A recently established open standard interoperability initiative called ‘Margo’ aims to remove the main obstacles to digital transformation. ABB Process Automation and ABB Machine Automation (B&R) are among the founding groups of industrial automation solution providers; driving the initiative. Margo aims to unlock interoperability at the edge, a key layer of Industrial IoT ecosystems where plant data is transformed into AI-powered insights to drive efficiency and sustainability.

The Margo initiative draws its name from the Latin word for 'edge' and will define mechanisms for interoperability between applications, devices and orchestration software at the edge of industrial ecosystems. It will make it easy to run and combine applications from any ecosystem member on top of the hardware and runtime system of any other member. Margo aims to deliver on its interoperability promise through a modern and agile open-source approach, which will bring industrial companies increased flexibility, simplicity and scalability as they undergo digital transition in complex, multi-vendor environments.