The impact of control research on industrial innovation: What would it take to make it happen?

Silvia Mastellone, Alex van Delft The history of automatic control narrates how this pervasive discipline has enabled large leaps in technological innovation as well as impacted our everyday lives by driving our energy and transportation systems, industries and cities. Automatic control has evolved in time in synchronicity with the surrounding echnology, from analog to digital control, from linear to nonlinear and hybrid control. In an era of further technology transformation, encompassing digital and energy transitions, it is paramount to define how control is evolving to take part in this transformation. Looking at the innovation process led by societal needs and long term visions, we propose a framework to increase the impact of control research on technology innovation. Our journey begins by formulating an idea, a vision and asking the fundamental question: what would it take to make it happen?.