shaped by digitalization,<br />

AI, and traceable accountability.<br />

Companies that prepare now won’t<br />

just be compliant—they’ll be ahead of<br />

the curve.<br />

3/<strong>2025</strong> maintworld 17


MAINTENANCE SOCIETY<br />

Text: NINA GARLO-MELKAS Photos: NORSK FÖRENING FOR VEDLIKEHOLD<br />

From Cost to Value: How Norway<br />

is Rethinking Maintenance<br />

The Norwegian Maintenance Association (Norsk Förening for Vedlikehold, NFV) plays<br />

an increasingly vital role in promoting best practices, competence development, and<br />

strategic thinking across Norway's maintenance sector. With almost 200 corporate<br />

and individual members, the association focuses on advancing the perception of<br />

maintenance as a value-generating activity, rather than a cost centre.<br />

FAHAD REHMAN, the current head of<br />

the NFV association, is also responsible<br />

for maintenance operations at Elkem, a<br />

major Norwegian industrial company.<br />

He has been on the association's board<br />

for four years and is now serving his<br />

third year as chairman.<br />

"The mission of our association is to<br />

help our members promote and structure<br />

maintenance in a way that shows it creates<br />

value," Rehman explains.<br />

"We want to help them explain to management<br />

that maintenance is not just an<br />

expense, but a strategic investment for the<br />

future."<br />

Activities and Services<br />

The Norwegian Maintenance Association<br />

provides a range of services and events specifically<br />

designed to meet the needs of its<br />

members. These include quarterly online<br />

meetings that are open and accessible to<br />

all members, as well as in-person site visits<br />

and networking events that encourage peer<br />

learning and industry collaboration. In addition,<br />

the association organises a range of<br />

courses and conferences, with the flagship<br />

programme being the World Class Maintenance<br />

(WCM) certification.<br />

Designed to be practical and accessible,<br />

the WCM programme is based on<br />

well-established European best practices<br />

in maintenance and asset management.<br />

It has recently been modernised<br />

and partially digitised to meet the needs<br />

of today's professionals better. One of<br />

the key improvements is increased flexibility—participants<br />

can now choose<br />

to complete individual modules, such<br />

as those focused on key performance<br />

indicators (KPIs) or reliability, without<br />

having to commit to the full certification<br />

programme from the outset.<br />

18 maintworld 3/<strong>2025</strong><br />

"We want our courses to be accessible.<br />

That's why we now offer individual<br />

modules as well as full programmes," says<br />

Rehman.<br />

Addressing Workforce and<br />

Competency Gaps<br />

A challenge faced across the Norwegian<br />

maintenance sector is the recruitment and<br />

development of skilled professionals. Like<br />

many countries, Norway is struggling to<br />

attract younger workers to industrial and<br />

technical roles.<br />

"It's not easy to find the right competence<br />

anywhere right now, including<br />

in Norway. Attracting young talent to<br />

the maintenance industry is a challenge,<br />

which is why we focus on offering practical,<br />

low-threshold courses and certifications<br />

to upskill people already in the field<br />

and make the industry more accessible,"<br />

Rehman explains.


MAINTENANCE SOCIETY<br />

Digitisation and predictive maintenance<br />

are seen as key to attracting younger<br />

professionals to the industry. However,<br />

Rehman notes that these technologies<br />

require a solid operational foundation to<br />

be effective—and many businesses, particularly<br />

smaller ones, are not yet fully prepared<br />

to implement them successfully.<br />

"You need a competent organisation and<br />

well-established processes in place before<br />

you can truly capitalise on investments in<br />

predictive maintenance," he explains.<br />

"I have seen first-hand cases in which<br />

millions were spent on predictive systems<br />

without any return on investment. It led to<br />

even more business disruptions—systems<br />

would issue alerts, but no one knew how<br />

to interpret them. You'd stop operations,<br />

send someone to investigate, and still not<br />

understand what was wrong."<br />

Rehman stresses that the transition<br />

from preventive to predictive maintenance<br />

cannot be rushed. Companies must<br />

first ensure that the fundamentals—such<br />

as structured preventive maintenance<br />

routines and adequate organisational capacity—are<br />

entirely in place.<br />

"That's the catch. Many companies still<br />

lack the basics. Predictive maintenance<br />

sounds appealing, but without the right<br />

infrastructure and organisation, it simply<br />

won't deliver the expected benefits."<br />

Strategy and Future<br />

Development<br />

The NFV association's strategic focus in<br />

recent years has prioritised member value.<br />

Approximately 70% of the organisation's<br />

efforts have gone into improving and refining<br />

existing services, while the remaining<br />

30% has supported development of<br />

new offerings, Rehman explains.<br />

Among the new initiatives is an upcoming<br />

asset management programme, designed<br />

with the same modular approach as<br />

the World Class Maintenance programme.<br />

"We're also developing smaller, topicspecific<br />

courses that people can choose<br />

from, depending on their needs. That<br />

makes our training more flexible and relevant."<br />

The State of Maintenance<br />

in Norway<br />

According to Rehman, key focus areas<br />

in the Norwegian industry today include<br />

safety, profitability, and environmental<br />

responsibility.<br />

"Safety is a top priority. Many companies<br />

run their internal safety programmes.<br />

Profitability and environmental impact<br />

follow closely."<br />

Board members from left to right: Jan Erik Salomonsen, MainTech AS, Fahad Rehman,<br />

Elkem ASA, Nils Martin Rugsveen, Equinor ASA, Svein Daae, AMOF-Fjell Process<br />

