Automate, a large robotics and industrial automation event, took place this week. It provided a look at the latest technologies for automation systems, including many from the fluid power sector, as well as the trends shaping the industry.
Leading up to the show, I spoke with SMEs from Bosch Rexroth, Delta Motion, Emerson and SMC Corp. to learn what trends they’re seeing in the industry, the role hydraulics and pneumatics continue to play, as well as the themes they expected to see presented at Automate 2026.
My Q&As with each of them are included in today’s newsletter to provide you with insight on where the industrial automation space is at today and where it’s headed. All of the SMEs agreed automation remains on a growth trajectory — and this was evident from the crowded show floor at Automate this week — to help overcome labor challenges and increase productivity.
They all also noted the need for systems which are both easy to use and implement. Engineering teams are strapped for time, and also facing their own skilled labor challenge, yet need to get systems up and running as quickly as possible. So anything technology developers can do to ease uptake and use of automated systems will enable customers to achieve the benefits of automation.
What trends are you seeing in the industrial automation space? Are there opportunity areas you’re seeing in this sector? What challenges do you face when either developing automation solutions or implementing them? I’m always interested in learning what readers are seeing in the industry and suggestions for potential future topics we should be covering, so feel free to email me at [email protected] to offer your thoughts.
Sara Jensen, Editor, Power & Motion
