When the doors of Nürnberg Messe open from 25–27 November 2025, the world of automation will once again turn its focus to SPS – Smart Production Solutions. The international trade fair brings together decision-makers, developers and visionaries from around the globe. For more than three decades, it has been a fixed year-end highlight in the industry’s calendar – a platform for innovation, exchange and technological direction-setting, and a reliable trend barometer for developments in the automation sector.
In 2025, SPS will transform 15 exhibition halls into an impressive stage for around 1,150 companies from the automation industry. Exhibitors will present advanced solutions for intelligent production along with their current product portfolios. The spectrum ranges from international industry leaders such as Siemens, Beckhoff Automation, Phoenix Contact and Bosch Rexroth to numerous start-ups showcasing their innovations at their own booths.
A central topic of this year’s SPS is the deployment of artificial intelligence in manufacturing technology. Industrial AI is currently making broad inroads into a wide variety of industrial products and processes – supporting engineering workflows, integrated into control devices through diverse AI models, or embedded in intelligent tools for predictive maintenance, quality assurance and adaptive production control. These technologies are fundamentally transforming automation and unlocking new potential for efficiency, flexibility and resource conservation.
“Industrial AI is no longer a topic of the future – it is already a reality in many production environments. At SPS 2025, our exhibitors demonstrate how AI is being applied today and which additional opportunities the technology is opening up in automation,” explains Sylke Schulz-Metzner, Vice President SPS.
A particularly hands-on perspective is provided by the Guided Tours of SmartFactory Kaiserslautern, offered twice daily. The expert-led tour takes visitors to innovative companies in the hardware and software sectors and sheds light on the technical challenges of the present. “With this format, we aim to provide targeted insights into key technologies such as artificial intelligence, digital twins and security in system architecture,” says Dr. Ingo Herbst, Press Officer of SmartFactory Kaiserslautern. “Transferring technological expertise into industrial practice is one of our core missions.”
International trade visitors – including around 14,700 from abroad in 2024 – benefit from the broad range of solutions, expert presentations and live demonstrations. SPS provides orientation amid technological transformation and delivers impulses to drive innovation within their own organisations.
Connecting Knowledge: Stages, Joint Stands and Support for Young Talent
In addition to its extensive exhibition area, SPS 2025 offers an equally diverse and future-oriented supporting programme designed to appeal to trade visitors, industry experts and the next generation of professionals alike.
Live on the SPS Stages: Knowledge Transfer, Innovation and Dialogue
A total of four Stages in Halls 1, 3, 3C and 6 invite visitors to engage in discussion, knowledge exchange and inspiration. Particularly noteworthy is the Technology Stage powered by VDMA/ZVEI in Hall 3, curated by the two leading industry associations. In addition to nearly 20 presentations on Industrial AI, the programme highlights current developments, trends and challenges in automation – from digital transformation to sustainable production.
Adjacent “Meet the Speaker” zones provide opportunities for personal exchange with presenters. Visitors can ask targeted questions, make new contacts and deepen their understanding of the content discussed.
Joint Stands as Innovation Platforms
Hall 6 features three joint stands that consolidate expertise and creative momentum:
- “Automation meets IT”: The established hub for topics related to digitalisation, cybersecurity and Industry 4.0. Here, classical automation converges with modern IT environments.
- International Start-up Area: Young companies from around the world present fresh ideas and disruptive technologies – a hotspot for innovation and networking.
- “young INNOVATORS”: Supported by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, this joint stand offers young, innovative German companies a stage to present their developments to a wide professional audience.
Promoting Young Talent: Makeathon & Young Talents Day
With the SPS Makeathon and Young Talents Day, the exhibition places a strong emphasis on fostering emerging talent. The programme is aimed at pupils, students, apprentices and early-career professionals. During the Makeathon, participants develop their own prototypes in interdisciplinary teams within 2.5 hours on each of the three show days – live on site and in direct exchange with companies. The format is supported by ITQ, New Automation, NürnbergMesse and committed sponsors from among the exhibitors.
The Young Talents Day on the final day of the exhibition rounds off the initiative: guided tours in the morning and afternoon, along with individual career counselling, provide young visitors with valuable insights and orientation for their future path in the automation industry.
Review of SPS 2024
SPS impresses not only with its technological breadth but also with its international appeal. According to the results of last year’s event, the fair attracted a total of 51,291 visitors, including 29% international attendees.
“The SPS this year showed that the industry is on the right track and that outstanding digital products were presented. Mechanical and plant engineering is preparing itself for the future,” summarises Dirk Scherer, Manager, HAHN Automation Group GmbH, reflecting on his visit to SPS 2024.
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