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| SPS IPC Drives | |
|---|---|
| Name | SPS IPC Drives |
| Genre | Trade fair |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Location | Nuremberg, Germany |
| First | 1970s |
| Organizer | NürnbergMesse |
| Attendance | ~60,000 (varies) |
SPS IPC Drives
SPS IPC Drives is an international trade fair for electrical automation, industrial control, and digitalization technologies held annually in Nuremberg. The event brings together exhibitors, manufacturers, system integrators, and research institutions to present products, demonstrate systems, and discuss trends affecting sectors such as manufacturing, automotive, aerospace, and energy. Delegates include engineers, procurement managers, and policymakers from across Europe, Asia, and North America.
SPS IPC Drives functions as a trade platform where suppliers of controllers, sensors, drives, human–machine interfaces, and software showcase solutions to representatives from Siemens, Bosch Rexroth, ABB Group, Schneider Electric, and Rockwell Automation. Exhibitors range from multinational corporations like General Electric and Mitsubishi Electric to specialist firms comparable to Beckhoff Automation, Festo, and Phoenix Contact. Attendees often include delegations from industrial clusters tied to Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saxony, and regions such as Upper Bavaria and Franconia. The fair’s program typically integrates technical forums featuring speakers from institutions such as Fraunhofer Society, German Aerospace Center, and universities like Technical University of Munich and RWTH Aachen University.
Origins trace to exhibitions of automation equipment in the 1970s influenced by companies like Siemens AG and ThyssenKrupp. The fair evolved alongside milestones such as the rise of Programmable Logic Controller adoption, the emergence of IEC 61131 standards, and the spread of EtherCAT and PROFINET technologies championed by consortia including PI (PROFIBUS & PROFINET International). During the 1990s and 2000s, developments in embedded systems pushed participation from firms such as Intel Corporation, ARM Holdings, and Texas Instruments. The 2010s brought emphasis on Industry 4.0, influenced by policy frameworks promoted by German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and research initiatives at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and Max Planck Society. Growth paralleled global exhibitions like Hannover Messe and regional events such as Automation Fair and SCE (Shanghai).
The event combines exhibition halls, thematic pavilions, and conference stages where standards bodies like IEC, ISO, and OPC Foundation hold sessions. Exhibition zones include booths from suppliers of servo drives, industrial PCs, sensors, and software houses similar to Microsoft, IBM, and SAP SE that present MES and IIoT platforms. Parallel activities involve workshops by trade associations such as VDE (Association for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies), ZVEI (German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association), and VDMA (Mechanical Engineering Industry Association). Delegations from economic development agencies like Germany Trade & Invest and chambers such as Frankfurt Chamber of Commerce frequently organize networking events while venture capital firms and innovation hubs including High-Tech Gründerfonds and Fraunhofer Venture scout startups.
Recurring themes emphasize Industrial Internet of Things, predictive maintenance, edge computing, and cybersecurity aligned with standards from entities like NIST and ENISA. Technologies highlighted include motion control from companies like Yaskawa Electric, robotics from KUKA, collaborative robotics tied to developments at Universal Robots, and additive manufacturing discussed alongside firms such as EOS GmbH and Stratasys. Communication protocols presented include Modbus, BACnet, and fieldbus systems promoted by organizations like HART Communication Foundation and ODVA. Software ecosystems span PLC programming, SCADA systems by vendors akin to Wonderware and Schneider Electric Wonderware, and digital twin demonstrations referencing projects at Siemens Digital Industries and research at ETH Zurich.
SPS IPC Drives influences procurement cycles for manufacturers across sectors including Automotive Industry, Aerospace Industry, Pharmaceutical Industry, and Food Industry supply chains represented by companies like P&G and Nestlé. The fair catalyzes partnerships among system integrators, OEMs, and service providers—examples include collaborations between Daimler AG suppliers and electronics companies. Regional economies such as Nuremberg Metropolitan Region and industrial clusters in Franconia benefit from hotel, logistics, and conference spending. Policy dialogues held at the event influence standards adoption and workforce development initiatives coordinated with institutions like Deutsche Bahn training centers and vocational networks such as IHK (Chambers of Industry and Commerce).
Notable editions featured product launches by Siemens AG and strategic announcements from Bosch and Infineon Technologies. Attendance figures have occasionally reached tens of thousands of trade visitors with exhibitor counts in the several hundreds to low thousands, including international delegations from China, United States, India, Japan, and Italy. Comparative events include Hannover Messe and regional fairs like SMART Automation Austria and Beijing International Exhibition on Automation. Awards and innovation prizes at the fair have recognized startups incubated by organizations such as EIT Digital and business accelerators like Plug and Play Tech Center.
The organizer is NürnbergMesse, which partners with trade associations including ZVEI, VDMA, and VDE as well as standards bodies IEC and OPC Foundation. Strategic partners have included multinational firms such as Siemens and Bosch and research collaborators from Fraunhofer Society and universities including University of Erlangen–Nuremberg. Media partners and publishing allies include outlets like Elektronikpraxis, Control Engineering Europe, and Automationspraxis that cover developments and feature editorials related to the exhibition.