Technology AS, Mina Bjerke, Elkem ASA, Janecke Pemmer, PWC<br />

NORWEGIAN MAINTENANCE<br />

ASSOCIATION – KEY FACTS<br />

• Name: Norsk Förening for Vedlikehold<br />

(Norwegian Maintenance<br />

Association)<br />

• Leader: Fahad Rehman (Head<br />

of Maintenance, Elkem)<br />

• Members: Approx. 200 (companies<br />

and individuals)<br />

• Services: Member meetings,<br />

courses, conferences, certifications<br />

• Flagship programme: World<br />

Class Maintenance (with modular<br />

format)<br />

• Commercial partner: Quality<br />

Norway (for tailored internal<br />

training)<br />

• Website: www.qualitynorway.no<br />

This focus is reflected in both operational<br />

practices and strategic decision-making.<br />

Companies are increasingly expected to<br />

demonstrate how their maintenance strategies<br />

support emissions reduction, regulatory<br />

compliance, and responsible resource<br />

use. In many cases, maintenance teams are<br />

directly involved in sustainability efforts,<br />

such as energy efficiency improvements<br />

and equipment lifecycle management.<br />

Rehman says that the association collaborates<br />

with Quality Norway, a commercial<br />

training provider jointly owned by the association<br />

and two other organisations. Quality<br />

Norway delivers tailor-made internal<br />

training programmes for companies upon<br />

request, often focusing on topics such as<br />

safety management, condition monitoring,<br />

and reliability-centred maintenance.<br />

"Some companies have asked for assistance<br />

in developing their internal programmes,<br />

and our partnership with Quality<br />

Norway enables us to support them<br />

with customised content and delivery,"<br />

Rehman notes.<br />

External Cooperation and<br />

Industry Trends<br />

Rehman continues that although the association<br />

is a founding member of the European<br />

Federation of National Maintenance<br />

Societies (EFNMS), active cross-border<br />

collaboration has not been a top priority in<br />

recent years.<br />

"We currently have limited structured<br />

cooperation with other national associations.<br />

Following the COVID-19 pandemic<br />

and the war in Ukraine, the industry has<br />

become increasingly volatile. We are<br />

focusing on strengthening our internal offerings<br />

before expanding externally."<br />

Post-pandemic changes have also altered<br />

how the association delivers value to<br />

its members. Online participation has increased,<br />

while physical course attendance<br />

has become more unpredictable.<br />

"Virtual meetings are easier to join—<br />

but also easier to leave. We are adapting to<br />

that shift and rethinking how we structure<br />

our events."<br />

With a renewed focus on modular<br />

education, digital access, and member<br />

support, the Norwegian Maintenance Association<br />

is helping to modernise industry<br />

understanding of maintenance as a driver<br />

of long-term value.<br />

Fahad Rehman believes that his dual<br />

role—as association head and corporate<br />

maintenance leader—creates synergies.<br />

"It gives me insight into both the challenges<br />

and the opportunities in the industry.<br />

That knowledge helps us steer the<br />

association in a direction that benefits our<br />

members."<br />

3/<strong>2025</strong> maintworld 19


EDUCATION<br />

Text: MIA HEISKANEN Photo: SHUTTERSTOCK<br />

Human-Centric<br />

Maintenance for<br />

Industry 5.0<br />

For Jan Stoker, Researcher & Strategic<br />

Advisor for Asset & Maintenance<br />

Management, the transition from Industry<br />

4.0 to Industry 5.0 marks a fundamental<br />

shift: “Technology is no longer the goal—it’s<br />

the tool that helps us create sustainable,<br />

resilient, and human-centric value.”<br />

JAN STOKER<br />

is Strategic Advisor for Asset & Maintenance<br />

Management at the Ministry of<br />

Infrastructure and Water Management in<br />

the Netherlands. He is founder of SSAMM<br />

and SSAMM Academy, Visiting Fellow at<br />

Cranfield University (UK), Chair of the<br />

European Training Committee of EFNMS,<br />

and active in the EU Community of Practice<br />

on Industry 5.0. With more than 30 years’ experience, he<br />

combines practical expertise with academic teaching and is a<br />

recognised authority on ISO 55000:2024, RCM, OEE, and sustainable<br />

asset management.<br />

“Step into any maintenance department and you’ll see both”,<br />

Stoker says. “Younger professionals (the digital natives) navigate<br />

dashboards and AR interfaces with ease, while their more experienced<br />

colleagues (the digital immigrants) recognize subtle signs<br />

in equipment behaviour that no algorithm can yet interpret. The<br />

challenge is not to replace one with the other, but to combine<br />

them. That mix is our strength.”<br />

This intergenerational blend, Stoker emphasizes, is fundamental<br />

to building resilience in Industry 5.0. As he explains in his recent<br />

insights on generational dynamics, Digital Natives—Millennials<br />

and Gen Z who grew up with data, smart technologies, and<br />

AI collaboration—bring agility and digital fluency to maintenance<br />

operations. Meanwhile, Digital Immigrants—Baby Boomers and<br />

Generation X who witnessed the evolution from CMMS to riskbased<br />

maintenance and ISO 55000 implementation—contribute<br />

deep judgment, tacit knowledge, and process mastery.<br />

"These two digital cultures view Asset & Maintenance Management<br />

through very different lenses," Stoker notes. "Where Digital<br />

Immigrants value structured processes, standards, and deep<br />

experience, Digital Natives emphasize agility, connectivity, and<br />

continuous innovation. Both perspectives are valid—but too often,<br />

they operate in parallel rather than in synergy."<br />

The key, according to Stoker, lies in creating frameworks that<br />

connect these generational approaches. His Asset & Maintenance<br />

Management Lemniscate and SSAMM Maintenance Landscape<br />

Model provide what he calls "a shared language, rooted in standards,<br />

where both experience and innovation can thrive."<br />

"It's not about speed alone," he adds. "It's about combining perspectives<br />

to ensure long-term value. In Industry 5.0, where humancentric,<br />

resilient, sustainable, and intelligent systems converge, bridging<br />

these digital mindsets isn't optional—it's essential."<br />

New roles are emerging as well. One is the “information steward,”<br />

who guarantees the accuracy and accessibility of operational<br />

data. The other is the “AI model trainer,” who ensures that intelligent<br />

systems align with international frameworks such as ISO<br />

55000:2024 and CEN/TC 319. “When these two roles work in harmony,<br />

AI stops being a mysterious black box and becomes a trustworthy<br />

partner,” Stoker explains. “That’s when digitalisation truly<br />

serves the human, not the other way around.”<br />

Education becomes the bridge to this future. Training programmes<br />

must remain rooted in Reliability-Centred Maintenance,<br />

FMEA, and condition-based maintenance, yet be modular and<br />

adaptive enough to integrate new technologies in the Maintenance<br />

5.0. “Immersive learning is essential,” he notes. “Federated twins<br />

and VR simulations allow people to practise real-world complexity<br />

without real-world risk.” Stoker also predicts that scenario-based<br />

“disruption drills” will become more common, preparing professionals<br />

to adapt when supply chains break down or extreme weather<br />

interrupts operations.<br />

International certification is another corner stone. EFNMS<br />

qualifications such as the European Maintenance Manager (EMM)<br />

and European Maintenance Technician (EMT) provide Europewide<br />

recognition, while WPiAM’s CAMA and Global Certification<br />

Scheme ensure global mobility. “Certification gives us a shared<br />

language of competence,” he says. “It allows professionals to move<br />

20 maintworld 3/<strong>2025</strong>


across borders with credibility and organisations to know exactly<br />

what skills they are hiring.”<br />

But competence alone is not enough. Diversity is equally critical.<br />

“We cannot afford to leave talent untapped,” Stoker argues.<br />

Gender balance widens the pool, but neurodiversity brings unique<br />

capabilities. He points out that “many neurodiverse professionals<br />

excel at pattern recognition, lateral thinking, and creative<br />

problem-solving. These are exactly the skills needed for Industry<br />

5.0, where challenges are complex and non-linear.”<br />

Some countries are already leading the way. Finland integrates<br />

human-centric digitalisation and neurodiverse inclusion into its<br />

education system. Germany has modernised its dual apprenticeship<br />

model to include AI and sustainability. The Netherlands embeds<br />

ISO and EN standards directly into higher education, while<br />

Sweden actively recruits underrepresented groups into engineering<br />

programmes. “These are best practices Europe should share<br />

more widely,” Stoker notes. “Cross-border collaboration ensures<br />

no country is left behind.”<br />

Looking ahead, Stoker envisions 2035 as a milestone. By<br />

then, he believes maintenance education will have matured into<br />

a stable yet agile learning ecosystem. “Its stability will come from<br />

timeless standards and proven methodologies,” he says. “Its agility<br />

will come from modular design that adapts as technology<br />

changes. Professionals will follow two clear but complementary<br />

paths—information stewards and AI model trainers—working in<br />

deliberately mixed teams of digital natives, digital immigrants, and<br />

neurodiverse thinkers.”<br />

And above all, education will no longer be seen as a phase of<br />

professional life, but as an ongoing ecosystem shaping industrial<br />

culture itself. “By 2035, education won’t just prepare people for<br />

jobs,” Stoker concludes. “It will shape a culture where technical<br />

excellence, sustainability, resilience, and human-centric values<br />

are inseparable.”<br />

GIS<br />

Next<br />

Generation<br />

EAM<br />

BIM<br />

PdM<br />

AI<br />

Mobile<br />

APM<br />

AIP<br />

BI<br />

PPM<br />

TWO EMERGING ROLES<br />

Information Steward: Maintains data accuracy and accessibility,<br />

ensuring that decisions are based on trustworthy<br />

information.<br />

AI Model Trainer: Develops and validates AI systems so<br />

that they follow internationally recognised standards.<br />

Together, these roles make sure AI is a transparent partner<br />

in decision-making — not an uncontrollable black box.<br />

INSIGHT – HOW TO FUTURE-PROOF TRAINING<br />

Stoker highlights three essentials for training programmes<br />

in the Industry 5.0 era:<br />

• Scenario-based learning: Use digital twins and AR/VR<br />

to simulate real-world disruption.<br />

• Modular design: Allow rapid updates when new tools<br />

or standards emerge.<br />

• Certification pathways: Ensure that skills are recognised<br />

beyond borders (EFNMS & WPiAM).<br />

“The goal is not just to keep up with change, but to<br />

design training that thrives on change,” Stoker says.<br />

PERSPECTIVE – DIVERSITY AS A STRATEGIC ASSET<br />

Diversity is more than fairness — it’s a resilience strategy.<br />

• Generational mix: Digital natives bring agility, digital<br />

immigrants bring tacit wisdom.<br />

• Neurodiversity: Many excel in pattern recognition and<br />

unconventional problem-solving.<br />

• Gender balance: Expands the talent pool and widens<br />

perspectives.<br />

“Complex challenges need complex thinking,” Stoker<br />

notes. “Diversity is how we future-proof our teams.”<br />

Many companies use their Enterprise Asset Management<br />

(EAM) system mainly as an electronic card index or a<br />

digital work order system, unaware of the possibilities it<br />

has for Asset Management. EAM Systems like Maximo,<br />

IFS Ultimo, HxGN EAM and SAP EAM have evolved<br />

tremendously. They now offer functionalities for Asset<br />

Investment Planning, Project Portfolio Management,<br />

Asset Performance Management, Business Intelligence<br />

and Predictive Maintenance. Major steps have also been<br />

taken in the field of Mobile, GIS and BIM integration.<br />

Are you ready for Next Generation EAM?<br />

Our VDM XL experts can assist you with further<br />

professionalisation and automation of your Maintenance<br />

& Asset Management organisation.<br />

www.mainnovation.com


SUSTAINABILITY<br />

Text: NINA GARLO-MELKAS Photos and images: BEMAS<br />

Future-Proofing Maintenance:<br />

Why Sustainable Asset Management Is Mission Critical<br />

Sustainability has become a decisive factor in industrial competitiveness,<br />

shaping how companies invest, operate, and survive. For Europe’s maintenance<br />

professionals, this shift offers both a challenge and an opportunity: embracing<br />

energy-efficient, low-emission practices is now vital for long-term success.<br />

Backed by the Interreg North-West<br />

Europe program, the project aims to train<br />

professionals working in Maintenance,<br />

Overhaul, Repair and Engineering on how<br />

to adopt sustainable asset management at<br />

industrial production sites.<br />

The MORE4Sustainability project<br />

kicked off with a study revealing that<br />

companies maintaining consistent effort<br />

over nine years are achieving up to a<br />

30% reduction in emissions and energy<br />

consumption —a figure with both environmental<br />

and economic significance.<br />

From optimal parameter settings to a complete process reengineering – every production<br />

site can unlock opportunities for higher energy efficiency and lower emissions<br />

THE EU’S tightening emissions policy—<br />

especially the Emission Trading System<br />

(ETS)—means companies will soon pay<br />

more for every ton of CO₂ they emit.<br />

While the number of emission allowances<br />

is shrinking, prices are simultaneously<br />

rising sharply.<br />

“If you don’t act now, you’ll be forced<br />

to buy expensive allowances later. It<br />

takes time to reduce emissions—it’s<br />

not something you fix overnight,” Wim<br />

Vancauwenberghe, Director at BE-<br />

MAS warns, “and under the current<br />

economic conditions, energy-efficient<br />

production plants already enjoy a major<br />

competitive advantage today.”<br />

The Challenge and the<br />

Opportunity<br />

“Sustainability isn’t just about reporting.<br />

It’s about awareness, goal setting, and –<br />

above all – execution. And maintenance<br />

and asset management professionals are<br />

right at the centre of it,” says BEMAS’ Vancauwenberghe.<br />

“Sustainability in asset management<br />

isn’t achieved with one big leap—it’s built<br />

through many small, consistent actions,”<br />

continues Mark Haarman, Managing<br />

Partner at Mainnovation, a consulting<br />

firm that specializes in maintenance and<br />

asset management for companies in industry,<br />

fleet, and infra.<br />

“Actions like cleaning filters, precisely<br />

aligning and balancing rotating equipment,<br />

or upgrading drives may seem<br />

minor on their own, but collectively they<br />

make a significant impact on reducing an<br />

organization’s environmental footprint,”<br />

Haarman adds.<br />

Introducing<br />

MORE4Sustainability<br />

The MORE4Sustainability project funded<br />

by the European Union and initiated by<br />

the Belgian Maintenance Association (BE-<br />

MAS), reveals how industrial maintenance<br />

and asset management teams can become<br />

powerful agents of change toward more sustainable<br />

and profitable European industry.<br />

The Framework:<br />

Four Key Areas<br />

BEMAS’ Vancauwenberghe says that<br />

strategy definition is at the core of the<br />

MORE4Sustainability framework. You<br />

start with translating the company’s<br />

sustainability strategy into the asset<br />

management strategy. Then, in a specific<br />

sequence, you can focus on sustainability<br />

optimization in the following areas:<br />

1. Asset Portfolio Optimization –<br />

Electrify systems, retire inefficient<br />

equipment, and invest in modern, lowemission<br />

assets.<br />

2. Asset Health Optimization – Apply<br />

predictive maintenance and precision<br />

care to reduce energy use.<br />

3. Energy Consumption Optimization<br />

– Maximize energy efficiency and minimize<br />

energy waste.<br />

4. GHG Emission Optimization – Implementing<br />

strategies and actions<br />

focused on minimizing GHG and other<br />

pollutant emissions.<br />

Training is the Cornerstone<br />

The MORE4Sustainability report offers<br />

companies a much-needed practical roadmap<br />

for transformation.<br />

“The framework is grounded in realworld<br />

success stories, modern strategies,<br />

and proven methods that help companies<br />

22 maintworld 3/<strong>2025</strong>


SUSTAINABILITY<br />

Energy Efficiency<br />

Improvement<br />

Thermal<br />

Energy Loss<br />

Prevention<br />

Thermal<br />

Energy<br />

Recovery<br />

& Reuse<br />

Electrical<br />

Energy<br />

Optimization<br />

Asset Energy<br />

Efficiency<br />

Care<br />

Energy<br />

Consumption<br />

Optimization<br />

Production<br />

Process<br />

Reengineering<br />

Predictive<br />

Maintenance<br />

Asset Health<br />

Optimization<br />

Sustainable<br />

AM Strategy<br />

Asset Portfolio<br />

Optimization<br />

Sustainable<br />

Asset<br />

Replacement<br />

cut greenhouse gas emissions and boost<br />

energy efficiency—without sacrificing reliability<br />

or profitability,” Vancauwenberghe<br />

explains.<br />

One of the project’s key outcomes is a<br />

comprehensive online training program<br />

designed for technical professionals at all<br />

levels. The course is available in English,<br />

German, French, and Dutch, making it accessible<br />

across much of Europe.<br />

“So far, over 500 professionals have<br />

taken part in one of the different training<br />

formats.”<br />

“We offer introductory trainings, inperson<br />

classroom sessions, and also a full e-<br />

learning course that includes certification.”<br />

The e-learning course is free to access,<br />

and those who complete the program and<br />

pass the final exam earn the title of Certified<br />

Sustainable Asset Management Practitioner—the<br />

first designation of its kind<br />

in Europe.<br />

“Our goal is for participants to return to<br />

their companies as ambassadors for sustainable<br />

maintenance and implement at<br />

least one sustainability initiative.”<br />

Policy Backing and<br />

Business Value<br />

So, what’s the fastest way to make European<br />

industry more sustainable? With high<br />

energy prices and strict emissions targets<br />

approaching, policymakers have a key role<br />

to play. But instead of relying solely on<br />

penalties, experts are urging a shift toward<br />

positive incentives—such as ISO certification<br />

programs, subsidies, and other supportive<br />

measures.<br />

“Yes, rising CO₂ prices will push<br />

companies to change. But we also need<br />

High Precision<br />

Maintenance<br />

GHG<br />

Emission<br />

Optimization<br />

Plant<br />

Electrification<br />

Fugitive<br />

Emission<br />

Prevention<br />

GHG<br />

Capturing<br />

& Reuse<br />

Renewable<br />

Energy<br />

Generation<br />

GHG Emission<br />

Reduction<br />

M4S Framework: The MORE4Sustainability Framework presents an overview of<br />

measures that contribute to the company’s sustainability goals.<br />

7 PRACTICAL TIPS FOR<br />

GREENER MAINTENANCE<br />

1. Clean filters regularly – even<br />

small blockages waste energy<br />

2. Switch to LED lighting – fast<br />

ROI, lower emissions<br />

3. Adopt predictive maintenance –<br />

less downtime, less energy loss<br />

4. Balance & align machinery –<br />

improves energy efficiency<br />

5. Insulate heat/cold systems –<br />

reduces energy waste<br />

6. Install smart meters – track<br />

real-time consumption<br />

7. Train your team – knowledge<br />

leads to impact<br />

rewards and support: investment aid,<br />

standards, training subsidies. Especially<br />

for SMEs,” says Mainnovation’s Haarman<br />

Mark Haarman – an expert behind the<br />

MORE4Sustainability study.<br />

Governments could, for example, use<br />

ETS revenues to fund training programs<br />

or introduce accelerated depreciation for<br />

sustainable retrofitting and electrification<br />

projects, Haarman suggests.<br />

When asked for concrete examples of<br />

how sustainable maintenance benefits<br />

businesses, Mark Haarman points to one<br />

clear finding from the study: Companies<br />

that have been early adopters of sustainable<br />

asset management have achieved, on<br />

average, a 10% improvement in energy efficiency<br />

every three years.<br />

What’s notable is that these gains can<br />

often be made without major capital investments—simply<br />

by optimizing maintenance<br />

practices. Predictive maintenance, for instance,<br />

does not only increase reliability and<br />

uptime, but it also eliminates excess energy<br />

consumption by faulty equipment and energy<br />

waste by idle running when a part of the production<br />

process is down.<br />

Meanwhile, high precision maintenance<br />

practices not only extend the lifespan of<br />

rotating equipment, but also significantly<br />

impact energy efficiency. Companies that<br />

integrate sustainability into their full asset<br />

management approach—from strategic planning<br />

to renewable energy—are seeing fast<br />

payback and stronger long-term value.<br />

“In terms of financial value, a 1% sustainability<br />

improvement can generate higher<br />

ROI than equivalent maintenance cost or<br />

uptime gains,” Haarman says.<br />

Bridging the Gap<br />

According to the industry experts at BEMAS<br />

and Mainnovation, the lack of a clear framework<br />

and tools has been one of the main<br />

reasons why many maintenance & asset<br />

management organizations are lagging in<br />

the sustainability transition.<br />

“Many companies are committed to climate<br />

targets at the corporate level,” says Vancauwenberghe,<br />

“However, the connection to<br />

daily practices on the shop floor is often missing.<br />

This training helps bridge that gap.”<br />

The MORE4Sustainability approach is<br />

applicable to both organizations already<br />

implementing sustainability and those who<br />

may not yet have a structured approach to<br />

sustainability.<br />

“Whether you're on the shop floor or in<br />

a strategic role, you can make a difference.<br />

Sustainability in maintenance is not just for<br />

big players—it’s accessible to SMEs too,” says<br />

Mark Haarman.<br />

Next Step for the Industry<br />

As companies work toward 2030 climate<br />

goals, the demand for measurable sustainability<br />

action within operations will only<br />

grow. Training and certification in sustainable<br />

asset management may soon become<br />

a baseline expectation, driven by ESG auditors,<br />

customer procurement requirements,<br />

and tightening EU regulations.<br />

“This project needs to spread like oil—in<br />

a positive way,” Vancauwenberghe says.<br />

“One trained person can inspire a complete<br />

team and start implementing the<br />

best practices. The MORE4Sustainability<br />

program helps them to set ambitious but realistic<br />

goals and shows concrete examples of<br />

how to achieve them. By offering the training<br />

online for free we hope to further scale<br />

up the project’s impact.”<br />

Further details, including access to the training and certification pathway, can be found at:<br />

