November, 2026
This is a repeating eventNovember 24, 2027 9:00 am
SPS-Smart Production Solutions
Event Details
SPS-Smart Production Solutions
24. – 26. November 2026 | Nuremberg, Germany
Official Website: https://sps.mesago.com/events/en.html
Strategic Snapshot
SPS-Smart Production Solutions is the world’s leading exhibition for smart and digital automation solutions. It is the definitive platform where hardware (PLC, drives, sensors) converges with software (MES, SCADA, IIoT platforms) to demonstrate integrated, data-driven production systems.
Why This Fair Matters in Germany’s Exhibition Ecosystem
For an international automation provider, SPS-Smart Production Solutions in Nuremberg is the essential arena to demonstrate not just product features, but system-level readiness for Industrie 4.0. Germany’s manufacturing sector, with its dense network of Mittelstand (hidden champion) companies and global OEMs, provides the most demanding real-world testbed. Success here—proving that your controller can securely exchange data with an ERP system, or your sensor feeds predictive maintenance algorithms—doesn’t just win a German factory contract. It provides the ultimate reference case for solving the universal manufacturing challenge of OT/IT convergence, accelerating adoption in markets from North America to Asia that look to German engineering as the benchmark for production efficiency and resilience.
Who This Fair Is For — and Who Should Skip It
Ideal for:
- Providers of industrial hardware with digital-native architectures: programmable logic controllers (PLCs), drives, motion control, and IP-enabled field devices with embedded security and data interfaces.
- Developers of industrial software, IIoT platforms, and analytics solutions that demonstrate clear integration with major automation vendors’ ecosystems (e.g., Siemens, Rockwell, Beckhoff).
- Specialists in industrial networking, edge computing, and cybersecurity solutions tailored for the production floor.
- Companies offering complete “machine-to-cloud” solutions that showcase a tangible ROI through energy savings, quality improvement, or reduced downtime.
Not ideal for:
- Suppliers of standalone, non-communicative electromechanical components without digital interfaces or data capability.
- Providers of generic enterprise software (ERP, CRM) without specific connectors, use cases, or demonstrated value for real-time production management.
- Exhibitors with a purely conceptual or academic focus, lacking ready-to-integrate products or proven industrial pilots.
The 3-Day Expo vs. the 365-Day Reality
SPS-Smart Production Solutions provides the critical concentration of global manufacturing decision-makers to demonstrate live interoperability and secure pilot projects.
The strategic rupture occurs in the “integration and value-realization gap.” A sensor may generate data, but its value is locked until that data is contextualized, triggers an action in the control system, and leads to a documented improvement in Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE). The manufacturer invests in a promise of tangible business outcomes; your proven system integration expertise, application libraries, and partner ecosystem are what convert a technology demonstration into a scalable production asset. Market leadership is forged on enabling the customer’s seamless digital transformation, not just selling a superior component.
Strategic Next Step
Before exhibiting, prepare to articulate your solution’s specific role in a connected production value stream and its quantifiable impact on key manufacturing KPIs. For a framework on building this systems-level credibility, review our perspective on trade fair visibility in Germany.
Explore the Ecosystem
Trade Fair Marketing Strategy for Industrial Technology
Understanding German Engineering & Manufacturing Procurement
Strategic FAQs for Exhibitors
What is the key concern of a plant manager investing in new automation?
Minimizing integration risk and maximizing operational uptime. They need solutions that plug into their existing infrastructure with minimal disruption. Demonstrate pre-configured connectors, proven uptime in similar environments, and a clear path from pilot to full-scale rollout with guaranteed support.
How do you prove the value of an IIoT platform to a skeptical production head?
Lead with a single, high-ROI use case, not the platform’s full feature set. Quantify how your solution solves a specific, costly pain point: reducing unplanned downtime by 15% through predictive maintenance, or cutting energy costs by 10% through intelligent load management. Start small, prove value, then expand.
Why is Nuremberg the symbolic heart of the global automation industry?
It is the historic and current epicenter of German mechanical and electrical engineering. SPS’s location means you are engaging with the world’s most experienced and critical automation buyers and specifiers, whose approval sets a global standard.
For a smaller innovator, what is more important than competing on price with giants like Siemens?
Competing on agility, openness, and niche expertise. Offer superior ease of integration via open standards (OPC UA), focus on solving a specific problem better than anyone (e.g., ultra-precise motion control for photovoltaics), and provide exceptional developer support. Become the best complementary piece in their ecosystem.
How critical is demonstrating cybersecurity at SPS today?
It is a fundamental requirement, not a differentiator. You must be prepared to discuss secure-by-design architecture, device identity management, and compliance with standards like IEC 62443. For many buyers, a lack of a coherent security story is an immediate disqualifier.
Organizer
