The 33rd SPS – Smart Production Solutions 2024, trade fair for smart and digital automation, once again thrilled everyone involved. With 1,114 exhibitors and around 51,300 visitors, the trade fair was once again a complete success this year. On a total of 125,000 m² in 16 exhibition halls, those interested were able to find out about a wide range of offerings relating to automation, digitalization, drive technology and software.
The automation industry as the heart and engine of the German economy – that’s how it felt when you walked through the halls of the SPS – trade fair for smart and digital automation. Innovations on every corner and lots of interested trade visitors. It is all the more pleasing that this feeling is also reflected in the final figures, because the SPS was again able to record an increase in visitors this year compared to the previous year’s event (2023: 50,081 trade visitors). “In view of the currently challenging economic situation in the industry, the increase in visitor numbers compared to the previous year is a strong and important signal for the automation industry,” summarizes Martin Roschkowski, President Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH. The trade fair was characterized by intensive technical discussions on new products and current market launches as well as outlooks on the automation and digitalization of the industry. “The SPS is the summit of automation specialists. Here, visitors experience the latest technologies and the associated experts live and can thus make and further develop valuable industry contacts. Even in difficult economic times, the SPS remains a strong place for innovation and discussion. Here we are shaping the future together,” says Steffen Winkler, CSO of the Automation business unit at Bosch Rexroth AG and chairman of the SPS exhibitor advisory board.
Highly qualified lecture program
The three days of the trade fair were framed by a focused and highly qualified lecture program with focus topics such as AI in automation and digital transformation. The total of four trade fair forums offered the opportunity to delve deeply into the subject matter and engage in direct exchange with the experts. And after the event, selected specialist contributions and panel discussions will be available on demand on the digital platform “SPS on air”.
Community stands as further crowd pullers
The joint stand “Automation meets IT” in Hall 6, which has been established for many years, once again attracted numerous visitors this year. Those interested could find out about IT management solutions and security measures for production, cloud and edge-based solutions as well as IoT and AI-based solutions from the 17 exhibitors. In Hall 8, the Young Innovators joint stand and the start-up area offered unique and up-to-date insights into the latest products, processes and services in the field of smart and digital automation. The offer was supplemented by pitches from newcomers at the trade fair forum right next to it.
Numerous offers for young talents Both the Makeathon, which took place over the entire duration, and the Young Talents Day on the last day of the trade fair were very popular: “Our exhibitors were immediately very interested in taking part in these offers the places are allocated in the shortest possible time. This confirms that we have hit the right nerve in times of a shortage of skilled and young talent,” sums up Sylke Schulz-Metzner, Vice President SPS. At the Makeathon, engineering students were able to apply what they had learned, demonstrate creativity and work on real projects.
In 2025, the new old trade fair date will be at the end of November
All in all, a completely positive picture that gives hope for an economic recovery in the country. A detailed trade fair analysis with further results for SPS 2024 will be available from the beginning of 2025. Next year, the trade fair will return to the well-known and proven date in the last week of November and will take place from November 25th to 27th, 2025 in Nuremberg.
In order to exchange ideas and network with the SPS community throughout the year and not miss current trends, the SPS offers a diverse program and information offering. In the SPS Automation Hub, technology-loving people are brought together to advance the future together with smart, digital solutions. Be it through digital events such as the monthly Technology Talks, through the SPS Insights with news from the industry or at the premiere of the Industrial Technology Summit on May 22nd, 2025 in Stuttgart.
Daniela Held, editor
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