3/<strong>2025</strong> maintworld 23<br />

https://more4sustainability.nweurope.eu


RISING STARS<br />

*Academic Awards<br />

for Excellence in<br />

Maintenance: the Master<br />

Thesis Award (MTA) and the<br />

PhD Thesis Award (PTA)<br />

Sponsored by:<br />

Salvetti Foundation<br />

Delivered on the:<br />

EFNMS Euro<br />

Maintenance event.<br />

Compiled by MIA HEISKANEN<br />

Meet the Bright Minds Shaping<br />

the Future of Maintenance<br />

The EFNMS Thesis Award* is one of the most prestigious recognitions for emerging<br />

talent in the European maintenance and asset management community. Last<br />

year’s winners, Aleksanteri Hämäläinen and Camilla Munther, earned the honor for<br />

research that combines technical depth with real-world impact. In this Q&A, they<br />

share what sparked their work, how their findings can be applied on the ground —<br />

and where they see themselves and industry heading next.<br />

Camilla Munther<br />

1.<br />

Let’s start with your story:<br />

What’s your background, and<br />

how did you end up working on<br />

this particular research topic?<br />

I have a background in automation and<br />

production engineering. My first real<br />

contact with industrial maintenance came<br />

about 15 years ago. During my bachelor’s<br />

degree in automation and mechatronics,<br />

I worked part time as an automation<br />

engineer installing patented technology<br />

for sootblowing. The system didn’t just<br />

change how the sootblowers operated<br />

— it also provided valuable data to the<br />

maintenance department. I remember<br />

a technician’s reaction when we showed<br />

the new interface: 'You mean we’ll get an<br />

alarm if the steam valve doesn’t open as<br />

expected?'. Today, many of us take that<br />

kind of alarm for granted. For them, at<br />

that time, having access to real-time data<br />

on expected versus actual steam flow was<br />

revolutionary. It meant they could act<br />

proactively, preventing serious damage to<br />

expensive equipment. So, even if the main<br />

selling point for this new technology was<br />

for operational purposes, it became clear<br />

that it also could be used to increase the<br />

24 maintworld 3/<strong>2025</strong><br />

maintenance performance. But that required<br />

a change of their work processes.<br />

Maintenance wasn’t a major topic during<br />

my university studies, but I ended up<br />

doing my master’s thesis on quantifying the<br />

effects of maintenance using discrete event<br />

simulation. A few years later, I got the opportunity<br />

to start a PhD at Chalmers University<br />

of Technology, working in a research<br />

group focused on production service and<br />

maintenance systems. My PhD journey was<br />

driven by a desire to understand how people,<br />

processes, and strategies must align to<br />

successfully implement new technologies<br />

and ways of working in maintenance. This<br />

led me to explore Smart Maintenance as an<br />

organisational innovation — a perspective<br />

that I believe is essential for meaningful<br />

and sustainable change.<br />

2.<br />

In a nutshell, what’s your<br />

thesis about — explained as<br />

if to a maintenance professional<br />

over coffee?<br />

My thesis is about helping maintenance<br />

organizations and all targeted employees<br />

become more skillful, consistent, and<br />

committed to working with Smart Maintenance.<br />

The key is to treat Smart Maintenance<br />

not only as a technical upgrade, but<br />

as an organisational innovation.<br />

By viewing Smart Maintenance<br />

through the lens of innovation theory, we<br />

can better understand how to implement<br />

it. In my thesis, I use five innovation characteristics:<br />

relative advantage, compatibility,<br />

complexity, trialability, and observability.<br />

Financial calculations alone aren’t<br />

enough — there must be a true belief in the<br />

relative advantage of Smart Maintenance.<br />

Compatibility means aligning initiatives<br />

with existing values and norms, starting<br />

at a point that fits the current state of the<br />

organization. Complexity can be reduced<br />

by breaking down change into smaller,


RISING STARS<br />

manageable steps, which also increase the<br />

trialability that allows experimentation.<br />

Observability ensures that progress and<br />

results are visible and measurable. The<br />

maintenance manager’s task and responsibility<br />

become to lead people in change,<br />

rather than being a technical leader.<br />

In my thesis, I propose a cyclical, sixstep<br />

process that supports Smart Maintenance<br />

implementation:<br />

1. Benchmark the organisation.<br />

2. Set clear goals.<br />

3. Define strategic priorities.<br />

4. Plan key activities.<br />

5. Elevate implementation.<br />

6. Follow up.<br />

Combined with the insights gained from<br />

the perspective of organizational innovation,<br />

this process can be used as a framework<br />

to guide organizations in being more<br />

skillful, consistent, and committed to<br />

Smart Maintenance.<br />

3.<br />

From the lab to the shop<br />

floor: How could your<br />

findings be applied in<br />

real-world maintenance<br />

or asset management settings?<br />

In Sweden, we benefit from strong collaboration<br />

between industry and academia,<br />

which allows research to be conducted<br />

very close to the shop floor. I’ve worked<br />

closely with several industrial companies,<br />

and the cyclical process I propose in the<br />

thesis is designed to be applicable by industrial<br />

maintenance managers. Smart<br />

Maintenance implementation will look<br />

different in every organisation, but my<br />

findings offer a framework to follow.<br />

A handful of industry practitioners<br />

have literally read each word in my thesis.<br />

From cover to cover. As a researcher who<br />

is driven by industrial impact, that is probably<br />

one of the most awarding compliments<br />

you can get from industry. I see this<br />

as a validation that my research is relevant<br />

and applicable for real-world settings.<br />

4.<br />

Research is rarely a straight<br />

road: What were the toughest<br />

hurdles you faced, and<br />

how did you overcome them?<br />

To be honest and a bit personal: the vulnerability<br />

that comes with doing a PhD is<br />

tough — the feeling of constantly exposing<br />

your thinking and work. I became very<br />

aware of the importance of how I expressed<br />

myself (both in text and speech),<br />

always striving for clarity and quality. It’s<br />

a demanding process, both mentally and<br />

emotionally. Luckily, I was surrounded by<br />

amazing people. My supervisor and colleagues<br />

I had during the PhD studies were<br />

always encouraging and supportive. Their<br />

feedback helped me refine my ideas and<br />

continue to always try to do a bit better.<br />

5.<br />

Industry 5.0 is all about<br />

people, sustainability,<br />

and resilience: Where do<br />

you see your research fitting<br />

into this bigger vision?<br />

My research fits naturally into the Industry<br />

5.0 vision because it emphasizes the human<br />

side of technological change. Smart Maintenance,<br />

when treated as an organizational<br />

innovation, becomes a way to empower<br />

people — not replace them. It´s about making<br />

the whole organization more skillful,<br />

consistent, and committed to Smart Maintenance.<br />

It supports resilience by helping<br />

organizations and all targeted employees<br />

adapt to change, and it contributes to sustainability<br />

by enabling more efficient and<br />

proactive use of resources.<br />

Inspired by principles from innovation<br />

management, my work encourages<br />

maintenance leaders to foster creativity,<br />

challenge existing routines, and actively<br />

seek untapped value. It’s about building a<br />

culture of learning and exploration. This<br />

aligns with Industry 5.0’s emphasis on<br />

human-centric, sustainable, and resilient<br />

production systems.<br />

6.<br />

Women in maintenance and<br />

asset management: From<br />

your perspective, how can<br />

the sector attract more<br />

women and create an environment<br />

where they can thrive?<br />

We need to highlight female role models,<br />

offer mentorship opportunities, and foster<br />

inclusive cultures where different perspectives<br />

are valued. It’s also important to<br />

challenge outdated stereotypes and show<br />

that maintenance is a dynamic, forwardlooking<br />

field where women can lead, innovate,<br />

and make a real impact. Maintenance<br />

and asset management are no longer just<br />

about fixing machines — they’re about<br />

strategy, innovation, and people. This appeal<br />

to a diverse range of professionals,<br />

including women, who bring valuable perspectives<br />

to the field.<br />

7.<br />

What significance has receiving<br />

the EFNMS Thesis<br />

Award had for you personally<br />

and professionally?<br />

Receiving the EFNMS Thesis Award was a<br />

great honor! Anyone who has done a PhD —<br />

or supported someone through one — knows<br />

the level of commitment it requires. To have<br />

that work recognized at a European level is<br />

incredibly validating. Personally, I´m full of<br />

pride and motivation. Professionally, it led<br />

to a wider network and potential collaborations.<br />

I look forward to advancing maintenance<br />

and asset management together with<br />

my new contacts!<br />

8.<br />

Looking ahead: If you<br />

could choose, what would<br />

be the next big challenge<br />

for researchers and<br />

industry professionals to tackle in<br />

your field?<br />

Rather than a single “next” challenge, I see<br />

a continuous and evolving one: integrating<br />

Smart Maintenance into broader organizational<br />

strategies. We need to move from asking<br />

“How do we implement this technology?”<br />

to “How do we evolve our organization to unlock<br />

its full potential?” That means developing<br />

new models, metrics, and mindsets that<br />

reflect maintenance’s expanding role in digitalized<br />

and human-centric production systems.<br />

Inspired by innovation management,<br />

maintenance leaders should be encouraged<br />

to explore untapped value rather than<br />

solving the problems we have today, foster<br />

cross-functional collaboration, and formulate<br />

a clear vision for how maintenance contributes<br />

to the company’s future. This shift<br />

requires time, resources, and a willingness to<br />

challenge traditional ways of thinking — but<br />

it’s essential for long-term competitiveness<br />

and sustainability. Like innovation leaders<br />

promote freedom to explore and experiment,<br />

maintenance leaders must create space for<br />

discovering untapped values — and connect<br />

maintenance to the company’s broader vision<br />

and competitiveness.<br />

9.<br />

Your own next chapter:<br />

What’s next for you —<br />

more research, industry<br />

work, teaching, or something<br />

else entirely?<br />

Right now, my focus is on being a mom of<br />

two — I’m on parental leave and enjoy this<br />

chapter of life. At the same time, I’m staying<br />

connected to the field, keeping an eye on<br />

ongoing applications for new research projects,<br />

as well as planning a conference presentation.<br />

From January 2026, I’m excited<br />

to return to research and I look forward to<br />

collaborating with other researchers in the<br />

field, as well as industry partners, aiming to<br />

continue contributing to the development<br />

of maintenance as a strategic and innovative<br />

function.<br />

3/<strong>2025</strong> maintworld 25


RISING STARS<br />

Aleksanteri Hämäläinen<br />

1.<br />

Let’s start with your story:<br />

What’s your background, and<br />

how did you end up working<br />

on this research topic?<br />

I first got into coding in high school<br />

at the Päivölä School of Mathematics,<br />

which led me to study computer<br />

science at Aalto University. I was<br />

similarly first introduced to AI and<br />

deep learning in high school, and it<br />

has fascinated me ever since. That’s<br />

why I ended up majoring in Machine<br />

Learning, Data Science and Artificial<br />

Intelligence.<br />

As I was searching for a topic for a<br />

thesis during the last year of my master's,<br />

I was contacted about a topic<br />

on AI and condition monitoring by a<br />

doctoral researcher I had worked with<br />

earlier on a group project. I had pretty<br />

much no experience in mechanical<br />

engineering but was promised that<br />

the topic was very interesting on the<br />

AI side of things and that the data<br />

was good. In retrospect, I very much<br />

disagree with the quality of the data,<br />

but realizations about the problems<br />

with the data have become the next<br />

interesting topic I have pursued, so it’s<br />

not like I’m complaining. As a side effect,<br />

I’ve also ended up learning quite a<br />

bit about mechanical engineering and<br />

signal analysis, which I’m certain will<br />

be useful in the future.<br />

26 maintworld 3/<strong>2025</strong><br />

2.<br />

In a nutshell, what’s your<br />

thesis about — explained<br />

as if to a maintenance professional<br />

over coffee?<br />

My thesis addresses the challenge of using<br />

deep learning models for condition<br />

monitoring of rotating machines, particularly<br />

when data is limited. In most<br />

cases it’s not possible to have fault data<br />

from every operating condition, such as<br />

varying rotating speeds.<br />

Furthermore, even machines of the<br />

same model can differ because of manufacturing<br />

tolerances, installations,<br />

and usage histories. In my research, I<br />

demonstrated how few-shot learning,<br />

prototypical networks, and careful<br />

consideration of operating conditions<br />

can be used to get condition monitoring<br />

models to work well for gear fault<br />

diagnosis in scenarios not covered<br />

during the training. The findings specifically<br />

showcase good generalisation<br />

over rotating speed, which commonly<br />

varies in rotating machines, and sensor<br />

locations, which represent differences<br />

between machines.<br />

3.<br />

From the lab to the shop<br />

floor: How could your<br />

findings be applied in realworld<br />

maintenance or asset<br />

management settings?<br />

Many companies involved in condition<br />

monitoring are already using AI<br />

in some manner or are experimenting<br />

with ways to do so. My thesis offers<br />

a way to approach some of the key<br />

challenges, particularly generalisation<br />

over operating conditions and<br />

machines. Additionally, the important<br />

parts are not overly complex to implement.<br />

Instead of encouraging others<br />

to exactly replicate what I have, I hope<br />

they will integrate my findings into<br />

their own work and ideas. I’d be very<br />

glad if my research helped someone<br />

to overcome a long-standing problem<br />

in their systems or sparked an idea of<br />

“Aha, this is how I’ll get it to work!"<br />

4.<br />

Research is rarely a<br />

straight road: What were<br />

the toughest hurdles you<br />

faced, and how did you<br />

overcome them?<br />

The ever-present problem in using<br />

deep learning for condition monitor-


RISING STARS<br />

ing is the lack of high quality, publicly<br />

available datasets. The current ones<br />

generally have a good selection of rotating<br />

speeds and loads, but the ones<br />

most often used in research all lack essential<br />

elements, such as long enough<br />

samples, multiple instances of the included<br />

fault types, repeated setups, or<br />

sufficient healthy data.<br />

The results of training a deep learning<br />

model on 10 seconds of fault data<br />

and testing it on the next 10 seconds<br />

of the same run do not significantly<br />

correspond with real world performance.<br />

The aim is not to recognise<br />

one exact fault instance, but all faults<br />

of the same type. The vibrations of<br />

a test rig in a lab do not significantly<br />

change within minutes either, so the<br />

model could be based on its predictions<br />

on the vibration signatures of the<br />

installation, manufacturing errors of a<br />

component, or even background noise.<br />

This same problem was a concern<br />

in my thesis, and ultimately it was<br />

only partially overcome. My thesis<br />

includes results where model training<br />

and testing were conducted with sensors<br />

located in different parts of the<br />

powertrain in addition to just splitting<br />

the data by time. These changes in<br />

sensor location introduce significant<br />

changes to vibration signatures, simulating<br />

changes between two different<br />

machines. I was happy with this solution<br />

for my thesis but have since then<br />

strived for even more realistic test<br />

scenarios, by using entirely separate<br />

datasets for training and testing.<br />

5.<br />

Industry 5.0 is all about<br />

people, sustainability,<br />

and resilience: Where do<br />

you see your research fitting<br />

into this bigger vision?<br />

Wind farms are a perfect example of a<br />

setting where condition monitoring is<br />

essential for numerous nearly identical<br />

rotating machines. Increasing the<br />

uptime of wind turbines and decreasing<br />

their maintenance costs could<br />

help increase their portion of energy<br />

production.<br />

6.<br />

What significance has receiving<br />

the EFNMS Thesis<br />

Award had for you personally<br />

and professionally?<br />

I’m very honored to have received the<br />

