What we’ve learned from teaching IT/OT (and Why we’re doing it again this January)
We just put chemical engineers, IT architects, and automation vendors in the same virtual room for 12 hours. Turns out, when faced with common problems things get interesting.
We’re in the final sessions of our first two ITOT.Academy cohorts. When we kicked this off earlier in the year, we honestly weren’t sure how it would land. And we’re relieved to hear that people loved it!
⚠️ UPDATE January cohort sold out, May and September early birds are open ⚠️
What was it that sparked their interest?
Of course there were deep dives into our content, but what came out again and again was the interaction. Interaction with us of course, but also with the other students (and we even got the feedback to do more of this, which we will!).
We had a healthy mix: About 50% of participants are end users, 40% are vendors (often sending teams to actually understand the domain they’re selling into), and 10% are consultants. And the fact that they also were active in different industries only added the mix.
All this led to many different perspectives and ideas which was the perfect foundation for the hands-on session.
Thomas, IT/OT Architect at Suez, described it this way:
“What sets the ITOT.Academy apart is the way professionals from different industries and varying levels of maturity openly share their experiences, creating practical insights I can use in my own journey to drive IT/OT convergence.”
What Actually Happens in our Sessions
We’re not just reading slides for 2 hours.
We try to get people talking and love it when they voice their ideas and opinions. We work through real scenarios together using a digital whiteboard that’s become something of a living organism: filled with exercises, debates, notes, case studies and resources. A whiteboard that also stays with the group after the training.
Vitorio from HiveMQ put it this way:
“We worked on a real-life use case of a company facing operational inefficiencies, which made the exercise feel relevant and hands-on. I especially valued the opportunity to collaborate with people from different industries and roles ( from OT to IT ) and to hear their perspectives. It really highlighted how complex OT/IT cooperation can be, with multiple steps and stakeholders involved in driving a successful project.”
People agree and disagree.
They debate.
They bring their own war stories and realize they’re not alone in the struggle:
That’s when the learning actually sticks.
Registrations for the next group now open!
Based on how the first two cohorts have gone, we’re confident enough to announce the next one early. That gives you time to sort out training budgets and approvals.
Group 3 kicks off January 23, 2026
🕐 14:00–16:00 CET | 08:00–10:00 EST
🗓 Six sessions: Jan 23, 30 | Feb 13, 20, 27 | Mar 06
Next cohorts start May 22 and Sept 18
(If you are in a different time zone, or these dates do not work for you, leave your name and email on our waiting list and we will get back to you asap!)
What’s included:
12 hours instructor-led content (live online)
Full recordings of theoretical sessions (delivered next day)
Slide decks, worksheets, bonus resources
Access to the digital whiteboard workspace
Real interaction with us, your peers, and the problems you’re actually facing
Why We Built This
If you’ve followed our blog or podcast, you know we’re no fans of buzzword bingo. We’ve spent two years cutting through the fluff and making IT/OT practical.
The Academy is that approach, live.
We’ve also sold our first private cohorts to vendors using the program as internal training. That tells us something: this isn’t just useful for end users navigating their own IT/OT integration. It’s valuable for anyone who needs to understand this space deeply.
Your Turn
If you’ve been through IT/OT integration projects, what’s the one thing you wish you’d understood earlier? Drop it in the comments. We’re always looking for real-world insights to work into future sessions.
See you in January!
David & Willem
