Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1355344
April 2021 / 7 INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE PBE Growth and resiliency W riting anything related to business these days is difficult with- out some reference to the economic ravages of COVID-19, and, sorry to say, that applies to this column, too, but we can also look to the future. Although demand for some types of bulk solid products clearly has been impacted by the pandemic, many major players in the process sector are already showing signs of preparing for the inevitable post-pandemic economic "bounce back." This is evident from an apparent increase in activities relating to consolidating plant performance (with a focus on addressing reliability issues or fine-tuning plant operations) and studies supporting planning for plant upgrades and expansions. Allied to both these areas of activity is the shift from in-person courses, conferences, and training to online formats. The change in day-to-day working arrange- ments for many engineers, combined with an increase in the amount of available online technical content, has arguably put these engineers in a far better position to seek out and participate in these types of courses and seminars than would have been the case pre-COVID-19. Indirectly, this increased exposure to relevant information has the potential to reduce future project risk by equipping engineers with enough understanding to query design decisions or to challenge "standard practice" approaches to equipment selection and specification. A potential "knock-on effect," or consequence, of this may be that the industry will be in a more technically resilient position once markets fully recover, post-COVID, and will have the potential to more effectively future-proof production facilities through the wider deployment of best practices in design and procurement. The shift toward online information presents both challenges and opportunities compared to face-to-face delivery. On one hand, there's little doubt that the direct interactive nature of traditional, in-person information delivery provides its own engagement dimension, whereby cues from the audience can drive the exploration of particular content. On the other hand, taking notes and focusing on delivered content can be challenging at times. Online information clearly presents great advantages (where recordings are available) in allowing content playback. This allows the audience to focus on the material being delivered and supports the raising of questions. It's foreseeable that the future for learning sessions will be dominated by online delivery once society returns to normal. There will always be a place for face-to-face delivery, but in the same way that many have found work- ing from home a viable alternative to regular commuting, online learning sessions seem likely to become the new norm, which could be an advanta- geous development in fostering resiliency. Richard J. Farnish, Wolfson Centre, University of Greenwich