EFNMS award. It showed that there is<br />

real interest in the topic and that what<br />

I was working on was worth pursuing<br />

further. I sincerely hope my next findings<br />

will garner similar, and hopefully<br />

even greater, interest.<br />

7.<br />

Looking ahead: If you<br />

could choose, what would<br />

be the next big challenge<br />

for researchers and industry<br />

professionals to tackle in<br />

your field?<br />

I would like to see the creation of<br />

better public datasets for research.<br />

The ARotor Lab recently published<br />

the Aalto Gear Fault Dataset, which<br />

includes measurements from multiple<br />

healthy and faulty gears and<br />

repeated installations of the faulty<br />

gears. I hope other research groups<br />

will include these elements in future<br />

datasets they publish.<br />

However, it would be even more<br />

beneficial to have a company publish<br />

a dataset containing real fleet data.<br />

I of course understand that a lot of<br />

data may not be publishable, but I’m<br />

sure there is some data that would be<br />

at its most valuable when many researchers<br />

are working on developing<br />

new methods for it. It wouldn’t even<br />

have to be highly curated, I’m sure<br />

some desperate doctoral researchers,<br />

such as I (wink wink), would<br />

quickly make a cleaned version.<br />

Afterwards, I would like to see improvements<br />

in testing methods to better<br />

reflect real-world usage. What is<br />

the point of publishing papers with<br />

accuracy close to 99.99% if the results<br />

are only relevant to academia?<br />

8.<br />

Your own next chapter:<br />

What’s next for you —<br />

more research, industry<br />

work, teaching, or something<br />

else entirely?<br />

I’m currently working on a PhD at the<br />

Aalto ARotor Lab focusing on the same<br />

topic as my master's thesis, so you<br />

could say my next chapter was not very<br />

different from the previous one. As I<br />

am writing this, I am at the University<br />

of New South Wales in Australia for an<br />

exchange with a research group here, so<br />

the topic of condition monitoring has<br />

taken me to interesting places. After<br />

my PhD, I’m leaning towards industry<br />

work as the most likely next step.<br />

As I mentioned earlier, I strongly<br />

believe that significant progress in AI<br />

based condition monitoring is best<br />

achieved with larger amounts of higher<br />

quality data, which is unfortunately<br />

limited in public research. I also enjoy<br />

working on problems where I can see<br />

more immediate real-world benefits<br />

than is common in academia. However,<br />

I am not saying that is the only option. I<br />

got into this topic by taking a chance on<br />

an interesting opportunity and that is<br />

the plan for my next step too.<br />

3/<strong>2025</strong> maintworld 27


CASE STUDY<br />

Text: NINA GARLO-MELKAS Photos VAN GELOVEN<br />

From Firefighting to Forecasting:<br />

Van Geloven’s Journey Toward<br />

Smart Maintenance<br />

Van Geloven, a McCain company in the Netherlands, has moved from reactive to<br />

predictive maintenance by embracing data, new technologies, and a cultural shift.<br />

Since 2020, some of its sites have reduced downtime from 20% to under 4%, with<br />

teams leading improvements and AI increasingly supporting operations.<br />

WHEN Nico Castelijn, Director of Engineering<br />

& Maintenance Appetisers<br />

CE, joined Van Geloven five years ago,<br />

he encountered a familiar scene from<br />

many manufacturing companies: decentralised,<br />

reactive maintenance teams<br />

focused on "putting out fires" instead of<br />

avoiding them.<br />

“Maintenance teams were proud<br />

firefighters,” he recalls. “They’d fix<br />

breakdowns successfully but weren’t<br />

necessarily thinking about how to stop<br />

them from happening again, perhaps<br />

even the next day.”<br />

Drawing on over 20 years of experience<br />

in various industries, including the<br />

pharmaceutical industry—where traceability<br />

and preventive measures are crucial—Castelijn<br />

launched a long-term, data-driven<br />

transformation project across<br />

Van Geloven’s multiple sites, located<br />

in both the Netherlands and Belgium.<br />

Building the Foundation:<br />

Role Clarity and Structure<br />

One of the first steps in Van Geloven’s journey<br />

toward a more predictive maintenance<br />

model wasn’t technical—it was structural.<br />

“Before you talk about dashboards,<br />

you have to define roles,” he says. “What<br />

does a maintenance manager do? A<br />

planner? A reliability engineer? We<br />

created those profiles and aligned them<br />

across sites.”<br />

28 maintworld 3/<strong>2025</strong>


CASE STUDY<br />

TACKLING THE SKILLED<br />

WORKER GAP<br />

With consistent role expectations and<br />

a clear job structure in place, the foundation<br />

was laid for a culture shift—from<br />

reactive repair to proactive optimisation.<br />

Transforming the maintenance culture<br />

across multiple sites required time<br />

and leadership, Castelijn notes. Some<br />

teams adjusted in six months; others<br />

took over a year. One key strategy was<br />

leveraging internal peer learning.<br />

“Transforming the culture required<br />

more than new systems—it demanded<br />

trust, education, and internal champions,<br />

ones who brought the new way of<br />

working to colleagues.”<br />

Castelijn encourages peer learning<br />

between sites. He urges his teams to<br />

visit one another, share experiences,<br />

and learn collectively as part of the<br />

company’s transformation journey.<br />

He says that monthly cross-site meetings<br />

have become collaborative platforms<br />

at Van Geloven where technicians present<br />

real cases and share dashboard insights.<br />

Through this, ownership increases,<br />

and a proactive mindset takes hold.<br />

“I tell our maintenance teams: take<br />

a company car, drive to another site,<br />

spend the day there. Show your work,<br />

share your problems, and learn from<br />

each other,” he explains. “That peer<br />

connection is what changes mindset.”<br />

Data Becomes a Daily Habit<br />

One of the most impactful breakthroughs<br />

in streamlining operations was<br />

the integration of Power BI dashboards<br />

into daily routines, says Castelijn.<br />

“Every morning at 7 a.m. sharp,<br />

teams gather to review the past 24<br />

hours of data—equipment breakdowns,<br />

performance metrics, and maintenance<br />

schedules—all displayed in real-time.<br />

This consistent, data-driven approach<br />

has replaced reactive, blame-oriented<br />

discussions with a culture of collaboration<br />

and root cause analysis.”<br />

By making key operational insights<br />

instantly visible and accessible, the<br />

dashboards have not only improved<br />

transparency but also accelerated<br />

decision-making and problem-solving<br />

across departments.<br />

Castelijn adds that the company<br />

uses unified definitions: if a breakdown<br />

causes two hours of lost production—<br />

even if only 30 minutes was repairing<br />

time—that whole time is logged as technical<br />

downtime. This clarity promotes<br />

cross-functional accountability and<br />

realistic planning.<br />

Power BI and CMMS<br />

Integration: Turning Data<br />

into Action<br />

Castelijn explains that in the past, each<br />

site used its separate maintenance<br />

system (CMMS), which wasn’t connected<br />

to the company’s SAP or finance<br />

systems. Because these systems didn’t<br />

communicate with each other, it wasn't<br />

easy to track trends or compare performance<br />

across sites.<br />

Power BI dashboards, which were<br />

initially managed by an external provider,<br />

were brought in-house and linked<br />

to both the CMMS and the production<br />

efficiency system (OEE). This enabled<br />

the comparison of production losses<br />

and maintenance activities in real-time.<br />

“The dashboards are part of the 7<br />

a.m. routine now,” Castelijn says. Teams<br />

In his interview with <strong>Maintworld</strong>,<br />

Nico Castelijn shared his perspective<br />

on a growing challenge facing<br />

the maintenance industry: a shortage<br />

of skilled technicians.<br />

Like much of Europe, the Netherlands<br />

is experiencing a chronic lack<br />

of technically trained workers, particularly<br />

those with hands-on experience<br />

in industrial environments.<br />

To address this, Van Geloven<br />

has adopted a flexible workforce<br />

model, employing a mix of 60%<br />

permanent staff and 40% freelance<br />

specialists. This enables the company<br />

to remain agile while addressing<br />

skills gaps. More recently, Van<br />

Geloven has also started recruiting<br />

qualified technicians from abroad,<br />

particularly from countries such as<br />

South Africa.<br />

“Most young Dutch workers do<br />

not receive in-depth technical education<br />

anymore,” Castelijn explains.<br />

“But technicians from countries<br />

such as South Africa often come<br />

with multiple certifications, strong<br />

practical experience, and high levels<br />

of discipline.”<br />

Looking ahead, Castelijn<br />

believes that bridging the technician<br />

gap will require both more<br />

innovative use of AI tools and strategic<br />

global recruitment.<br />

“As technician shortages grow<br />

across Europe, companies will need<br />

to get creative. Automation, data,<br />

and international hiring will be key<br />

parts of the solution.”<br />

review the past 24 hours—failures, root<br />

causes, and upcoming PM tasks. It’s not<br />

about blame. It’s about learning and prioritising<br />

together.”<br />

This integration helps teams plan<br />

downtime, optimise resources, and<br />

reduce unplanned stops. Maintenance<br />

and production data now share a common<br />

language.<br />

Mobile Tools and Real-Time<br />

Logging<br />

Castelijn emphasises that usability has<br />

been crucial in making digital tools successful.<br />

Today, technicians use mobile apps and<br />

QR/barcode scanners to log work orders,<br />

parts used, and failure data instantly.<br />

“Technicians aren’t always keen on<br />

admin,” says Castelijn. “So, we made it<br />

3/<strong>2025</strong> maintworld 29


CASE STUDY<br />

easy for them. Now everything’s captured<br />

in real time—accurate, fast, and<br />

easy to share.”<br />

In <strong>2025</strong>, Van Geloven began piloting a<br />

new AI module in its CMMS at the company’s<br />

Tilburg site. The tool quickly answers<br />

technician queries by pulling data from<br />

past incidents and technical manuals.<br />

“It’s not replacing our technicians—it’s<br />

empowering them,” Castelijn<br />

explains. “Especially for junior staff or<br />

independent workers, it reduces time<br />

wasted hunting for information.”<br />

The pilot proved so successful that Tilburg<br />

became the first of McCain’s 58 global<br />

sites to adopt CMMS-integrated AI.<br />

Data-Driven KPIs Driving<br />

Change<br />

To accelerate its shift from reactive to<br />

predictive maintenance, Van Geloven<br />

has made data a central part of its strategy.<br />

At the heart of this approach is a set<br />

of carefully chosen key performance<br />

indicators (KPIs) that guide day-to-day<br />

operations, long-term planning, and<br />

cross-site comparisons. These KPIs<br />

provide a clear view of what’s working,<br />

what needs attention, and where resources<br />

should be focused.<br />

The main KPIs tracked include:<br />

• Technical downtime percentage –<br />

Measures how much production<br />

time is lost due to technical failures.<br />

• Planned vs. unplanned maintenance<br />

ratio – Highlights the balance between<br />

proactive and reactive work, aiming to<br />

reduce unexpected breakdowns.<br />

• Mean Time to Repair (MTTR)<br />

and Mean Time Between Repairs<br />

(MTBR) – Indicators of equipment<br />

reliability and repair efficiency.<br />

• Maintenance cost breakdowns<br />

– Tracks spending on preventive versus<br />

reactive maintenance, helping to<br />

optimise budget allocation.<br />

• Internal vs. external labour usage –<br />

Provides insight into workforce efficiency<br />

and the use of third-party<br />

contractors.<br />

• Schedule adherence – Measures<br />

how closely planned maintenance<br />

activities follow the schedule, supporting<br />

operational discipline.<br />

By closely monitoring these metrics,<br />

Van Geloven can benchmark progress<br />

across its various sites, identify best<br />

practices, and continuously refine its<br />

maintenance strategy.<br />

“More than just numbers, these KPIs<br />

help create a culture of accountability<br />

and continuous improvement—ensuring<br />

maintenance is not just a support<br />

function, but a key driver of operational<br />

performance,” Castelijn says.<br />

A Model for Maintenance<br />

Transformation<br />

Today, Van Geloven’s facilities are<br />

approaching world-class standards<br />

in maintenance. In some locations,<br />

technical downtime has dropped<br />

from 20% to below 4%, thanks to a<br />

shift toward predictive maintenance,<br />

root cause analysis, and empowered<br />

teams.<br />

Maintenance crews are now developing<br />

and leading their own improvement<br />

initiatives, while AI has become<br />

an integral part of the daily workflow—<br />

assisting with planning, decision-making,<br />

and efficiency.<br />

LESSONS IN CHANGE<br />

LEADERSHIP<br />

Van Geloven’s maintenance transformation<br />

has been as much about<br />

people as it has been about technology.<br />

Castelijn’s leadership style is<br />

rooted in experience—he began his<br />

career as a trained technician, worked<br />

shifts on the shop floor, and gradually<br />

advanced into management. That<br />

background gives him credibility with<br />

teams and helps drive cultural change.<br />

“Technicians listen because I’ve<br />

done their job,” he says. “And I tell<br />

them—if I stayed in one job too long,<br />

I would stop learning. That mindset<br />

applies to everyone.”<br />

According to Castelijn, effective<br />

change leadership starts small and<br />

scales gradually.<br />

His recommended approach includes:<br />

• Standardising job roles to eliminate<br />

confusion and overlap<br />

• Making the dashboard use a<br />

daily habit to build data literacy<br />

• Appointing internal ‘champions’<br />

to lead by example and encourage<br />

peers<br />

• Allowing teams to present<br />

and own their data, fostering<br />

accountability and pride<br />

Castelijn’s message to other maintenance<br />

leaders is clear: success doesn’t<br />

come from technology alone. It comes<br />

from engaging people, setting clear<br />

expectations, and building a culture of<br />

continuous learning and ownership.<br />

“This kind of transformation doesn’t<br />

happen in six months,” says Castelijn. “It<br />

takes three to four years, strong leadership,<br />

and a deep commitment to collecting<br />

and maintaining quality data,” he<br />

advises other maintenance managers.<br />

His most significant<br />

piece of advice?<br />

“If your CMMS data is poor, AI won’t<br />

help you. Garbage in, garbage out.”<br />

In today’s competitive global market,<br />

where agility and efficiency are non-negotiable,<br />

predictive, data-driven maintenance is<br />

no longer a nice-to-have—it’s a necessity.<br />

“Companies that don’t embrace this direction<br />

will fall behind,” Castelijn warns.<br />

“Predictive maintenance isn’t just<br />

smart—it’s survival.”<br />

Van Geloven’s journey proves that with<br />

the right vision, sustained commitment,<br />

and a supportive culture, even traditional<br />

manufacturing operations can lead the<br />

way in digital transformation.<br />

Key Takeaways for Maintenance<br />

Leaders<br />

• Downtime Reduction: Cut from<br />

20% to under 4% in two years through<br />

focused root cause analysis.<br />

• Agile Teams: 60% internal staff, 40%<br />

freelancers to maintain flexibility.<br />

• AI support: AI integrated with the<br />

CMMS can save time and assist less<br />

experienced staff in making better decisions.<br />

Currently, at Van Geloven, AI is<br />

still in the testing and deployment phase<br />

only at the Tilburg site, but it is expected<br />

to be rolled out more broadly across other<br />

locations in the upcoming two years.<br />

• KPI Discipline: Focus on MTTR<br />

(Mean Time To Repair), MTBF (Mean<br />

Time Between Failures), technical<br />

downtime %, planned vs. unplanned<br />

ratio, and schedule adherence.<br />

• Change Timeline: True digital and<br />

cultural transformation takes 3–4<br />

years of consistent effort.<br />

A key step in Van Geloven’s digital transformation<br />

has been the development and<br />

internal hosting of Power BI dashboards,<br />

which are now fully integrated with both<br />

the company’s Computerised Maintenance<br />

Management System (CMMS)<br />

and Overall Equipment Effectiveness<br />

(OEE) system. This integration enables<br />

real-time tracking and analysis of maintenance<br />

activities alongside production<br />

losses, allowing for more informed decision-making<br />

at all levels.<br />

30 maintworld 3/<strong>2025</strong>


The<br />

Ecosystem<br />

of the<br />

Ecological<br />

Transition<br />

NOVEMBER<br />

4 — 7, <strong>2025</strong><br />

RIMINI<br />

EXPO CENTRE<br />

Italy


RESEARCH<br />

Text: MICHAEL HANF Pictures: IMAGE II TAKEN FROM A VIDEO OF A GRANDLUND SEMINA – IMAGE I IRA HANF<br />

Future of Sustainability:<br />

What Maintenance Leaders Need to Know<br />

By Michael Hanf, sustainable business strategist and lead author of the Future of<br />

