Open automation ecosystems: How collaboration becomes a competitive advantage

Industrial digitalization depends on the close integration of IT and OT. The IT/OT Integration Summit shows how companies can successfully shape this connection and thus make their production processes more efficient, flexible and future-proof. The event will focus on specific practical examples, innovative technologies and strategies for the networked industry.

The event will take place on June 24, 2026 in Augsburg and is aimed at decision-makers from industry, mechanical engineering and automation who want to bring their production and IT landscapes closer together.

Hans Michael Krause, Director Partner Ecosystem at Bosch Rexroth, will provide a particularly practical look at the potential of open platforms. His presentation "Collaboration as a competitive advantage - 5 success levers from an open automation ecosystem" shows why openness and collaboration are increasingly becoming decisive factors in industrial automation.

The focus is on five specific success levers derived from collaboration with more than 110 ecosystem partners. Krause illustrates how collaboration between IT, OT and mechanical engineering can help to shorten development times, cut costs and measurably reduce risks when implementing new technologies.

The presentation will specifically address current challenges in the industry. Topics such as the integration of existing brownfield systems, preparation for regulatory requirements such as the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) and the use of AI directly on the machine are examples of the increasing complexity of modern production environments. Krause shows how open automation platforms can help companies to meet these requirements more flexibly and efficiently.

The presentation is aimed in particular at companies that want to make their automation architecture more open and at the same time increase the speed of innovation. The combination of concrete practical examples and strategic approaches makes the presentation particularly relevant for machine builders, integrators and industrial users.

To the speaker

Hans Michael Krause is Director Partner Ecosystem at Bosch Rexroth and is responsible for the expansion of the open automation ecosystem ctrlX World. After studying electrical engineering, he initially founded an engineering office for automation technology in Argentina. He joined Bosch Rexroth in 2007, where he gained extensive experience in mechanical engineering, PLC and IoT solutions as well as market and product management. Since 2020, he has focused on building strategic partner networks around the open automation system ctrlX AUTOMATION.