Digitalization Applications Technology Committee Meeting

Co-located at Industrial Automation & Control System Fundamentals

9 March 2026 • Hilton Indianapolis Hotel & Suites • Indianapolis, IN, USA

►Agenda (PDF)
►Register or contact ldlugopolski@aist.org

Hotel Arrangements

Hilton Indianapolis Hotel & Suites
Indianapolis, IN, USA
Corydon Room, located on the 2nd floor

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Hilton Indianapolis Hotel & Suites. Please call the hotel at +1.317.972.0600 by 16 February 2026 to secure the AIST discount rate of US$209 per night for single/double occupancy.

AIST technology committee members are asked to print out the latest revised meeting agenda from our website one week prior to this meeting.

Monday 9 March 2026

Lunch will be served in meeting room

  1. Chair’s opening remarks – Kris Kent, Nucor <1:00 p.m. >
  2. Appoint minute-taker
  3. Antitrust guidelines
  4. Membership and attendance
  5. Review minutes of previous meeting - 
  6. AIST Staff Announcements
  7. AIST Steel Industry Fatalities
  8. Main agenda items
    • Finalize AISTech sessions – Brad Morgan, Nucor & Chalapathy Devarakonda, BRS
      • Papers due to AIST (17 February)
      • Author Registration deadline (5 March)
      • Presentation Draft Due in to AIST (17 March)
      • Re-emphasize the role of Session Chair and Papers Chair
    • Nominations for committee officers

Chair - Krist Kent, Nucor

Vice Chair - Brad Morgan / Chalapathy Devarakonda, BRS

Papers Chair - TBD

Young Professional Chair - Sam Jacobson, Iba America, LLC

  • Technology Training conference 
  • Industrial Automation and Control System Fundamentals training course – David Kober
  • Digital Transformation for the Steel Industry Forum, 13-14 October 2026, Sheraton, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Call For Abstracts – Contact agauffin@aist.org

Call For Panelists – Safety, Predictive Maintenance, Producer Panels

  • Update from liaisons—Digital Transformation Subcommittee (meeting was organized on 27 October 2025), Decarbonization, Young Professionals (if applicable)

 Discussion items

 During the fall meeting, it was discussed that the DATC should lead the formation of an AI Applications Subcommittee within AIST. A first draft of the proposed charter outlining the framework for moving forward with the AI subcommittee has been created and reviewed by AIST management.

Ron Ashburn addressed this topic during the Leadership Conference in October 2025 where the goal was to gauge producer interest in joining the subcommittee.

As this is a Subcommittee, the only approval needed is the general approval of the DATC.

Action Plan:

Q1: Formalize charter and recruit founding members.

Q2: Conduct baseline survey of AI initiatives across AIST member companies.

Q3: Host webinar – 'AI in Steel: From Data to Decision.'

Q4: Submit AISTech 2027 technical session and release AI Readiness Framework draft

  1. Next meeting AISTech 2026 Pittsburgh, PA
  2. Chair conclusion – Kris Kent, Nucor
  3. Adjourn    <4:00 p.m.>

Registration Open 4:00-6:00 p.m.