Sustainability <strong>2025</strong> study, published by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland.<br />

THE MAINTENANCE and asset management<br />

sector plays a critical role in the<br />

sustainability transition. Well-planned<br />

and well-executed maintenance does<br />

not just keep assets running. It enables<br />

energy and resource efficiency, prolongs<br />

equipment life, safeguards operational<br />

resilience, and supports the shift to lowcarbon<br />

and circular business models.<br />

The Future of Sustainability <strong>2025</strong><br />

study, which I authored, identified 87<br />

trends and 5 megatrends shaping the coming<br />

decades. Many of these developments<br />

are directly relevant for maintenance<br />

strategies and point to the sector’s growing<br />

influence in achieving both operational<br />

and sustainability goals.<br />

From linear to circular<br />

maintenance models<br />

The transition from a reactive “repair when<br />

broken” approach to proactive, circular<br />

maintenance models is gathering pace.<br />

Manufacturers are increasingly designing<br />

equipment for multiple life cycles, modular<br />

upgrades, and easy refurbishment.<br />

For maintenance teams, this means<br />

finding ways to extend asset lifespans<br />

through predictive analytics, remanufacturing<br />

components instead of replacing<br />

them, and working with suppliers to enable<br />

take-back and reuse.<br />

These approaches reduce waste, minimise<br />

the need for virgin materials, and lower<br />

the overall environmental footprint of operations.<br />

For example, some industrial pump<br />

manufacturers now offer full-service models<br />

where pumps are monitored remotely, refurbished<br />

on schedule, and kept in continuous<br />

rotation, reducing downtime, optimising<br />

energy use, and conserving materials.<br />

Digital twins as a core tool<br />

Digital twin technology is rapidly moving<br />

from pilots to everyday practice, giving<br />

32 maintworld 3/<strong>2025</strong><br />

ABOUT THE<br />

AUTHOR:<br />

Michael Hanf<br />

is a sustainable<br />

business strategist<br />

and the<br />

lead author of<br />

the Future of<br />

Sustainability<br />

<strong>2025</strong> study, published by VTT Technical<br />

Research Centre of Finland. He has over<br />

25 years of international experience in<br />

strategy, innovation, and sustainability,<br />

working with companies, policymakers,<br />

and research organisations to help integrate<br />

sustainability into core business<br />

strategies. Michael is also the host of<br />

two podcasts, The Circular Coffee Break<br />

and The Future of Sustainability, which<br />

explore the trends, innovations, and<br />

leadership approaches shaping a sustainable<br />

future.<br />

maintenance teams a powerful tool for both<br />

operational and sustainability performance.<br />

Real-time virtual representations of assets<br />

make it possible to simulate wear, stress, and<br />

performance under a variety of conditions.<br />

This capability allows for earlier detection of<br />

issues, optimal scheduling of interventions,<br />

and more efficient use of spare parts.<br />

A Nordic energy company, for instance,<br />

used digital twins of its wind turbines<br />

to reduce maintenance costs by 20<br />

percent, extend service intervals by more<br />

than 30 percent, and optimise power<br />

output, demonstrating the direct link<br />

between maintenance innovation and<br />

improved energy efficiency.<br />

Climate-resilient infrastructure<br />

As climate change increases the frequency<br />

of extreme weather events and shifts operating<br />

conditions, the role of maintenance in<br />

ensuring resilience becomes more strategic.<br />

Maintenance teams are now expected<br />

to not only keep assets in service but also<br />

enhance their ability to withstand heat,<br />

flooding, and other environmental stresses.<br />

This may involve using more heat-resistant<br />

materials, elevating critical systems<br />

above potential flood levels, or adjusting inspection<br />

and service intervals to match new<br />

climate realities. These measures protect<br />

operational continuity, reduce downtime,<br />

and help safeguard both economic performance<br />

and environmental outcomes.<br />

Upskilling the workforce<br />

Sustainability-driven changes require new<br />

skills for maintenance professionals. Technicians<br />

now work with AI-driven analytics<br />

tools, understand material recycling and<br />

circular processes, and incorporate sustainability<br />

metrics into maintenance decisions.<br />

Leading companies are investing in training<br />

that combines traditional mechanical<br />

knowledge with data literacy, environmental<br />

awareness, and systems thinking.<br />

This integration allows maintenance<br />

teams to make operational choices that<br />

directly improve resource efficiency and<br />

environmental performance, while also<br />

strengthening their organisation’s ability<br />

to adapt to emerging challenges.<br />

The business case for action<br />

When viewed through a sustainability<br />

lens, the benefits of advanced maintenance<br />

strategies become even more<br />

compelling. Circular models reduce total<br />

cost of ownership and material demand.<br />

Digital tools increase uptime and energy<br />

efficiency. Climate resilience protects productivity<br />

and reduces risk.<br />

Skilled teams can deliver higher-value<br />

services that align with both operational<br />

excellence and environmental responsibility.<br />

Maintenance is not only a technical<br />

function. It is a strategic enabler of ef-


RESEARCH<br />

ficiency, resilience, and sustainable value<br />

creation.<br />

Where to start<br />

A practical first step is to assess your<br />

asset base in terms of both operational<br />

performance and sustainability potential.<br />

Identify opportunities where circular approaches<br />

can replace linear ones, where<br />

digital tools can boost efficiency, and<br />

where climate adaptation is most urgent.<br />

Start with pilot projects, track measurable<br />

outcomes, and scale successful initiatives.<br />

Engaging maintenance teams from<br />

the outset is critical, as they often hold the<br />

most valuable insights into how to achieve<br />

these goals in practice.<br />

The future of maintenance will belong<br />

to organisations that integrate sustainability<br />

into every aspect of asset care, using<br />

maintenance not just to keep things running,<br />

but to drive efficiency, resilience, and<br />

long-term business success. The opportunities<br />

are already here. The challenge is<br />

deciding who will lead the way.<br />

TOP 5 ACTIONS FOR<br />

MAINTENANCE LEADERS<br />

1. Integrate sustainability into<br />

maintenance KPIs<br />

Track energy efficiency, resource use, and<br />

waste reduction alongside uptime and reliability<br />

metrics.<br />

2. Adopt predictive and conditionbased<br />

maintenance<br />

Use sensors, data analytics, and digital<br />

twins to prevent failures, extend asset life, and optimise energy use.<br />

3. Enable circularity in asset management<br />

Refurbish and remanufacture components, implement take-back systems,<br />

and work with suppliers on reuse strategies.<br />

4. Build climate resilience into asset care<br />

Adapt materials, designs, and service schedules to withstand extreme<br />

weather and changing operating conditions.<br />

5. Invest in workforce upskilling<br />

Equip teams with data literacy, sustainability awareness, and systems<br />

thinking to drive innovation on the shop floor.<br />

3/<strong>2025</strong> maintworld 33


SUCCESS STORY<br />

Galvatek's Global Transformation<br />

Toward Defense Industry<br />

How a Finnish surface treatment specialist<br />

transformed crisis into opportunity by pivoting<br />

from traditional surface treatment to aviation<br />

and defense industry.<br />

Text: MIA HEISKANEN<br />

Photo: GALVATEK<br />

ONCE KNOWN for expertise in industrial<br />

surface treatment needs, Galvatek<br />

now designs high-tech automated<br />

surface treatment lines for<br />

the aviation and defense industries.<br />

In a discussion with CEO Lasse<br />

Vilminko, we explore how the Finnish<br />

company navigated a pandemicdriven<br />

collapse, found unexpected<br />

growth in defense industry, and<br />

positioned itself for the next phase<br />

of automated manufacturing.<br />

The Automation Advantage.<br />

"We deliver precision technology<br />

34 maintworld 3/<strong>2025</strong>


SUCCESS STORY<br />

for aviation and defense industries,"<br />

says Vilminko. "Surface treatment<br />

itself isn't rocket science—the technologies<br />

have been around for decades.<br />

What sets Galvatek apart is full<br />

automation. We've been doing that<br />

since the 1980s."<br />

This focus on complete automation<br />

became Galvatek's differentiator<br />

as labor costs made traditional<br />

mass production uncompetitive. The<br />

company needed to find markets<br />

where premium technologies were<br />

justified by demanding technical requirements.<br />

In the early 2000s, Galvatek began<br />

targeting the aviation sector, where<br />

automation, reliability, and complete<br />

traceability are non-negotiable.<br />

"Aviation is highly regulated.<br />

Everything must be traceable and<br />

inspected multiple times. If a component<br />

fails, we need to know exactly<br />

what treatment it received, when,<br />

and by whom," explains Vilminko.<br />

"That level of requirement justifies<br />

high-end technology and demands<br />

best-in-class automation."<br />

The strategy paid off. Today, Galvatek<br />

supplies automated surface<br />

treatment lines to major players<br />

like Rolls-Royce, Pratt & Whitney,<br />

Lufthansa Technik, and Turkish<br />

Technic. Building these relationships<br />

required years of proving reliability<br />

and meeting stringent certification<br />

requirements.<br />

Crisis and Recovery. Then came<br />

COVID-19. With the majority of rev-<br />

Lasse Vilminko.<br />

THE SYSTEMS WE INSTALL<br />

TODAY MUST BE INTELLIGENT.<br />

WE'RE WORKING TOWARD<br />

PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE<br />

AND REMOTE DIAGNOSTICS.<br />

enue from aviation, Galvatek faced<br />

an existential threat when global<br />

fleets were grounded.<br />

"We were in the middle of active<br />

projects when the bottom dropped<br />

out. Some customers hit pause, others<br />

cancelled completely. It was dramatic,"<br />

Vilminko recalls.<br />

In a difficult situation, Galvatek<br />

decided to return to industries familiar<br />

from the company’s history,<br />

which turned out to be more challenging<br />

than expected.<br />

“We learned a lot from the COV-<br />

ID years. But now, we’re looking<br />

ahead,” Vilminko says confidently."<br />

Recovery came faster than expected<br />

as passenger volumes rebounded<br />

strongly, even exceeding<br />

pre-pandemic levels by 2023. Postponed<br />

European investments began<br />

flowing again, creating new opportunities.<br />

Defense Emerges as Growth<br />

Driver. The real surprise came from<br />

the defense industry. Galvatek's previous<br />

work with defense company<br />

NAMMO on surface treatment lines<br />

for 155mm artillery shells suddenly<br />

became highly relevant as European<br />

nations ramped up ammunition production.<br />

"We didn't even budget for defense<br />

projects in 2024. Now it's<br />

our fastest-growing segment," says<br />

Vilminko. "The scale of demand,<br />

especially due to the war in Ukraine,<br />

took everyone by surprise."<br />

Galvatek has evolved beyond<br />

being an equipment supplier for<br />

surface treatment to become a complete<br />

technology integrator, delivering<br />

end-to-end systems including<br />

robotic handling, zinc phosphating,<br />

and coating solutions.<br />

Finland's NATO membership has<br />

accelerated international interest.<br />

"Currently, we're delivering to three<br />

NATO countries, and that visibility<br />

has generated inquiries from other<br />

alliance members. Some contacts<br />

surprised us—we had to ask how<br />

they found us," Vilminko notes.<br />

Global Operations, Local Flexibility.<br />

Vilminko admits managing<br />

simultaneous projects across different<br />

continents can present logistical<br />

challenges, but Galvatek's subcontracting<br />

model provides strategic<br />

advantages. The company manufactures<br />

nothing itself, instead relying<br />

