PiiA’s Mission

The process industry lies at the very heart of the Swedish economy.

The process industry lies at the very heart of the Swedish economy. Covering all industrial businesses that turn bulk resources into new products, the industry includes operations in the paper and pulp, mining, pharmaceuticals, and oil and gas sectors, and accounts for nearly 50 percent of Swedish net exports.

Sweden’s process industry is seen as a world leader, thanks partly to the close cooperation it enjoys with the IT and automation companies that supply it with equipment and solutions. To maintain and improve this position, the industry and its suppliers need to enthusiastically embrace digitalisation and to find technologies and working methods that increase efficiency, profitability, and sustainability.

This is where the Process-Industry IT and Automation initiative (PiiA) comes in. Part of Sweden’s Strategic Innovation Program, PiiA’s goal is ensure that the process industry has the advanced IT and automation solutions it needs to harness digitalisation more effectively than its global competitors.

We aim to achieve this ambition by strengthening collaboration between the various process-industry sectors, their suppliers, and researchers. PiiA coordinates funding applications for innovation projects, supports research, analyses industry needs, brings together researchers, and helps industry players to access the training and talent that they need.

PiiA is one of 17 strategic innovation programs funded through a joint initiative of Sweden’s innovation agency Vinnova, the Swedish Energy Agency, and the Swedish Research Council.

Overall goals

PiiA began operations in 2013, our targets are centered around raising the process industry’s use of digital technologies and digital business and operational models.

One key goal is to help the industry, its IT and automation suppliers, and researchers in the sector to better manage ongoing change. Another is to help the industry and its suppliers to out-perform their global competitors in developing and implementing digital-based solutions. Success in this area will come in the form of the increased use of digital technologies in processes, products, services, and offerings across the industry.

By 2022, we want more than half the companies who have taken part in our activities to perceive that they have dealt better with changes in digitalisation than their competitors. Another goal is for more than half of the research groups who have taken part in PiiA activities to have strengthened their research, development, and innovation (RDI) abilities and international standing.