They found what they were looking for at the 136,000^m2 trade fair with 1,630 exhibitors from all over the world. Users and decision-makers visited the exhibition stands in a total of 17 exhibition halls, one more than in the previous year, and exchanged information about current trends and future-oriented technologies in industrial automation.

In addition to the wide range of knowledge and information on offer at the trade fair stands, the comprehensive supporting program was also impressive: the guided tours on the topics of smart production, smart connectivity and IT security in automation were just as popular with participants as the numerous panel discussions and specialist presentations at the four trade fair forums. In addition, the results of the first-ever hackathon were presented on the first day of the trade fair. In the run-up to the trade fair, start-ups had 48 hours to develop innovative digital ideas for smart automation. The start-up Othermo won the competition and took home the prize money of 8,000 euros with an intelligent solution for central heating systems in collaboration with Wago Kontakttechnik.

Companion to a digitalized industrial world

The "Software and IT in manufacturing" exhibition area grew once again and now occupied Hall 5 at SPS IPC Drives 2018 in addition to Hall 6. Trade visitors were able to find out about digital solutions for industry, cyber security, cloud services and 5G, among other things, both here and throughout the trade fair. The joint stands "Automation meets IT" and "wireless in automation", whose core topics of Industry 4.0 and innovative wireless technologies also have an impact on the automation world of tomorrow, were also popular points of contact.

Statements on the SPS IPC Drives 2018

"It is a strength of SPS IPC Drives not only to bring buzzwords such as Industry 4.0 and digital transformation into the exhibition halls, but also to lead the topics to concrete results in intensive discussions."
Udo Aull, Managing Director Sales CSO SEW Eurodrive.

"SPS IPC Drives is the world's most important leading trade fair for automation technology. This is where the "who's who" of the industry meets in a unique concentration. The trade fair is still a working trade fair. This means that a high proportion of trade visitors come to the trade fair with specific questions or even projects. With a very high proportion of senior experts on the stand, we can answer a lot of questions directly or discuss project inquiries in more detail during the trade fair talks. At the same time, this is of course highly concentrated feedback from the world of automation for our employees."
Steffen Winkler, Bosch Rexroth CSO, Member of the Management Board Business Unit Automation and Electrification Solutions at Bosch Rexroth AG.

SPS IPC Drives becomes SPS

From 2019, SPS IPC Drives will have a new name: SPS - Smart Production Solutions. The name of the trade fair, which has been established for 30 years, has changed, but the tried-and-tested concept and content focus remain the same. The organizer Mesago Messe Frankfurt is thus taking account of the digital transformation of the industry and promises continued relevance, expertise and an exchange at eye level.

The detailed trade fair analysis with further results on SPS IPC Drives 2018 will be available from spring 2019. Next year, the trade fair for industrial automation will take place from 26 to 28 November 2019 at the Exhibition Center Nuremberg. Further information can be found online at sps-messe.de.