on a vetted global network.<br />

"That's our competitive edge,"<br />

explains Vilminko. "It lets us be<br />

agile. We can optimize for each<br />

situation—build complete systems<br />

in Europe for smaller projects<br />

or build entirely on-site for large<br />

installations."<br />

3/<strong>2025</strong> maintworld 35


SUCCESS STORY<br />

Building International Teams.<br />

Rapid growth has accelerated hiring<br />

and talent acquisition has been easier<br />

than expected due to Finland´s current<br />

market situation. The Lahti based company<br />

now employs nine nationalities<br />

beyond Finnish staff, with English as<br />

the main working language.<br />

“The situation isn´t as challenging as<br />

one might think. Finland´s industrial<br />

downturn over the past years has actually<br />

helped us. The Lahti region has significant<br />

industry presence, and many<br />

large companies have had major workforce<br />

reductions,” Vilminko explains.<br />

The industrial contradiction has<br />

created also a need for an international<br />

talent pool to support Galvatek<br />

expansion. “We´ve recruited across<br />

all departments – project managers,<br />

sales engineers, automation specialists,<br />

designers.”<br />

However, Galvatek's niche requires<br />

extensive onboarding. New hires need<br />

months to master the company's specialized<br />

automation approaches and<br />

industry requirements, as the company<br />

rarely finds candidates with direct experience<br />

in their highly specialized field.<br />

Technology Evolution. Galvatek<br />

continues advancing its automation<br />

platforms, participating in Finland's<br />

initiative to develop AI-enabled processes.<br />

The company is also expanding<br />

after-sales services to support its expanding<br />

global installation base.<br />

"The systems we install today must<br />

be intelligent. We're working toward<br />

predictive maintenance and remote<br />

diagnostics. Our customers expect it,"<br />

Vilminko adds.<br />

Managing Success. Current challenges<br />

stem from success itself.<br />

"We're stretched, in a good way.<br />

The volume of work is intense," says<br />

Vilminko. "Managing growth while<br />

maintaining quality and developing<br />

new capabilities, that's our daily<br />

challenge."<br />

International trade tensions add<br />

complexity, though Galvatek's flexible<br />

subcontracting model provides some<br />

protection from tariff changes and supply<br />

chain disruptions.<br />

Dual Pillars Strategy. Today,<br />

Galvatek stands on two strong pillars:<br />

recovering aviation demand and<br />

surging defense requirements. Both<br />

sectors offer multi-year visibility,<br />

with defense investments expected<br />

to continue through 2030.<br />

"We have solid foundations now,"<br />

concludes Vilminko. "Aviation growth<br />

is accelerating globally, especially in<br />

Asia. Defense spending will remain elevated<br />

for years. These business pillars<br />

give us confidence for both medium<br />

and long-term planning."<br />

Energy Sector Opportunities.<br />

Looking ahead, Galvatek sees potential<br />

in emerging energy sectors, particularly<br />

within green hydrogen and small<br />

modular reactors (SMRs).<br />

"We're already supplying equipment<br />

for a strategic hydrogen project<br />

in Denmark," Vilminko notes.<br />

"And don't underestimate SMRs.<br />

Companies like Rolls-Royce are betting<br />

billions on modular nuclear. We<br />

intend to be ready when those technologies<br />

scale."<br />

These sectors require the same<br />

rigorous surface treatment standards<br />

that Galvatek delivers for the aviation<br />

industry, potentially providing natural<br />

expansion opportunities as these industries<br />

mature.<br />

36 maintworld 3/<strong>2025</strong>


TECHNOLOGY<br />

Text: VAULA AUNOLA Photos: SHUTTERSTOCK<br />

Rising Role of<br />

Smart Coatings<br />

New self-healing, anticorrosive, and antimicrobial coatings can reduce maintenance<br />

costs, and their use is expected to increase in the coming years.<br />

SMART COATINGS may change their structure or appearance<br />

when exposed to heat, humidity, mechanical stress or chemical<br />

changes such as corrosion. Some are even designed to<br />

react to microbial growth.<br />

The scope of applications is broad. In 2011, researchers<br />

developed a spray-on antenna that, at a thickness of 8 microns<br />

or less, could give electronics<br />

wireless connectivity.<br />

In 2016, another group created<br />

a smart paint that reacts<br />

to the metal tip of specialized<br />

canes to help pedestrians<br />

with visual impairments<br />

navigate.<br />

IN THE AUTOMOTIVE SECTOR, SELF-HEALING<br />

CLEAR COATS HAVE BEEN IN USE FOR YEARS.<br />

Manufacturers in other industries can also make use<br />

of similar solutions. While self-repairing paints cannot<br />

restore extensive mechanical damage, they can prevent<br />

scratches, chips and surface warping from developing<br />

into deeper structural issues. New developments have<br />

improved performance as well. A study in 2022 demonstrated<br />

a paint that was<br />

able to fully recover within<br />

just 30 seconds when exposed<br />

to heat.<br />

Such coatings are particularly<br />

valuable for machinery<br />

operating in demanding conditions.<br />

Self-Healing<br />

Capabilities<br />

One of the most notable<br />

advantages of<br />

certain smart paints<br />

in industrial maintenance<br />

is their ability<br />

to repair themselves.<br />

In the automotive<br />

sector, selfhealing<br />

clear coats<br />

have been in use<br />

for years. These coatings<br />

typically contain<br />

polymers that react<br />

to sunlight, releasing a<br />

resin that hardens quickly<br />

within the paint.<br />

Color-Changing<br />

Smart Paint<br />

Another category<br />

of smart<br />

coatings does<br />

not repair damage<br />

but reveals<br />

it more clearly.<br />

Coatings that<br />

respond to the<br />

chemical changes<br />

presented by<br />

corrosion are<br />

a common and<br />

advantageous<br />

example.<br />

Severe rust is<br />

clearly visible to the<br />

3/<strong>2025</strong> maintworld 37


TECHNOLOGY<br />

naked eye, but this degradation is not always easy to see<br />

in its earliest stages. A rust-reacting paint can produce a<br />

more dramatic color difference, so technicians can recognize<br />

the need for repairs before structural damage occurs.<br />

Smart paints may not offer the same<br />

in-depth analysis as an IoT maintenance<br />

sensor. They do make some<br />

amount of condition-based care possible,<br />

which leads to fewer breakdowns<br />

and avoids unnecessary repairs.<br />

ONE OF THE MOST<br />

NOTABLE ADVANTAGES OF<br />

CERTAIN SMART PAINTS IN<br />

INDUSTRIAL MAINTENANCE<br />

IS THEIR ABILITY TO REPAIR<br />

THEMSELVES.<br />

Anticorrosive and<br />

Antimicrobial Coatings<br />

Some reactive coatings go a step<br />

further by slowing or stopping corrosion<br />

once it is detected. One example,<br />

adapted from a NASA-developed<br />

paint, releases anticorrosive agents<br />

when pH levels indicate rust. Although<br />

it cannot completely prevent corrosion, this approach<br />

can cut maintenance costs by as much as 50 percent<br />

by limiting how far the damage spreads.<br />

When combined with color-changing indicators, such<br />

coatings make repair work more efficient. Slowing corrosion<br />

until a technician can intervene is especially useful<br />

for smaller operators who may not always have maintenance<br />

staff available.<br />

Antimicrobial coatings offer a comparable advantage. Using<br />

naturally antimicrobial substances<br />

such as silver strengthens the protective<br />

qualities of paint, preventing the<br />

growth or spread of bacteria, fungi or<br />

other contaminants. Semiconductor<br />

fabs and pharmaceutical production<br />

facilities will see the biggest improvements<br />

from this use case.<br />

Electronics Protection<br />

Many uses of smart paint act as alternatives<br />

to IoT- and AI-based maintenance,<br />

but the same technology can<br />

also complement these systems to<br />

improve their performance. Reactive<br />

coatings help safeguard sensitive electronic components,<br />

ensuring that advanced systems remain reliable.<br />

Antimicrobial, dust-resistant and scratch-healing layers<br />

can keep sensors in good condition, preventing contamination<br />

that could interfere with measurements. By reducing<br />

38 maintworld 3/<strong>2025</strong>


TECHNOLOGY<br />

these risks, smart coatings support higher data quality and<br />

consistency in IoT and AI applications such as predictive<br />

maintenance. With poor-quality data costing businesses millions<br />

each year, even small improvements in reliability can<br />

lead to major savings.<br />

In other cases, facilities may apply smart paints to shield<br />

solar panel cells from sun damage or to react to heat in ways<br />

that boost efficiency. These adjustments can lower the longterm<br />

maintenance costs of renewable<br />

energy and help manufacturers reach<br />

their climate goals more easily.<br />

Smart Paint Challenges<br />

Smart coatings offer a wide range of applications<br />

in factory maintenance, but<br />

the technology is not without its limits.<br />

These paints can address only minor<br />

damage and cover a restricted set of operating<br />

concerns.<br />

As such, smart paints can push facility<br />

maintenance investments further, but<br />

they cannot replace other innovations<br />

entirely. This may lead to high upfront<br />

costs, even if the coatings themselves are not expensive compared<br />

to IoT and AI technologies.<br />

Many of the most disruptive smart coating applications<br />

are also in their early stages. More dramatic self-healing,<br />

damage prevention and reactive polymers have not seen<br />

extensive real-world testing, especially in their newer, more<br />

promising forms.<br />

Smart Coatings Market<br />

The economic potential of smart coatings is significant.<br />

Market researchers estimate that the global smart coatings<br />

industry was valued at $6.34 billion in 2024 and is expected<br />

to reach $7.9 billion in <strong>2025</strong>, reflecting an annual growth rate<br />

of roughly 25 percent. Longerterm<br />

projections suggest that the<br />

ALTHOUGH IT CANNOT<br />

COMPLETELY PREVENT<br />

CORROSION, THIS APPROACH<br />

CAN CUT MAINTENANCE COSTS<br />

BY AS MUCH AS 50 PERCENT<br />

BY LIMITING HOW FAR<br />

THE DAMAGE SPREADS.<br />

sector could even surpass $19<br />

billion by 2029 if current trends<br />

continue. The Asia-Pacific region<br />

was the largest segment of the<br />

smart coatings market in 2024<br />

and is expected to be the fastestgrowing<br />

region in terms of market<br />

share.<br />

Key drivers include demand<br />

for corrosion protection, antimicrobial<br />

properties and self-healing<br />

materials. Industries such as<br />

automotive, aerospace, construction<br />

and energy are expected to lead adoption. In northern<br />

regions, anti-icing and de-icing nanocoatings are emerging as<br />

a growing niche.<br />

Sources: American Coatings Association (ACA), The Business<br />

Research Company, revolutionized.com<br />

25 – 27.11.<strong>2025</strong><br />

NUREMBERG, GERMANY<br />

Unfold the<br />

world of<br />

Industrial AI<br />

34th international exhibition<br />

for industrial automation<br />

Automation astounds.<br />

With every new facet.<br />

The SPS – Smart Production Solutions has been the home of the automation<br />

industry since 1990, welcoming start-ups and global players alike to drive<br />

industrial development. It’s where technologies thrive, people come together,<br />

and ideas take flight. As industrial AI takes centre stage, a world of opportunities<br />

for productivity and efficiency awaits.<br />

Come and experience the latest industry innovations!<br />

Bringing Automation to Life


FUTURE<br />

Text: MIA HEISKANEN Photos: JARI KOSTIAINEN<br />

Photo: Jari Kostiainen. Original photo (DKO Architecture with Bluet Oy Ltd<br />

for Lotus Equity Group). And Photo of Teemu M. Jari Kostiainen<br />

What the Future Holds<br />

for Large-Scale Floating Solutions<br />

As sea levels rise and land grows scarce, the ocean is no longer just a frontier—it's a<br />

foundation. At WCFS<strong>2025</strong> in Finland, Dr. Teemu Manderbacka unveiled bold visions<br />

for floating megastructures that may reshape how and where we live, work, and<br />

