1. You joined Analog Devices (ADI) in 1986 as a design engineer from the University of Limerick. Since then, you’ve held a number of roles in different organizations within ADI. Can you tell us a bit about your experience and how it has contributed to your current role?

I’ve been with Analog Devices for nearly 37 years, starting as a design engineer. In those early days, I worked on developing semiconductor products, many of which may still be in use today. My journey has included various leadership roles, culminating in my current position leading our industrial business unit across EMEA. This experience has instilled a deep appreciation for our purpose-driven mission and the impact we can have on society and the environment.1

2. ADI is a large company with a diverse product portfolio. Can you tell us how the Industrial and Multi-Market segment fits into ADI?

ADI is recognized for its extensive product portfolio, spanning a wide range of industries from automotive to healthcare and beyond. The Industrial and Multi-Market segment is crucial to ADI’s business, encompassing applications such as factory automation, energy management and building infrastructure. This segment not only represents one of our largest sectors but also allows us to leverage our technologies across various markets, enabling us to meet diverse customer needs.

Over the last three decades, manufacturing value added per capita has surged, driven by IoT and the net-zero agenda, including gigafactories and electric vehicles. With much of the world’s energy consumed by industry, doubling factory efficiency is an urgent need. While renewable energy is vital, ADI emphasizes that improving energy efficiency can lead to cost savings and reduced emissions. Digital factories are key, requiring machines to convert analog data to digital for advanced processing, enabling better decisions at the Intelligent Edge and enhancing overall efficiency. Factory floors require more sensors to optimize efficiency and productivity. These sensors need high-performance signal chains and ADI are leaders in our core precision and power technology.2

Another space in factories where we expect to see growth is robotics, where the silicon content is really exploding. From 2018 to 2023, the use of robots has nearly doubled and to optimize efficiency, safety and productivity, there needs to be an increase in sensing, creating more data. This is driving an increase in signal chain and communications content. We estimate that upgraded robots will have around 25 percent more content than a traditional robot and automated mobile robots will have even more, up to 1.5x the content.2

3. Analog Devices is coming up to its 60th anniversary in 2025. As the company name implies, the initial focus was high-performance analog circuits. How have you seen the focus and product portfolio of the company change during your career?

Over the past 60 years, the semiconductor sector has undergone three major shifts: the mainframe era, the personal computing and mobile era and the IoT era. Today, we find ourselves in the Intelligent Edge era, characterized by ubiquitous sensing, hyperscale computing and pervasive connectivity. This new wave is driven by a deluge of data, AI and machine learning, bringing intelligence closer to the physical edge.

The Intelligent Edge era is one of the most exciting developments in technology, enabling real-time computation and data storage near data sources, thereby providing intelligent insights more quickly and saving bandwidth. This connectivity fuels new applications in Industry 4.0, autonomous driving, advanced communications, digital healthcare and augmented and virtual reality, increasing the demand for analog semiconductors. ADI is at the forefront of this transformation, supplying the intelligent sensing and connectivity essential for these innovations and working closely with our customers to bring intelligence to the edge.3

4. ADI has made a significant commitment to ESG and sustainability. How are these initiatives driving product development, and how does the product portfolio support these opportunities?

As a purpose-driven company, ADI views its innovations through the lens of the broader impact we can have on society. ESG is more than sustainability, it also means increased focus on a better life for humanity, including better safety practices, more informed healthcare and greater people-centric innovation. Semiconductors are critical to this effort.

Forecasts indicate that data creation will surpass 180 Zettabytes by 2027.4 At ADI, we are leveraging precision sensing technologies to create a broader, more accurate and immediate set of data.5 Precise data and insight-driven innovation are the heart of the breakthroughs that support and enrich our world, communities and lives. The world's access to increasingly greater amounts of quality data is enhancing the ability to generate timely, relevant actionable insights. With a wealth of real-time data, we can help our customers solve their problems more completely, whether for human health or industrial sustainability.5 For instance, our advanced battery management systems (BMS) for electric vehicles not only enhance charging efficiency but also can extend battery life and facilitate second-life applications like home energy storage.

Moreover, around 30 percent of our revenue comes from use cases with a sustainability focus, such as industrial efficiency, mobility and renewable energy, which are rapidly growing. We believe that energy efficiency and the adoption of clean energy solutions are critical to transition to a net-zero world. We’re focused on critical areas of emissions, transport, industry and energy production and delivery.

5. What else would you like our readers to know about ADI and your group?

Co-creation is in our DNA. We assist customers in navigating the complexities of product development while enhancing their unique differentiators. Our R&D center, ADI Catalyst, is pivotal in fostering collaboration with customers and partners across sectors such as Industry 4.0 and sustainable energy. With 1500 engineers working alongside our customers, we significantly accelerate innovation timelines, facilitating faster time-to-market for solutions. Importantly, our commitment to ESG principles extends beyond products; we are dedicated to responsible manufacturing practices, community engagement and employee well-being. For example, at our manufacturing facilities, we have achieved 58 percent renewable energy use and diverted 96 percent of waste from the landfill. Our employees are also actively involved in community initiatives, reflecting our commitment to making a positive impact.3

6. ADI talks about the “Intelligent Edge.” Can you tell us what that means and how the ADI product portfolio supports this vision of the Intelligent Edge?

At ADI, we define the edge as the intersection of the physical and digital world.6 The Intelligent Edge is driving a transformative phase for technology, characterized by pervasive sensing, hyperscale computing and advanced connectivity. This shift is enhanced by data proliferation, AI and machine learning. At ADI, we leverage our technologies to bring intelligence closer to the data source, enhancing real-time insights and improving decision-making. Our products enable new capabilities in applications ranging from Industry 4.0 to healthcare.

As we drive this revolution, our commitment to sustainability is paramount; we view our innovations as essential to not just business success but also to creating a better world through energy efficiency, reduced emissions and improved health outcomes.

7. The company is known as a leading innovator. What products, technologies and market segments are receiving your development focus? What has you excited about the future?

We are dedicated to driving innovation with a focus on sustainability and societal impact across several sectors:

  • Manufacturing: We enhance digital factories with advanced sensor technologies and real-time data analytics, improving efficiency and reducing energy use. Our solutions help optimize electric motors, which account for 70 percent of industrial electricity consumption, significantly cutting emissions.
  • Automotive: ADI is leading the shift toward electrification and autonomous driving. Our innovations in sensing, edge processing and BMS enable smarter, more efficient vehicles, contributing to CO2 reduction by improving EV range and battery life.
  • Energy: Our technologies in energy management and power conversion are accelerating the clean energy transition. We enable efficient capture of renewable energy, such as solar and wind.
  • Telecoms: ADI supports 5G rollouts and beyond with high-performance signal processing, improving wireless communication infrastructure and meeting growing demand for connectivity.
  • Healthcare: We develop technologies that enhance patient monitoring and diagnostics, supporting telehealth and wearable devices to improve healthcare accessibility and outcomes.
  • Power: Our power management solutions optimize energy use across markets, reducing waste and improving system reliability.

References

  1. ADI Uncovered: Gigafactories – Driving a New Wave of Automation Growth
  2. docs.google.com/document/d/1DE_a7425zATlwV0Dy1CWI7MTvivl4rRw/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=109027749612725601053&rtpof=true&sd=true
  3. SPS video script 2023
  4. www.statista.com/statistics/871513/worldwide-data-created
  5. www.analog.com/media/en/company-csr/2023-esg-report.pdf
  6. analog.com/en/resources/media-center/videos/6329973946112.html