Niels Kiupel, Ph.D., is the Vice President of Smart Operations at Evonik, with 26 years of experience in Automation, Safety, Project Management, OT, and Digitalization. Holding a Dr.-Ing in Electrical Engineering from the University of Duisburg, he began his career at Degussa, focusing on process control and I&E project management. Niels later led the I&E department at Degussa’s Herne site, overseeing automation and production IT. At Evonik, he has driven global plant and process optimizations as Senior Manager of Operational Excellence. Now, as VP of Smart Operations, Niels leads efforts to digitalize production plants and enhance OT security, significantly optimizing costs and capacity. Based in Germany, he is recognized for his impact on operational efficiency across Evonik.