Phoenix Contact has ushered in a new era of automation with the idea of open control systems and partnership-based cooperation.

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Industrial automation has experienced an enormous upswing in the last 25 years. But where exactly is automation today and where should or must it be in the future? Rainer Brehm takes a stand in this interview.

For 25 years, Computer&Automation has accompanied the growing influence of IT in automation technology. Ultimately, IT and automation can no longer be clearly separated. In this anniversary issue, you can read about the importance that automation could have in the future.

In a two-part series of articles, we shed light on the PLC's path to virtual control. In this second part of the article series, the focus is on functionally safe controllers - i.e. safety controllers. Can they also be virtualized?

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I am a Germanist by training with a soft spot for words and their impact. In addition, the world of technology has always had a very special appeal for me - because let's be honest: if you've been an editor at Computer&Automation for 22 years, you can't do it without enthusiasm!

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"Computer" - with this element in our magazine name in 1998, we wanted to take account of the IT influence in automation technology that was already emerging at the time. However, the expected IT influence took much longer than we expected at the time.

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Technology is a wonderful thing. As a tool, it helps us with many things. However, skepticism is a constant companion of new technologies.

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It's not just Computer&Automation that has reason to celebrate this year - numerous companies in the industry are also celebrating anniversaries in 2023. And whether it's ten, 50 or even 100 years - they all share a sense of pride in what they have achieved.

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Robot systems play a decisive role in overcoming current challenges such as demographic change and the shortage of skilled workers, says Andreas Röhring from Kuka. He talks about this and about resilience and adaptability as a recipe for success in this interview.

The industry is talking about cybersecurity, but it has not yet reached the masses, says Michael Walser from Sematicon. Find out why this is the case and what dangers in-house developments can pose in our interview.

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AT - Automation Technology is celebrating the company's 25th anniversary this year. Managing Directors Dr. André Kasper and Daniel Seiler are proud of what they have achieved over the years.

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Resilience is a crucial characteristic that helps to overcome challenges and obstacles in business life. Leadership that promotes resilience therefore clearly serves to increase the sustainable competitiveness of a company.

Service robots interact with people in a wide variety of areas. But how is the acceptance of service robots? Computer&Automation spoke to Thomas Hähn, CEO of the United Robotics Group, about this.

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It all started with the radio: 100 years ago, company founder Max Conrad delivered the first radio kit. Today, Conrad Electronic is an international procurement platform. CEO Ralf Bühler talks in an interview about difficult decisions and cross-border procurement.

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It all started with the terminal block, says Hans-Jürgen Koch from Phoenix Contact. Today, the company's goal is to fully electrify the world. For the future, Koch is certain that companies should cooperate more in areas that are not market-differentiating.

Volker Buchbauer cites the ability to change himself as the most important quality in Comau's 50-year history. In this interview, he explains what he means by this and why difficulties also bring opportunities.

Leuze is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. Dr. Henning Grönzin, CTO and Technical Managing Director of the Group, provides an insight.

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A recent analysis by Kaspersky has uncovered new, complicated infection tactics used by malware strains. According to this analysis, the famous Emotet botnet is using new infection paths via OneNote files to attack companies.

The shortage of skilled workers is real. Hartmut Rauen knows that this is not due to the attractiveness of the training program. Rather, the aim is to improve communication and highlight the importance of technology for the future. Another topic: the German jungle of regulations.

Festo hosted the conclusion of the Flairop research project, which worked on making order picking robots more intelligent using distributed AI methods. The project was funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection.