On January 1, 2026, Ad van de Noort officially took over the role of CSO EMEA at the Lapp Group. He had been in charge of sales in the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East, Africa) on an interim basis since June 2025.

Siemens is integrating Aster's test verification software into its Xpedition and Valor solutions. The acquisition is aimed at end-to-end processes from PCB design to production.

The new Profinet V2.5 integrates real-time and TCP/IP communication, enhanced cyber security, and modern Ethernet technologies. All updates are reflected in GSD/GSDX files and test systems.

From January 2026, the image processing brands Allied Vision, Chromasens, Mikrotron, NET and SVS-Vistek will be merged under the Allied Vision brand. The companies, which are part of TKH Group NV, will combine their technological know-how, individual strengths and industry-specific expertise. This makes them a single-source provider of seamlessly integrated hardware and software solutions.

Dematic and Hai Robotics have recently agreed a Europe-wide partnership to work together as integration partners in the field of warehouse automation. Through this cooperation, the provider of automation solutions for supply chains and the specialist for autonomous mobile robots (AMR) are pooling their core competencies to develop solutions for warehouse and logistics applications.

The German industrial group Schaeffler and the British technology company Humanoid have agreed a strategic partnership for this purpose. The aim is to equip humanoid robots with precise actuators and integrate them into industrial processes on a large scale.

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Dr. Jochen Peter (50) joined the Executive Board of Bosch Rexroth AG in Lohr am Main on January 1, 2026 and will become Chairman of the Executive Board on March 1, 2026 after a familiarization phase. He succeeds Dr. Steffen Haack (59), who will step down as Chairman on the same date but remain a member of the divisional board.

Schaeffler has announced the appointment of Maximilian Fiedler (38) as Regional CEO Asia/Pacific effective January 1, 2026. In this role, he will be a member of the Executive Board of the Schaeffler Group and represent the Asia/Pacific region.

Two new positions were filled at ifm at the start of 2026: Markus Wolf becomes Managing Director Sales Germany, Sven Quant takes over the position of Central Managing Director in the Process Sensors division within the ifm Group.

Red Hat is continuously strengthening its dynamic, networked partner ecosystem. Now Kevin Kennedy has been appointed as the new Vice President of the Global Partner Ecosystem.

At CES, Siemens presented technologies to accelerate industrial AI: new digital twins, AI co-pilots, an Industrial AI Operating System and applications in manufacturing, energy and life sciences.

TeamViewer has introduced 'Agentless Access', an extension of the 'Tensor' enterprise platform. The function enables industrial companies to securely maintain machines and control systems remotely without having to install software locally on the devices.

With the new version of its 'Software Defined Automation' platform, Logiccloud shows how virtualization and AI are changing industrial automation. An integrated AI assistant enables the rapid creation of complete automation apps.

Hilscher has released a new version of the 'netField Cloud'. With version 4.0, the company is expanding the platform for industrial device management with new functions and an optimized user experience.

On January 1, 2026, the Lapp Group assumed operational responsibility for the cable business, which was previously managed by the DKSH Business Unit Technology, Taiwan. With this strategic agreement, Lapp establishes its own company in Taiwan.

Mayr Antriebstechnik strengthens location and international logistics: Construction of a new hall in Mauerstetten - parallel expansion of the plant in Poland as a logistics hub.

ifo Institute presents new findings on AI use in the workplace: Only 20 percent of employees use AI regularly on the job. The use is often self-initiated, while company-introduced AI is associated with higher usage and productivity gains.

The global market value of installed industrial robots reaches 16.7 billion US dollars - a new high. The International Federation of Robotics (IFR) analyzes five technological and structural trends that will shape robotics and automation in 2026.

Proalpha acquires Spanish MES provider Mapex and expands its portfolio with an AI-supported, modular MES platform for digital shopfloor, ERP integration and international expansion.

The Lapp Group, a provider of cable and connection technology, has fully acquired JJ-Lapp, a joint venture between Jebsen & Jessen and Lapp with a focus on the Southeast Asian market. At the end of 2025, the companies completed the transaction for the remaining 50 percent of the company's shares. The acquisition is the largest in Lapp's history.