Industrial automation refers to the use of control systems, machinery, and software to automate industrial processes with minimal human intervention. This topic covers technologies such as programmable logic controllers, industrial control systems, sensors, actuators, and robotics used across manufacturing, energy, logistics, and process industries. It also explores the integration of automation with AI, data analytics, and connected systems to improve efficiency, reliability, and flexibility. Industrial automation plays a critical role in optimizing production, reducing downtime, and maintaining consistent quality at scale. As industries adopt more intelligent and connected systems, industrial automation continues to evolve from fixed control logic toward adaptive, data-driven operations.
UBTECH Robotics and Hitachi China have signed a strategic cooperation agreement to deploy Walker S2 humanoid robots across Hitachi’s manufacturing operations, with elevator production already in active testing at Hitachi Elevator’s facility.
Germany’s VDMA has published four scenarios for humanoid robotics by 2040, ranging from mass-market adoption to industrial stagnation, as Europe’s machinery industry weighs how to compete against Chinese and U.S. manufacturers with deeper capital and AI investment.
Texas Instruments reported first-quarter revenue of $4.83 billion, up 19% year-over-year, driven by 90% growth in its data center segment and 30% growth in industrial, sending shares to their best single-day gain since 2000.
At Hannover Messe 2026, German manufacturers and startups showcased AI-powered robots for industrial applications, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz backing wider AI adoption as Germany seeks to close the gap with China and the U.S. in physical AI.
Agibot used its annual partner conference to declare 2026 the first year of large-scale commercial deployment for embodied AI, unveiling five new robotic platforms, eight AI models, and an open-source development architecture called AIMA.
NVIDIA and more than a dozen industrial partners used Hannover Messe 2026 to demonstrate AI-driven manufacturing systems already operating in live production environments, from humanoid robots in electronics factories to vision AI agents on automotive assembly lines.
More than 3,000 exhibitors at Hannover Messe 2026 showcased physical, generative, and agentic AI systems moving from demonstration into production, with Siemens, Schneider Electric, NVIDIA, and Microsoft presenting deployments already delivering measurable results on factory floors.
Agibot has deployed its G2 humanoid robots at a Shanghai electronics manufacturer, reporting throughput of up to 310 units per hour and a success rate above 99%, with plans to scale to 100 robots by Q3 2026.
Siemens, NVIDIA and Humanoid have tested a humanoid robot in a live factory environment, signaling progress toward industrial-scale physical AI deployment.
BMW has overhauled its Munich plant with an AI-driven production system and thousands of robots, signaling a shift toward software-defined manufacturing for electric vehicles.