Just one year after returning from its unscheduled break, automatica, the exhibition for smart automation and robotics, will be held again from June 27 to 30, 2023. This is due to a change in its rhythm. From now on, the international automation industry will meet at the Munich exhibition center in odd years, side by side with LASER World of PHOTONICS—World’s Leading Trade Fair with Congress for Photonics Components, Systems and Applications.
Anja Schneider, Exhibition Director, is optimistic about the event coming up this summer: “Our lives are increasingly affected by global challenges such as supply chain issues and lack of specialists. Robotics and automation are key technologies offering suitable solutions in this context. It takes smart automation and digital networking to make production economical and sustainable. And automatica in Munich showcases how that works.”
Key player attendance
The halls are filling up and the attendance of companies representing the entire value chain of robotics and automation is confirmed around four and a half months prior to the event. Confirmed robotics exhibitors include ABB, FANUC, Kawasaki, KUKA, Stäubli, Universal Robotics, and YASKAWA.
The field of assembly and handling technology is represented by AFAG, Bosch Rexroth, BBS Automation, DEPRAG, Festo, HAHN Group, Mikron, PIA Automation, Schaeffler, SCHUNK, and Weber Schraubautomaten. Machine vision exhibitors include Basler, Carl Zeiss, Cognex, IDS, MVTec, VMT, and Visio Nerf.
In addition, renowned exhibitors such as Beckhoff, HEIDENHAIN, ifm, as well as Murrelektronik and Siemens will present their products and solutions in Munich.
Apart from the leading automation industry companies, lots of exciting newcomers are on board as well. “We are also seeing positive economic forecasts for automation and robotics – creating bright prospects for an exciting and rewarding automatica 2023,” Anja Schneider sums up.
Digital Integration and AI
automatica 2023 focuses on three key topics. These topics are Digital Integration and AI, Sustainable Production, and Future of Work. The area of Digital Integration and AI addresses topics such as augmented/virtual reality and digital twins. Sustainable Production is composed of CO2 neutrality, circular economy, capacity for change and AI, and green tech.
The Future of Work is closely related to concepts such as human-machine collaboration, service robotics, and mobile robotics. The purpose is to make automation accessible to SMEs and less automated non-manufacturing sectors under the slogan ‘ease-of-use’, thus enabling them to compensate for the shortage of skilled workers.
Having been held twice so far, the munich_i high-tech platform has already developed into one of the leading robotics and AI formats. “We are delighted to once again provide orientation in the field of artificial intelligence and robotics this year in collaboration with our partner MIRMI (Munich Institute of Robotics and Machine Intelligence) at the Technical University of Munich, and to simultaneously place these developments within a context of ethics and social responsibility,” Anja Schneider explains.
munich_i comprises the Hightech Summit on Wednesday, June 28, 2023, the robotics and AI special show AI.Society with its extensive supporting program consisting of politics, business and science, as well as the hybrid robotics competition called Robothon®.
Supporting program 2023
In addition, an extensive supporting program awaits visitors during the four trade fair days. Apart from proven formats such as the Start-up Arena, the joint stands for machine vision or smart maintenance, and the forum stages, automatica 2023 focuses on the following topics: ‘AMRs in production’, service robotics, and supporting young talent. “The supporting program’s focal points have great potential for dialog and discussion. We expect this to provide special added value to all participants,” Anja Schneider emphasizes.
This year’s TestZone for robot models has a particular focus on small and medium-sized companies whose level of automation has remained low so far.
See also
