Three days of concentrated automation technology are over and exhibitors, visitors and organizers are satisfied: Despite the rail strike on the last day, a total of 50,081 visitors (2022: 43,813 visitors) made their way to Nuremberg from 14 to 16 November 2023 and found out about the latest trends from sensors to the cloud from 1229 international exhibitors on a total exhibition area of 128,000 m². The trade fair was accompanied by a varied supporting program and the accompanying digital platform 'SPS on air'. The entire lecture program of 'SPS on air' consists of live-streamed contributions from the Technology Stage powered by VDMA/ ZVEI in Hall 3 and will also be available on-demand after the trade fair until 31.12.2023.

"Networked automation technology is the key to success. We are proud to have achieved such a result with this year's SPS and the figures speak for themselves. Due to the high demand from exhibiting companies, we took account of this positive development in advance by expanding the two exhibition halls 3C and 8, and this was confirmed," explains Sylke Schulz-Metzner, Vice President SPS at Mesago Messe Frankfurt.

Steffen Winkler, CSO of the Automation Business Unit at Bosch Rexroth AG and Chairman of the SPS Exhibitor Advisory Board, is also satisfied: "SPS is still regarded as the leading industry event for automation. The trade fair sets the pace for the market and is the highlight of the year. SPS 2023 has successfully reached the pre-corona level and has returned to where it left off before the pandemic. But that's not all: as the only industrial trade fair that brings the topic of automation to all relevant regions of the world under one brand, it is now taking a logical step and expanding into the USA. It is a great honor for me as Chairman of the Exhibitor Advisory Board to be involved in driving this leading automation platform forward and to be part of its success story."

Taking current trends into account

The forums in Halls 3, 6 and 8 addressed current trends. In addition to panel discussions and specialist presentations, exhibitors used the platform to showcase their latest products. The variety of topics ranged from digital transformation / Industry 4.0, industrial communication, safety & security, data-driven and intelligent concepts for control and visualization, sensor innovations to drives and sustainability through automation.

In addition to the classic automation topics of control technology, drive technology and sensor technology, the area of software & IT has become increasingly important in manufacturing. As a result, the topics of artificial intelligence and IT security in the world of automation are also coming to the fore.

Concentrated information at joint stands

The three joint stands were also popular points of contact at this year's trade fair: the 'Automation meets IT' meeting point, which has been established for years, as well as the 'BMWK Förderareal' and the 'Start-up Area' as new additions.

At the 'Automation meets IT' joint stand, visitors were able to obtain targeted information on topics such as IT management for manufacturing, cloud and edge-based solutions and services, security measures for manufacturing, IoT and AI-based solutions and open source. For the first time this year, the 'Young Innovators' funding program of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK) gave young, innovative companies the opportunity to exhibit at SPS. Young talents were also offered a platform for the first time in the "Start-up Area" to present their solutions and products to an international audience.

Next year, the trade fair will take place in Nuremberg from November 12 to 14, 2024. In addition, the SPS community can expect a diverse and, above all, year-round range of new exchange platforms from 2024. Whether as part of the SPS Technology Talks digital event series, dedicated expert newsletters or on the 'SPS CareerDrive' career platform, where suppliers and users can network.