SPS was launched in Sindelfingen in 1990 as a trade fair with an accompanying congress with 63 exhibitors and 3,420 visitors. There were already five exhibitors at the first edition of the trade fair, who are also celebrating their 30th participation this year: Beijer Electronics, Hüthig, M&M Software, Pilz and Yaskawa (formerly VIPA). The move to Nuremberg in 1997 gave the SPS room to grow: one exhibition hall in Sindelfingen immediately became three halls in Nuremberg. The change of location also suited some exhibitors based in and around Nuremberg.

For some exhibitors, the SPS has almost become a tradition: "As a Nuremberg resident by choice, I was of course delighted that the SPS moved here from Sindelfingen, and I started hosting the Beckhoff stand crew at our home on the Monday evening before the trade fair. Unfortunately, our living room did not keep up with the growth of the trade fair (and that of Beckhoff), and so this mini-tradition had to be discontinued quite soon," says Martin Rostan, Head of Technology Marketing, Beckhoff Nuremberg branch.

But it wasn't just the move to Nuremberg that caused a growth spurt; the trade fair has continuously expanded and developed since then. While the exhibition area has increased from 3,500 square meters to 136,000 square meters since 1990, many exhibitors have also undergone a major development: "SEW-Eurodrive has been a loyal exhibitor at SPS since 1996. Starting with a small component stand covering around 50 square meters, SEW-Eurodrive has developed together with the trade fair. Today, we showcase practice-oriented solutions on 1,620 square meters, from smart components to intelligent machine automation and digital cloud applications," summarizes Heiko Füller, Head of Market Management at SEW.

Today's SPS is the platform for smart and digital automation. This is where visitors and exhibitors meet at eye level; the focus is on practical and intelligent solutions for the challenges of today and tomorrow. In addition to their entire product range, exhibitors also showcase their new products in Nuremberg. This gives visitors a comprehensive overview of the market. as