build. What´s the beef for maintenance in his vision?<br />

AT THE 5TH WORLD CONFERENCE on<br />

Floating Solutions (WCFS<strong>2025</strong>) in<br />

Hanasaari, Finland, Dr. Teemu Manderbacka<br />

of VTT and Aalto University<br />

painted a vision that sits somewhere<br />

between speculative moonshot and<br />

near-future engineering reality.<br />

His talk, “Future Visions for Large<br />

Floating Solutions,” wasn’t just a<br />

pitch for ocean-based utopias—it was<br />

a grounded look at how floating infrastructure<br />

could tackle global crisis<br />

while navigating a regulatory minefield<br />

and practical maintenance dilemmas.<br />

The big idea is simple: the oceans<br />

cover 70 % of the planet. Why not use<br />

that space more intelligently? Dr.<br />

40 maintworld 3/<strong>2025</strong><br />

Manderbacka outlined three visionary<br />

directions:<br />

1.<br />

Floating Transport<br />

Carriers<br />

Imagine drifting platforms that<br />

harness natural ocean currents—zeroemission<br />

bulk transport systems slowly<br />

carrying materials like freshwater, minerals,<br />

even Saharan sand across the seas.<br />

No fuel-hungry engines, just the push of<br />

the Atlantic’s great conveyor belts.<br />

2.<br />

Ocean-Based Resource<br />

Harvesting<br />

Floating structures could<br />

support renewable energy generation<br />

(solar, wind, wave), aquaculture, carbon<br />

capture, and marine nutrient farming.<br />

These aren’t sci-fi fantasies; many of<br />

these technologies exist today—just not<br />

yet at the scale envisioned.<br />

3.<br />

Habitats on Water<br />

Floating hotels, retirement<br />

communities, emergency<br />

housing, or even full-scale cities—these<br />

modular megastructures could be relocated<br />

based on need. For events, crisis,<br />

or seasonal economies, transportability<br />

is the game-changing advantage.<br />

Vision Meets Reality<br />

While the ideas are bold, Mander-


FUTURE<br />

Villa W, Tukholma Ruotsi. Photo Jari Kostiainen photo credit Bluet Oy<br />

backa emphasized that floating<br />

infrastructure is already part of our<br />

world. Floating homes, entertainment<br />

venues, even marine farms are<br />

no longer experimental. However, the<br />

jump from niche applications to selfsustaining<br />

floating cities is a leap—and<br />

not just a technological one.<br />

Maintenance: The Unseen<br />

Backbone<br />

Maintaining floating systems isn’t<br />

like maintaining a ship or a building—it’s<br />

like both, simultaneously.<br />

Everything from hull integrity and<br />

environmental exposure to the reliability<br />

of onboard life systems needs<br />

constant attention.<br />

A central concern is logistics. How<br />

self-sufficient can a floating community<br />

realistically be? Will spare parts and<br />

services be delivered from land, or produced<br />

onboard? The degree of autonomy<br />

defines both cost and complexity.<br />

As Manderbacka noted in <strong>Maintworld</strong><br />

follow-up interview, “All structures<br />

require maintenance. Whether<br />

it's a building or a vessel, they have<br />

different needs—but floating structures<br />

must meet both.”<br />

<strong>Maintworld</strong> readers know this well:<br />

maintenance is not a footnote to innovation;<br />

it’s the core enabler.<br />

WE NEED A HYBRID<br />

LEGAL FRAMEWORK<br />

THAT REFLECTS THE<br />

REALITY OF FLOATING<br />

SOLUTIONS—MODULAR,<br />

MOBILE, AND MULTI-USE.<br />

The Legal Limbo<br />

If there’s a showstopper in this story, it’s<br />

regulation. Manderbacka underscored a<br />

paradox: floating structures don’t neatly<br />

fit into maritime or terrestrial law.<br />

Some nations might treat them as<br />

ships, subjecting them to International<br />

Maritime Organization (IMO) rules—<br />

designed for harsh open-sea conditions—even<br />

if they're moored in calm,<br />

sheltered waters. Others might apply<br />

building codes, creating mismatched or<br />

conflicting standards.<br />

That regulatory uncertainty makes<br />

investors wary. A floating structure approved<br />

in Helsinki might, for example,<br />

not pass muster just a few kilometers<br />

away in the city of Espoo.<br />

“The challenge is balancing transportability<br />

and local compliance,” Manderbacka<br />

explained. “We need a hybrid legal framework<br />

that reflects the reality of floating solutions—modular,<br />

mobile, and multi-use.”<br />

What Comes Next?<br />

For floating infrastructure to scale, a<br />

few things must happen:<br />

• Global legal alignment, or at least<br />

standardization zones.<br />

• Maintenance infrastructure built<br />

into design, from redundancy systems<br />

to remote diagnostics.<br />

• Business models that account for<br />

transportability, lifecycle costs,<br />

and multipurpose adaptability.<br />

• Public-private partnerships willing<br />

to absorb early-stage risk for longterm<br />

gains.<br />

The Maintenance Mandate<br />

Floating cities might be a distant goal, but<br />

floating infrastructure is already making<br />

waves. As urban pressure pushes coastlines<br />

to their limits, the sea is no longer<br />

just a backdrop—it’s part of the solution.<br />

For the maintenance industry, this isn’t<br />

a future problem. It’s now. From structural<br />

resilience to life-support systems, floating<br />

solutions demand a new kind of readiness.<br />

They must be built to move, survive—and<br />

crucially—be maintained to endure.<br />

3/<strong>2025</strong> maintworld 41


MANAGEMENT<br />

42 maintworld 3/<strong>2025</strong>


MANAGEMENT<br />

Text: LAURA VAN DER LINDE<br />

Photo: FREEPIK<br />

As a maintenance and asset manager, you can sometimes<br />

feel like you've ended up in a “perfect storm”.<br />

IN ADDITION to regular malfunctions,<br />

defects and other maintenance activities<br />

you have to deal with trends, developments,<br />

limitations, new orders from<br />

above and struggles from below - or the<br />

other way around. How do you keep<br />

the helm straight and ensure that your<br />

company stays on course?<br />

The term “a perfect storm” is used<br />

to describe a dynamic combination of<br />

events that together have much greater<br />

consequences than the individual<br />

events would cause separately. Sounds<br />

familiar?<br />

Technical Captain<br />

As a maintenance and asset manager,<br />

you are the captain of the ship called<br />

"The Technical Service". You set the<br />

course and make choices based on the<br />

most important value driver: do you<br />

focus on technical availability, or do you<br />

focus on minimizing operational costs?<br />

Or perhaps (new) legislation is currently<br />

leading, or you have to make important<br />

decisions in the area of ​lifetime extension<br />

or replacement of critical assets.<br />

Also, you have to deal with "the<br />

helmsmen standing ashore" who provide<br />

additional challenges or limitations<br />

in the form of reducing your OpEx<br />

and CaPex budgets. But whatever is decided,<br />

the maintenance and asset manager<br />

must bring the technical service to<br />

calmer waters.<br />

Different roles<br />

Peter Decaigny is a Partner at Mainnovation,<br />

a consultancy firm in the field<br />

of maintenance and asset management.<br />

He has experience with both large and<br />

small companies in industry, fleet, and<br />

infrastructure. He outlines the skills<br />

that the “average maintenance manager<br />

in <strong>2025</strong>” should possess: “The maintenance<br />

and asset manager as an economist,<br />

as a sustainability officer, as an ICT<br />

specialist, and as a people manager.”<br />

From Cost to Value<br />

“Maintenance is not necessarily a cost<br />

item. When you make smart choices,<br />

you can add value to the operating result<br />

with maintenance and asset management,”<br />

Decaigny says.<br />

This message is generally widely approved<br />

by management. It does mean<br />

that the maintenance and asset manager<br />

must calculate this in advance and<br />

also make it happen. How do you calculate<br />

the dominant Value Driver? How<br />

do you create a maintenance budget?<br />

“Besides the OpEx and CapEx, it is<br />

important to also take the average age<br />

of the installation into account. A young<br />

factory does not yet put much pressure<br />

on the CapEx budget, but at some point,<br />

this will change. Being able to calculate<br />

this properly and translate it into value<br />

in euros (or any other currency) will<br />

help to gain support from the board.”<br />

Steps Toward 2030<br />

In addition to economists, maintenance<br />

and asset managers are also increasingly<br />

involved in a company's sustainability<br />

objectives.<br />

“There is an obligation under the European<br />

Green Deal to reduce CO2 emissions<br />

and energy consumption by 2030.<br />

"It is also necessary to remain competitive.<br />

All of this has a considerable<br />

impact. There are even companies that<br />

are dismantling their factories because<br />

they cannot meet these requirements.<br />

Fortunately, these are exceptions."<br />

“Yes, sustainability requires the<br />

deployment of people and resources,<br />

but we can achieve good results with<br />

simple steps.” This is the outcome of<br />

the international study MORE4Sustainability.<br />

Digitalisation<br />

Developments in digital, sensoring, data<br />

and data sharing are almost faster than we<br />

can manage. And yet, as a maintenance and<br />

asset manager, it is required of you because<br />

we have to keep up and stay ahead of the<br />

competition. From Excel to CMMS or EAM<br />

tools, from predictive to prescriptive maintenance<br />

based on data and algorithms.<br />

“The good news: the new generation<br />

can help the older generation. They<br />

grew up with TikTok and YouTube.<br />

They operate a drone as if they have<br />

never done anything else and they know<br />

how to create a good Chat GPT prompt.<br />

Make use of this”, is the tip that Decaigny<br />

gives.<br />

Skill Transfer<br />

And of course, the maintenance and<br />

asset manager is also a team leader, a<br />

coach, a people manager.<br />

“Good technicians are hard to find.<br />

But once you have found them, it is<br />

important to keep them motivated and<br />

engaged.” Also the older employees require<br />

attention. This involves securing<br />

existing knowledge and skills. Find a<br />

way to unlock that knowledge and ensure<br />

that it does not disappear when the<br />

employee retires.<br />

“By linking older employees to<br />

young, new employees, you kill two<br />

birds with one stone: the older generation<br />

can transfer their knowledge,<br />

the newcomers learn how the factory<br />

works and how maintenance is carried<br />

out and they can teach their buddy<br />

something in the field of new techniques."<br />

"It is important, as a maintenance<br />

and asset manager, to ensure that there<br />

is understanding and respect for each<br />

other's way of working because it is undoubtedly<br />

different.”<br />

Conclusion<br />

Yes, it is a lot. And all these tasks are<br />

on top of the daily activities that can<br />

be considered “core business”, which<br />

ensure that the ship keeps sailing<br />

at all. But with extra effort you can<br />

tighten the sails a bit, anticipate immediately<br />

when the wind blows from<br />

a different direction, stick to your<br />

course better and perhaps even end up<br />

in calmer waters. That will ensure satisfied<br />

faces among the crew but also,<br />

the captain’s…<br />

Mainnovation is known for its methodology<br />

Value Driven Maintenance &<br />

Asset Management (VDM XL ).<br />

3/<strong>2025</strong> maintworld 43


ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE<br />

Industrial AI<br />

to double within a year<br />

A new global survey of<br />

more than 1,700 senior<br />

executives reveals that<br />

industrial AI is advancing<br />

faster than expected.<br />

text: VAULA AUNOLA<br />

photo: ISTOCK<br />

INDUSTRIAL AI is no longer a distant<br />

prospect. According to the IFS Invisible<br />

Revolution Study <strong>2025</strong>, the use<br />

of AI in manufacturing companies is<br />

predicted to almost double in the next<br />

12 months, from 32% today to 59%.<br />

At the same time, profitability improvements<br />

are already widespread,<br />

with 88% of organisations worldwide<br />

reporting that AI has had a positive<br />

impact on their bottom line.<br />

"AI is a key driver of business performance.<br />

Now is the time to close the<br />

adoption gap - bringing people, processes<br />

and products together to deliver<br />

tangible results," says Kriti Sharma,<br />

CEO of IFS Nexus Black.<br />

For example, in the US, 90% of senior<br />

decision makers plan to increase AI<br />

investment in <strong>2025</strong> compared to 2024.<br />

AI First Becomes the Norm<br />

The shift in organizational AI maturity<br />

is even more dramatic. Today, just under<br />

one-third of businesses (32%) claim<br />

to be “AI First,” meaning AI is deeply<br />

embedded into workflows and decisionmaking.<br />

But within a year, nearly 60%<br />

expect to achieve this level of integration.<br />

The number of companies still<br />

“experimenting” with AI is expected to<br />

plummet from 24% to just 7%.<br />

The research shows that companies<br />

are rapidly moving beyond pilot projects<br />

and concept testing. The proportion<br />

of organisations still "experimenting"<br />

with AI is expected to fall sharply,<br />

from 24% today to just 7% within a year.<br />

This marks a decisive shift towards integrating<br />

AI into key functions such as<br />

asset management, supply chain optimisation<br />

and manufacturing.<br />

But the momentum also reveals<br />

vulnerabilities. More than half of executives<br />

admit that their organisations do<br />

not yet fully understand AI. This lack<br />

of clarity can undermine adoption at a<br />

time of increasing competitive pressure.<br />

Training gaps become critical<br />

Skills development has emerged as one<br />

44 maintworld 3/<strong>2025</strong>


ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE<br />

of the most pressing challenges. Most<br />

managers believe that up to 60% of their<br />

workforce will need retraining to adapt<br />

to AI-enabled activities. Significantly, a<br />

third of respondents estimate that this<br />

need could apply to all employees in their<br />

organisation.<br />

This training gap is already being<br />

felt in recruitment. Many managers<br />

describe hiring AI talent as "extremely<br />

difficult", even in countries where the<br />

education system is seen as supporting<br />

the skills of the future. Without largescale<br />

retraining programmes, organisations<br />

risk being left behind just as the AI<br />

revolution accelerates.<br />

Over half of US firms (54%) offer formal<br />

training, yet 65% of US senior decision<br />

makers say their businesses still<br />

lack the knowledge to use AI to its fullest.<br />

By contrast, just 46% of respondents<br />

in Japan feel this gap exists, pointing<br />

to stronger internal confidence.<br />

AI Gains Without Strategy<br />

Another barrier is the lack of a strategy.<br />

More than half of managers, 53%, admit<br />

that their organisation does not yet<br />

have a coherent AI strategy.<br />

Despite this, financial returns have<br />

exceeded expectations. Globally, 70% of<br />

respondents report better-than-expected<br />

returns on their AI initiatives, which<br />

has driven investment. This figure rises<br />

to 92% in the US and 94% in Germany.<br />

Companies are achieving measurable<br />

benefits but do not yet have the<br />

strategies and governance models needed<br />

to sustain long-term change.<br />

Trust remains a barrier<br />

Over half of US organizations are already<br />

using automation AI (56%), predictive<br />

AI (54%), and agentic AI (35%), systems<br />

that can act autonomously to execute decisions.<br />

Globally, the numbers are slightly<br />

lower but still significant, demonstrating<br />

early momentum across industries.<br />

Despite improved profitability and<br />

operational efficiency, many managers<br />

remain hesitant to hand over decisionmaking<br />

power to AI. Only 29% say it<br />

would be easy to let AI systems make<br />

strategic decisions on their own. A large<br />

majority - 68% - believe that human<br />

judgement is still necessary before AIbased<br />

insights can be deployed.<br />

Concerns about bias and fairness remain<br />

acute. In the US, 63% of respondents<br />

consider bias to be a major concern,<br />

compared to only 40% in the Nordic<br />

“MORE THAN HALF OF<br />

MANAGERS ADMIT THAT<br />

THEIR ORGANISATION DOES<br />

NOT YET HAVE A COHERENT<br />

AI STRATEGY.”<br />

countries. This difference shows how<br />

cultural and regional differences influence<br />

the speed and scale of AI adoption.<br />

Global AI Oversight<br />

That lack of trust extends to how AI is<br />

governed. While many enterprises are<br />

moving forward with implementation,<br />

the call for oversight is growing louder.<br />

71% of US senior decision-makers, and<br />

62% globally, believe AI needs some<br />

form of regulation.<br />

Notably, 65% of global respondents<br />

support the creation of an international,<br />

independent body to oversee AI<br />

development and deployment, signalling<br />

that organizations are not only<br />

concerned about risk within their own<br />

walls but are calling for globally coordinated<br />

oversight as AI becomes more<br />

deeply embedded in critical systems.<br />

However, respondents in Japan<br />

(22%), Nordics (19%), the Netherlands<br />

(16%), and Germany (13%) were the<br />

most resistant to the idea of a global independent<br />

AI organisation.<br />

Education System and Future Workforce Skills<br />

Transforming Business<br />

AI is no longer just transforming operations;<br />

it’s redefining business models.<br />

77% of respondents (and 85% in the US)<br />

believe servitization — the shift from selling<br />

products to delivering value through<br />

services and outcomes — will become a<br />

dominant revenue model enabled by AI.<br />

Furthermore, 80% of senior decision-makers<br />

globally (and 90% in<br />

the US) expect AI-driven savings to<br />

be reinvested into their enterprises,<br />

fueling further innovation, growth,<br />

and expansion. Nearly three-quarters<br />

(73%) plan to pass some of these<br />

savings on to customers through improved<br />

pricing and enhanced service.<br />

However, this customer-centric view is<br />

not universally shared, particularly in assetheavy<br />

industries where margins are tight<br />

and competition is fierce. In these sectors,<br />

many expect efficiency gains from AI to<br />

be channelled directly into strengthening<br />

profitability rather than shared externally.<br />

Environmental impact is also firmly<br />

on the agenda. 86% of senior decisionmakers<br />

believe AI will help organizations<br />

meet sustainability goals — from<br />

energy efficiency and emissions reporting<br />

to CO₂ management.<br />

Source: IFS Invisible Revolution<br />

Study <strong>2025</strong>.<br />

% of respondents who strongly agree/somewhat agree that their countries education<br />

system is currently developing enough people with necessary skills to sufficiently meet the<br />

future workforce demands of their industry. Source: IFS Invisible Revolution Study <strong>2025</strong><br />

Global US UK France DACH NTH Nordics UAE &<br />

KSA<br />

Japan<br />

ANZ<br />

68% 82% 72% 64% 61% 67% 53% 79% 45% 73%<br />

AI and Organizational Profitability<br />

% of respondents that feel AI has positively impacted their organizations profitability?<br />

