For its 30th anniversary in 2019, SPS IPC Drives is undergoing a name change: the trade fair for electrical automation, which is often referred to simply as 'SPS' in Germany and abroad, will now officially be known as 'SPS'. The abbreviation no longer stands for an essential component of automation technology - the programmable logic controller - as in the past, but for Smart Production Solutions.

What is the reason for this name change? In times when automation technology functions - such as control, drive, visualization - are increasingly distributed as software-based function blocks on a wide variety of hardware components, the very hardware-based name - SPS IPC Drives - no longer captures the essence of current and future automation technology. In addition, functions from the IT world - cloud and big data technologies, artificial intelligence, machine learning, digital twins - are increasingly enriching automation technology.

"With the name SPS as an abbreviation for Smart Production Solutions, we can maintain the very strong SPS brand and make it usable internationally, but also reflect the increasing presentation of holistic Industry 4.0 approaches - also by new exhibitors from IT," says Christian Wolf, Turck Managing Director and Chairman of the Exhibitor Advisory Board.

And Sylke Schulz-Metzner, Division Manager at Mesago Messe Frankfurt, where she is responsible for the SPS, adds: "We are thus consistently aligning the SPS with the digital transformation. In addition to its strong automation profile, it also makes a clear claim to reflect the digitalization opportunities for industrial production. We are expanding a strong brand core for the future, so to speak. And we are also giving the letter combination PLC an English meaning that it has not yet had."