After difficult years, the European machine vision industry is sending out the first signs of recovery: growth is expected again in 2026 - driven by global demand, AI and automation. However, uncertainties and weak investment in Europe continue to slow down the momentum.

Many developments in the field of artificial intelligence have so far failed to be transferred from the research laboratory to industrial practice. The spin-off Athenyx Robotics from RWTH Aachen University aims to change this: The start-up is transferring robotics research results into real production environments.

In the 'GenSATIOn-Edge' project, the Fraunhofer Institute for Microelectronic Circuits and Systems IMS is working with partners to develop intelligent sensor systems for the continuous monitoring of industrial processes. AI models run directly on edge devices and enable adaptive process monitoring without a cloud. The first results are now available.

The MIPI Alliance has announced the establishment of a Physical AI Birds of a Feather (BoF) group. The aim of the collaboration is to research new technologies and trends in the field of physical AI, with an initial focus on humanoid robots.

Thanks to innovations and a focus on strategic industrial markets, Sick was able to moderately increase its sales in the 2025 financial year. In a turbulent market environment, the company was able to maintain its position and gain market share with sensor solutions. Profitability remains at a low level.

Over the next five years, Bosch is investing around 200 million euros in its subsidiary Bosch Business Innovations. As a corporate venture builder, the unit develops new business ideas beyond the current core business and builds start-ups from the early stages onwards. The aim is to systematically bring these to market maturity.

An independent jury of top-class experts from business, research and society has nominated three companies for the Electrifying Ideas Award 2026: Ideas from Philips, Rittal and ZeMA - Center for Mechatronics and Automation Technology convinced the jury.

Humanoid robots are already performing various tasks in industrial production. A representative survey commissioned by the digital association Bitkom shows how the industry views this overall.

'IdentChain' is a platform from Leuze with which identification systems can be networked at field level.

Lütze is launching a series of robust 'M12 Power' circular connectors for manual assembly with sturdy nickel-plated brass housing material.

A report from Check Point Exposure Management on the threat landscape in the manufacturing industry shows a dramatic increase in ransomware, supply chain attacks and OT-related cyber incidents. As smart factories and connected supply chains become more prevalent, attackers are changing their tactics.

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Habia, a global supplier of customized high-performance cables, announces changes in the company's management: On April 1, Axel Barnekow Widmark took over the position of Chief Executive Officer. He succeeds Carl Modigh, who will remain with the company as a member of the Advisory Board.

In the 2025 financial year, Bosch Rexroth generated sales of around 6.5 billion euros. The company thus succeeded in maintaining its business at the previous year's level despite the persistently difficult environment. Order intake recorded significant growth.

Dassault Systèmes and Neura Robotics combine virtual twin technologies and cognitive robotics to scale physical AI. The partnership combines virtual planning, AI training and real automation in a continuous end-to-end pipeline.

In the past 2025 financial year, the Wago Group achieved an eight percent increase in turnover compared to the previous year. The company is also expanding its product portfolio and entering the smart home market.

AI is shifting threat models for industrial infrastructures. Federation Architecture proposes a disciplined middle ground between isolation and full integration - with edge autonomy, one-way data flow, and human approval.

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In Germany, many companies are already using generative AI in software development. However, there is a reluctance to use agent-based AI. The main reasons for this are integration problems, legacy systems and governance requirements.

Teamviewer has introduced key enhancements to its industry solutions 'Agentless Access' and 'Assist AR'. The company is thus strengthening its AI-supported offering at the interface between operational technology (OT) and IT.

With 'Z14I-HG' Durabook presents an AI-ready Fully Rugged Mobile Workstation with Nvidia RTX 5000/3500 Ada graphics.

Check Point Software Technologies has introduced 'Check Point AI Defense Plane'. This unified AI security control plane helps organizations manage the networking, deployment and operation of AI across the enterprise.