SPS - bringing automation to life

AROUND 1200 companies will be represented across 16 exhibition halls covering 125,000 square meters. International key players in automation such as Bosch Rexroth, Siemens, Rockwell Automation, Mitsubishi Electric Europe, YASKAWA Europe, Advantech Europe, ABB, igus, STMicroelectronics International, Contrinex Sensor, Exor International, and Microchip Technology will be returning this year, along with many newcomers who are exhibiting at the SPS for the first time.

Steffen Winkler, CSO of the Automation Business Unit at Bosch Rexroth AG and chairman of the SPS Exhibitors’ Advisory Board, explains why his company will be exhibiting again this year: “The SPS 2023 was a resounding success for Bosch Rexroth, with an impressive increase in visitors of over 40%. For us and for our ctrlX OS ecosystem partners, the SPS is the most important trade show in the world. In 2024, we will be back with a wide range of innovations relating to ctrlX AUTOMATION, ctrlX OS, and ctrlX World. We are looking forward to presenting the latest innovations and developments from our platform and shaping the future of automation technology together with our partners.”

“As the world’s largest company dedicated to industrial automation and digital transformation, the SPS trade fair is an important event for Rockwell Automation so we can connect with attendees and showcase our innovative hardware, software and services – optimizing production, accelerating growth through transformation, building resiliency, empowering people and driving sustainability. Visitors at our booth in Hall 3C can see how our solutions are helping our customers create the future of industrial operations”, explains Uwe Keiter, managing director and director sales OEM Germany at Rockwell Automation.

Must-attend event

According to the figures for last year’s event, 13,851 (or 28%) of the 50,081 visitors traveled from outside of Germany. Due to the wide range of offerings from automation suppliers and its highly specialist nature, the SPS is widely referred to as a must-attend event.

For Lucas Moreno, CTO at Tecnopower TML SL in Spain, the SPS is a highlight event, which he describes as "one of the most important industry automation exhibitions in Germany".

Robert Brunson, vice president of sales and marketing at Wallace Electronic Sales in the USA, also had an extremely positive experience as a visitor to the SPS last year, and commments: “A great event. As an American it is valuable to see what the European control and automation industry is doing. This is very valuable to my firm and our clients.”

Product presentations and live demos

At four exhibition forums in Halls 1, 3, 6, and 8, visitors from all over the world can learn about the latest trends and products, listen to expert presentations and panel discussions, and enjoy live demonstrations. The program of the Technology Stage, the forum in Hall 3, which is presented by the German Machinery and Equipment Manufacturers Association (VDMA) and the German Electro and Digital Industry Association (ZVEI), will also be broadcast live via the complementary digital platform 'SPS on air' and is available in German and English. The main topics for 2024 are:

- Digital transformation

- Industrial communications

- Safety and security

- Data spaces

- Data driven and intelligent concepts for control and visualization

- Sensor innovations

- Drives

- Sustainability

- AI in automation.

Joint stands

With around 20 exhibitors, the long-established 'Automation meets IT' joint stand in Hall 6 will offer visitors comprehensive insights into this subject as well as the opportunity to receive individual advice from suppliers.

The joint stand will focus on IT management for manufacturing; cloud and edge-based solutions and services; security measures for manufacturing; IoT and AI-based solutions; and open source.

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