The Control System Integrators Association (CSIA) held its annual conference in San Diego 11 years ago. That same year, 2014, CSIA launched the Industrial Automation Exchange, a digital marketplace where system integrators (SIs), industry suppliers and manufacturers connect and do business.
“There’s a lot of sharing between partners,” explained Jose Rivera, CSIA CEO. “This is what CSIA is all about.” At the CSIA 2025 Conference, which also took place in San Diego, the association launched the CSIA Learning Hub, an initiative to help system integrators to develop their teams and empower them to take more responsibilities.
“It’s a great time to be a system integrator,” confirmed Rivera, who has led the organization for 10 years and will hand over the reins to newly hired CEO Adrienne Meyer this summer (Figure 1). “Automation is a solution to many challenges, such as an aging workforce, increasing cost pressures, safety and environmental concerns. System integrators turn products into solutions. There is an expanding scope of supply.”
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The system-integration business is changing, explained Rivera. “It demands changes to sales approaches, business models and areas of expertise, which means a need for continuous professional development,” he said. “This is why we have the Learning Hub. We’re not claiming that we have all the answers. We’re providing the place for all of us to figure it out together. CSIA supports our system-integrator community on this journey.”
