Experience Industrial Innovation

This year’s speaker lineup brings together customers, industry experts, and technology leaders who are shaping the future of industrial operations. Through real-world case studies and practical presentations, our speakers will share what’s driving results today, and how to prepare for what’s next. Explore the sessions below. 

Stéfane Marion
Chief Economist and Strategist, National Bank of Canada
Executive Vice-President, Capital Markets

A macro‑level view of the forces shaping today’s industrial investment landscape, geopolitics, capital access, ESG expectations, AI, and shareholder pressure, and what they mean for project development and continuous improvement.

Honourable Nate Glubish 
Minister of Technology and Innovation, Government of Alberta

An outlook on Alberta’s industrial future, the role of government in enabling development, and what policy, approvals, and innovation priorities mean for projects moving forward.

Shawn Niemetz
Practice Leader, Modern Plant Design, Spartan Controls

Dewey Kuchle
Managing Director, Strategic Growth and Development, Spartan Controls

Early engagement with an automation partner can significantly reduce risk in capital projects. Modern Plant Design brings project stakeholders together early to align design strategy with execution, ensuring each milestone delivers measurable value.

This session explores how people, process, and technology can be leveraged to reduce cost, manage change, and deliver a connected, optimization‑ready facility, eliminating stranded data and enabling visibility from the field to the boardroom.

Brian Van Vliet
Practice Leader, Environmental Solutions, Spartan Controls

Blake Wickland
Executive Director, Methane Emissions Leadership Alliance

While attention on ESG and GHG may fluctuate, regulatory expectations remain. Planning for environmental outcomes is essential, not only for compliance, but to quantify performance, satisfy capital markets, and reduce long‑term risk.

This session explores a practical, business‑case‑driven approach to environmental performance, identifying emission sources, reducing energy intensity, and minimizing carbon exposure. By moving from reactive reporting to proactive planning, organizations can lower operating costs, reduce risk, and turn sustainability from a liability into measurable value.

Doug Ndegwa
President and Chief Executive Officer, Spartan Controls

A local perspective on the evolving needs of Western Canada’s industrial sector. As expectations increase, industry is asking more from its supply chain, greater performance, flexibility, and value. This session shares how we’re responding to support that evolution.

Moderator: Terry Chmelyk
Vice President Systems, Software, and Solutions, Spartan Controls

Justin Belcourt 
Director of Production Operations, International Petroleum Corp.

Rick Kephart
Vice President of Technology, Emerson, Power Water Solutions

This panel explores how modern industrial projects are developed,  and why success is often determined long before construction begins. As investment accelerates across gas, power, and digital infrastructure, teams face increasing pressure from capital constraints, labour availability, and performance expectations. The discussion will focus on early‑stage decisions, the role of design and technology, and what it takes to deliver infrastructure faster, smarter, and at scale.

Devin Marshman
Practice Leader, Digital Process Optimization, Spartan Controls

This candid discussion with an owner/operator explores what it really takes to deploy people, process, and technology in a live operating environment.

We’ll examine the “why now” behind the investment decisions, the trade‑offs made, results versus expectations, and the realities of risk and change management. The session closes with a look ahead at what’s next on the roadmap and how value continues to scale over time.

Devin Marshman
Practice Leader, Digital Process Optimization, Spartan Controls

Eric Williams
Director Technical Services, TransAlta

In this panel, a power producer shares the real story behind building a modern asset reliability and performance program. What began as a technology‑focused effort evolved into a broader, program‑level approach, aligning people, process, and technology.

The discussion covers key drivers behind the shift, early wins and challenges, and how the program is being scaled for sustained performance and continuous improvement.