Hexagon's cross-industry technology conference was held in Beijing on  Monday, attracting thousands of Hexagon employees, customers, technical  partners and business leaders from around the world to discuss the  application of emerging technology in bridging the physical and digital  worlds

Hexagon's cross-industry technology conference was held in Beijing on Sep 10, 2018. [Photo by Cui Can/China.org.cn]

Kicking off proceedings in his "he Big Leap" keynote speech, Hexagon  President and CEO Ola Rollén spoke about applying technology to bridge  the physical and digital worlds.

"Big leaps make great things happen," he stated, "and the internet  was an avalanche that changed the consumer world and similarly, IoT  (Internet of Things) is a force bearing down on all of us that will  completely change the way we do business."

Mr Rollén also emphasized the power of data. "Currently, nearly 90  percent of the data is produced by machines because of IoT, and only 50  percent of this data is used." He believes that the real challenge is to  ensure that our data and technology are in sync, and not totally  overwhelmed by this Pandora's Box. "So, what we have to do is to put a  'shield' between ourselves and the data flow, comprising artificial  intelligence, Cloud orchestration and Edge Computing."

Hexagon is a global leader in digital solutions that create  Autonomous Connected Ecosystems (ACE), a state where data is connected  seamlessly through the convergence of the physical world with the  digital, and intelligence is built-in to all processes.

Li Hongquan, the president of Hexagon China introduced the strategies  of Duet Smart manufacturing and smart cities, in his keynote speech.

Li said that, with the ACE, Hexagon's digital solutions are  transforming industry dynamics and shaping new business models  everywhere, whether driving quality and productivity improvements in  manufacturing, improving the building or operation of complex industrial  facilities, or managing infrastructure networks and delivering public  services.

The 2018 event, running until Sep 12, features an exhibition area,  covering different zones with regard to smart manufacturing, mining,  smart cities, AI and cloud computing, showcasing more than 200 product  demos. There are also various comprehensive seminars and training  programs running every day totaling more than 400 sessions. And last but  by no means least, there are a number of thought provoking keynote  speeches from senior management. Around 5,000 people will attend the  HxGN Local Beijing 2018.