Source: IFS Invisible Revolution Study <strong>2025</strong><br />

Global US UK France DACH NTH Nordics UAE &<br />

KSA<br />

Japan<br />

ANZ<br />

88% 92% 91% 89% 94% 86% 72% 89% 83% 92%<br />

Support for Independent AI Regulation<br />

% of respondents who believe an independent organisation be critically involved/ significantly<br />

involved in regulating AI<br />

Global US UK France DACH NTH Nordics UAE &<br />

KSA<br />

Japan<br />

ANZ<br />

66% 75% 72% 77% 68% 61% 52% 62% 48% 69%<br />

AI’s Impact on the Environment<br />

% of respondents who believe AI will have a significant/somewhat positive impact on the<br />

planet’s environment over the next five years<br />

Global US UK France DACH NTH Nordics UAE &<br />

KSA<br />

Japan<br />

ANZ<br />

90% 96% 95% 90% 92% 84% 78% 91% 79% 94%<br />

3/<strong>2025</strong> maintworld 45


MAINTENANCE<br />

The New Arsenal of<br />

Military Readiness<br />

Eight Trends Transforming<br />

Defence Maintenance<br />

The defence and military sector has always been a pioneer in technology<br />

adoption. From the jet engine to satellite communications, innovations<br />

often take shape in the armed forces before finding their way into civilian<br />

industries. Maintenance is no exception. The battlefield of the 21st century<br />

is no longer defined only by firepower and strategy, but also by the capacity<br />

to keep complex, mission-critical assets in constant readiness.<br />

Text: PROF. DIEGO GALAR<br />

IN <strong>2025</strong>, a new wave of technologies<br />

and approaches is reshaping how<br />

military organizations around the<br />

world maintain their fleets, bases, and<br />

infrastructure. These innovations go<br />

beyond cost savings to include survivability,<br />

autonomy, and operational<br />

superiority. Simply stated, today’s<br />

battlefield is defined by the capacity to<br />

keep complex, mission-critical assets<br />

in constant readiness.<br />

What follows is a journey through<br />

the eight most impactful trends<br />

redefining defence maintenance,<br />

backed by real examples and the latest<br />

policy shifts. Together, they illustrate<br />

how maintenance has evolved from a<br />

supporting activity to a decisive factor<br />

in combat power.<br />

1.<br />

AI Predictive and<br />

Prescriptive Maintenance<br />

The shift from reactive maintenance<br />

to predictive approaches is now a<br />

reality across many military branches.<br />

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine<br />

learning (ML) are embedded into modern<br />

maintenance ecosystems, enabling<br />

the transition from predicting failures<br />

to prescribing the best course of action.<br />

U.S. Defense Budget <strong>2025</strong> (Illustrative Allocation)<br />

39%<br />

3% 3%<br />

■ Military Constructions & Housing<br />

■ RDT & E<br />

■ Procurement<br />

13%<br />

23%<br />

19%<br />

■ Personnel<br />

■ Operation & Maintenance<br />

■ Other<br />

Figure 1. Breakdown of the U.S. defence budget (<strong>2025</strong>). Nearly 40% is allocated to<br />

operations and maintenance, underscoring its central role in military readiness.<br />

46 maintworld 3/<strong>2025</strong>


MAINTENANCE<br />

Figure 2. AI-enhanced military maintenance cycle. Predictive and prescriptive analytics connect maintainers, repair shops,<br />

warehouses, and supply chains to improve availability, efficiency, and capacity while reducing shotgun maintenance<br />

A case in point is the USS Fitzgerald, a U.S. Navy<br />

destroyer equipped with Enterprise Remote Monitoring<br />

v4 (ERM). This system analyses over 10,000<br />

sensor signals per second, offering a real-time health<br />

profile of machinery onboard. Instead of scheduling<br />

maintenance based on calendar intervals, the system<br />

advises commanders exactly when and where intervention<br />

is needed.<br />

The payoff is enormous: reduced downtime, optimized<br />

spare part usage, and increased combat readiness.<br />

A system failure at sea can immobilize a vessel<br />

for weeks, but predictive tools allow maintenance<br />

teams to act proactively during planned stops.<br />

Innovation is not limited to ships. The U.S. Air<br />

Force is testing AI-powered algorithms for engine<br />

health monitoring on fighter jets, while NATO allies<br />

are investing in predictive vehicle maintenance to<br />

extend the service life of armoured fleets deployed in<br />

Eastern Europe.<br />

AI-driven maintenance is not a niche experiment<br />

but a global movement reshaping readiness<br />

doctrines. NATO allies are increasingly pooling<br />

resources to build shared AI platforms that harmonize<br />

maintenance data across different fleets,<br />

making multinational operations smoother. In the<br />

United Kingdom, the Royal Air Force has launched<br />

pilot projects where predictive analytics monitor<br />

Rolls-Royce engines on Typhoon fighters, cutting<br />

unscheduled downtime by double digits. In Asia-<br />

Pacific, Japan’s Self-Defence Forces are integrating<br />

AI into naval fleet diagnostics, while South Korea is<br />

experimenting with predictive maintenance for its<br />

K2 Black Panther tanks.<br />

Still, certain challenges remain. AI systems demand<br />

clean, labelled data, often scarce in legacy<br />

platforms. Algorithms must be explainable to gain<br />

the trust of military decision-makers. And cybersecurity<br />

is paramount: a manipulated dataset could trigger<br />

false recommendations with severe consequences.<br />

2.<br />

Right-to-Repair: Empowering the<br />

Frontline<br />

Running parallel to AI is a quieter but equally<br />

revolutionary development: the right-to-repair<br />

movement. For decades, military units were dependent<br />

on original equipment manufacturers (OEMs),<br />

often waiting weeks for authorized technicians or proprietary<br />

parts. In combat, that dependency is a liability.<br />

In May <strong>2025</strong>, the U.S. Department of Defense<br />

announced the “right to repair” provisions will become<br />

standard in Army contracts. Soldiers will gain<br />

access to manuals, diagnostic tools, and digital files<br />

3/<strong>2025</strong> maintworld 47


MAINTENANCE<br />

Photo by LCpl Alpha Hernandez / USMC (Photo ID 6969813)<br />

needed to fix equipment themselves—even fabricating<br />

replacement parts when necessary.<br />

This development is critical in theatres<br />

where logistics convoys are vulnerable to attack.<br />

A battalion stranded by a minor equipment<br />

fault can jeopardize an entire mission.<br />

If they have the right to repair, troops can<br />

patch and restore vehicles within hours instead<br />

of waiting for OEM support that might<br />

never arrive.<br />

Some compelling applications are emerging<br />

in aviation and naval domains. U.S. Air Force<br />

depots are exploring right-to-repair concepts for<br />

F-35 subsystems, allowing local teams to bypass<br />

long OEM approval times. Navies are experimenting<br />

with giving submariners autonomy to service<br />

critical life-support systems at sea. As these examples<br />

suggest, when operators who may be weeks<br />

away from supply hubs are empowered, even<br />

highly complex platforms can sustain themselves<br />

independently.<br />

Yet the policy has tensions. OEMs are reluctant<br />

to release intellectual property, citing lost<br />

revenue and safety risks if repairs are improperly<br />

executed. The success of right-to-repair will depend<br />

on balancing sovereignty, safety, and IP<br />

rights. NATO nations are already discussing harmonization<br />

to ensure interoperability in joint<br />

operations.<br />

3.<br />

Additive Manufacturing and<br />

the Mobile Factory<br />

Closely linked to the right-to-repair<br />

is the rise of additive manufacturing, better<br />

known as 3D printing. Once experimental,<br />

additive manufacturing has matured to the<br />

point of battlefield deployment. Programs<br />

such as Fleetwerx have developed mobile<br />

fabrication labs capable of producing spare<br />

parts in forward bases.<br />

Whether made of metal alloys, ceramics, or<br />

composites, these parts reduce dependency<br />

48 maintworld 3/<strong>2025</strong>


MAINTENANCE<br />

on vulnerable supply lines. Imagine a combat<br />

vehicle disabled by a broken valve. Instead<br />

of waiting days for delivery, technicians can<br />

3D-print the component within hours, often<br />

at reduced weight and optimized geometry.<br />

The British Army has trialled containerized<br />

additive manufacturing units in<br />

deployed environments, producing small<br />

arms parts and UAV<br />

components. The U.S.<br />

Marine Corps has tested<br />

3D-printed impellers<br />

for water purification<br />

systems, while the Australian<br />

Defence Force<br />

explored printing drone<br />

airframes during Pacific<br />

exercises.<br />

Importantly for highvalue<br />

platforms, additive<br />

manufacturing is moving<br />

beyond prototypes<br />

into certified airworthy<br />

parts. In <strong>2025</strong>, the<br />

U.S. Air Force approved<br />

the first flight of an F-22<br />

Raptor equipped with<br />

a 3D-printed titanium<br />

cockpit component. Naval forces are experimenting<br />

with printing pump impellers and<br />

valve housings directly onboard carriers.<br />

Submarine maintenance has benefitted as<br />

well: the Australian Navy has tested polymer<br />

3D-printed gaskets able to withstand deepsea<br />

pressures.<br />

THE PAYOFF IS ENORMOUS:<br />

REDUCED DOWNTIME,<br />

OPTIMIZED SPARE PART<br />

USAGE, AND INCREASED<br />

COMBAT READINESS. AT SEA,<br />

FAILURES CAN IMMOBILIZE<br />

VESSELS FOR WEEKS, BUT<br />

PREDICTIVE TOOLS ENABLE<br />

PROACTIVE MAINTENANCE<br />

DURING PLANNED STOPS.<br />

The real challenge is certification. Defence<br />

organizations require rigorous validation<br />

before deploying a printed part in<br />

mission-critical equipment. To address this,<br />

NATO is working on a joint certification<br />

framework for additive manufacturing. The<br />

vision is clear: every forward base could soon<br />

become a miniature factory, where supply<br />

chains are virtualized<br />

and resilience maximized.<br />

Taken together, these<br />

first three trends highlight<br />

a decisive shift:<br />

maintenance is no longer<br />

confined to depots or<br />

long supply chains, but<br />

is moving directly into<br />

the hands of operators<br />

and frontline units. AIguided<br />

troubleshooting,<br />

the ability to repair<br />

equipment without waiting<br />

for authorization,<br />

and the agility of additive<br />

manufacturing are transforming<br />

downtime into<br />

uptime and dependence<br />

into autonomy. Yet this is only part of the<br />

story. To truly harness these tactical gains<br />

at scale, armed forces are now embracing<br />

broader enablers — from digital twins and<br />

robotics to connected logistics and performance-based<br />

frameworks. These will be the<br />

focus of the next part of this article.<br />

Photo by Molly Rhine / U.S. Navy via DVIDS (Photo ID 5283818)<br />

Figure 3. Armed<br />

forces personnel<br />

exploring desktop<br />

3D printers,<br />

demonstrating<br />

on-site<br />

fabrication of<br />

spare parts for<br />

greater agility<br />

and resilience.<br />

3/<strong>2025</strong> maintworld 49


NEWS<br />

Maintenance strategies can help ESG goals<br />

Predictive maintenance and obsolescence management have long been<br />

recognised as ways for manufacturers to reduce downtime. But these<br />

approaches can also help companies meet their ESG (Environmental, Social<br />

and Governance) objectives, argues Matthias Ludwig, Managing Director of<br />

Radwell International Germany.<br />

The high cost of downtime<br />

A new Siemens report, The True Cost of Downtime 2024,<br />

highlights the financial scale of the problem. It found that<br />

unplanned downtime now costs the world’s 500 largest companies<br />

an average of 11% of their revenues – a staggering $1.4<br />

trillion, equivalent to the GDP of Spain.<br />

The challenge is exacerbated by ageing assets. A recent<br />

white paper by ERIKS UK & Ireland and IET revealed that<br />

more than 50% of equipment in 65% of factories is over ten<br />

years old. In over 70% of cases, no OEM spare parts are available.<br />

While equipment suppliers promote Industry 5.0 and<br />

IIoT solutions to minimise downtime in the future, many<br />

businesses must continue operating with legacy systems.<br />

This reality makes effective maintenance not only a financial<br />

necessity but also an opportunity to strengthen sustainability<br />

strategies.<br />

A strategic approach<br />

To capture these benefits, Ludwig recommends combining<br />

predictive maintenance and obsolescence management in a<br />

structured plan. The process typically follows four stages:<br />

1. Risk Assessment: Identify critical assets and evaluate<br />

obsolescence risk using data such as maintenance logs,<br />

supplier reliability, and end-of-line (EOL) plans.<br />

2. Repairs: Define in advance what can be repaired, who<br />

will do it, and what lead times apply – particularly for<br />

critical components like HMIs.<br />

3. Spare Parts: Secure key spares in advance to minimise<br />

downtime. Buying before a breakdown can save costs<br />

compared to last-minute sourcing of rare items. Subscription-based<br />

inventory services, such as Radwell’s new<br />

SparesVault, can also support this process.<br />

4. Strategy and Upgrades: Review maintenance policies<br />

regularly and plan upgrades proactively, rather than during<br />

unplanned downtime. For example, AC drives are<br />

often cost-effective upgrade candidates, offering higher<br />

productivity, reliability and energy savings.<br />

Financial and operational gains<br />

Planned upgrades and well-managed spares can significantly<br />

cut downtime and reduce costs. In some cases, obsolete parts<br />

may be more than twice as expensive as modern equivalents.<br />

By upgrading in advance, companies gain access to warranties,<br />

longer-term support, and more energy-efficient technologies.<br />

As Matthias Ludwig concludes, “Maintenance is no longer<br />

just about keeping the line running. Done strategically, it supports<br />

ESG targets, reduces costs, and ensures manufacturers<br />

get the best performance from both their people and their<br />

capital assets.”<br />

ESG benefits of maintenance and spares<br />

Choosing to repair or replace individual parts, rather than entire<br />

systems, brings clear ESG benefits:<br />

• Environmental: Resource efficiency, reduced waste,<br />

lower carbon emissions, and less water and energy use<br />

compared to full system replacement.<br />

• Social: Support for local suppliers and service providers,<br />

plus longer product lifecycles that increase customer<br />

trust.<br />

• Governance: Better resource stewardship, reduced operational<br />

and compliance risks, and improved transparency<br />

in sustainability reporting.<br />

In short, maintenance decisions can make a measurable contribution<br />

to a company’s ESG commitments, while also protecting<br />

the bottom line.<br />

50 maintworld 3/<strong>2025</strong>


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