ABB has launched its Automation Extended program, a new framework designed to facilitate industrial modernization while ensuring operational continuity. This initiative builds upon ABB’s extensive experience in process automation and its significant installed base of distributed control systems (DCS). The program enables companies to adopt advanced automation capabilities in a phased approach, preserving the integrity of existing systems while incorporating the flexibility and scalability needed for modern industrial environments.
The Automation Extended program directly addresses the complex challenges faced by contemporary industries, including market volatility, cybersecurity threats, evolving regulations, and shifts in workforce skills. ABB’s framework allows organizations to innovate rapidly and agilely without disrupting ongoing production. It supports the deployment of advanced analytics and the integration of the Internet of Things (IoT), simplifying operational management for personnel with varying levels of technical expertise.
Driving Innovation in Mining
In the mining sector, ABB positions Automation Extended as a key driver for enhanced resilience, improved safety, increased productivity, and greater sustainability. The program paves the way for autonomous operations by leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. This capability is particularly crucial for addressing the challenge of retaining, documenting, and augmenting workforce knowledge as experienced personnel retire or transition out of the sector. The program also supports the energy transition and enables remote operational capabilities, providing operators with immersive experiences and contextualized information to boost effectiveness and ensure maximum plant productivity and reliability.
Research from ABB’s Mining’s Moment survey underscores the industry’s alignment with this vision, revealing that 77 percent of mining leaders view integrated electrification, automation, and digitalization as critical enablers for sustainable transformation [1]. Automation Extended’s open ecosystem approach is designed to meet the mining industry’s need to connect systems and data across organizational silos, promoting interoperability from mine operations through to port facilities.
Technological Foundation
The Automation Extended program is built on a modern, open, and modular technological foundation that prioritizes interoperability, scalability, and seamless integration across industrial domains. Its architecture separates critical industrial processes into two distinct, securely interconnected environments: a software-defined control environment for robust and deterministic control, and a digital environment for advanced applications, edge intelligence, and real-time analytics. This digital space utilizes AI and machine learning to support decision-making without compromising established control structures. A unified automation service approach manages the lifecycle and optimization of these environments, ensuring consistent management and maintenance.
The ecosystem incorporates contemporary technologies such as an Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture (OPC UA) backbone and a Cloud-Native Architecture. These leverage containerization, orchestration, and modular services to enable proactive anomaly detection, optimized maintenance through continuous condition monitoring of critical assets, and more efficient engineering practices deployable across diverse hardware. This architecture is engineered to deliver both scalability and agility while maintaining high performance standards.
Seamless Integration with Existing Systems
ABB’s existing customers can continue to operate their established systems, including ABB Ability™ System 800xA®, ABB Ability™ Symphony® Plus, and ABB Freelance. The Automation Extended program allows for the progressive introduction of new technologies without operational interruptions, offering a structured, low-risk modernization pathway that preserves continuity while fostering innovation.
Peter Terwiesch, President of ABB’s Automation business area, highlighted that the program provides modernization without disruption, a critical need for customers managing large, complex infrastructures that deliver essential resources. The initiative integrates future-ready capabilities into trusted existing systems, with security and interoperability as core principles. Access to these new capabilities will be facilitated through upcoming releases of ABB Ability™ System 800xA®, ABB Ability™ Symphony® Plus, and ABB Freelance process automation systems [2].
Sources
- https://im-mining.com/2026/02/02/abbs-automation-extended-to-enable-mining-innovation-with-continuity/
