Modernisation service.

Industrial Automation Modernization as a Service built on HPE Infrastructure.

Schneider Electric has announced “Industrial Automation Modernization as a Service”, a new offering designed to help industrial organizations modernize automation environments without disrupting production. The offering combines Schneider Electric's EcoStruxure™ Automation Expert (EAE), services, and lifecycle expertise with HPE SimpliVity hybrid cloud infrastructure and software, providing a flexible, resilient foundation for software-defined automation.

Industrial organizations are under increasing pressure to modernize aging control systems, strengthen cybersecurity, address workforce shortages, and prepare for AI-driven operations. Yet many modernization initiatives remain constrained by proprietary architectures, operational risk, and the cost of large-scale infrastructure replacement. Schneider Electric's Industrial Automation Modernization as a Service addresses these challenges by enabling organizations to modernize incrementally, preserve existing investments, and adopt open, software-defined automation at their own pace.

The solution is powered by Schneider Electric's EcoStruxure Automation Expert and supported by HPE infrastructure technologies, including HPE SimpliVity, providing enterprise-grade reliability, data protection, and operational resilience for mission-critical industrial environments. The combined solution is being showcased this week at Automate 2026 in Chicago.

The urgency is real. Most industrial control systems were designed before cloud, AI, or modern cybersecurity frameworks existed. They lock organizations into single vendors, demand on-site specialists who are increasingly scarce, and create technical debt that makes every step toward modernization harder than it needs to be. Industrial companies lose an average of $11 million annually and large enterprises exceed $45 million per year — not from bad decisions, but from architectures that were never built to evolve. The answer is not a rip-and-replace program. It is a better model: automation capabilities delivered as a service, modernized continuously, and aligned to how operations actually run.

“For too long, industrial enterprises have been forced to choose between operational continuity and technological modernization," said Gwenaelle Huet, Executive Vice President, Industrial Automation, Schneider Electric. "Together Schneider Electric and HPE are removing that trade-off entirely — giving customers a single, governed foundation to modernize at their own pace. But this is about more than technology. Moving from CapEx to OpEx for industrial automation is a fundamental mindset shift for the industry — one that changes how automation is funded, consumed, and continuously improved. No more big upfront commitments that start aging on day one. Instead, an always-current service aligned to real operational needs. The industrial world is on an irreversible path toward AI: generative, agentic, and increasingly physical AI embedded directly in robotics and machines. Getting there requires open, software-defined infrastructure built on enterprise-grade hybrid cloud, and that’s exactly what Schneider Electric and HPE are delivering.”

What industrial operators actually get Schneider Electric's Industrial Automation Modernization as a Service offering combines three complementary layers designed to simplify modernization and ongoing operations.
Infrastructure Foundation: HPE compute, storage, and data protection technologies that provide the secure, resilient platform for mission-critical industrial workloads.
Software and Control as a Service: open, software-defined automation that can be deployed, updated, and governed centrally, across any compatible hardware, without touching physical assets.

People and Lifecycle Services: expert services spanning assessment, migration, managed operations, cybersecurity, and continuous optimization.

The result: organizations modernize incrementally alongside existing PLC and DCS infrastructure, preserve capital already deployed, and stop treating automation as a depreciating asset. Across all three service layers, the measurable business outcomes are consistent:

• CapEx → OpEx: Convert unpredictable capital expenditure into stable, consumption-based OpEx.
• Scale without scaling headcount: Standardize automation across every site from a single platform — with 70% of industrial companies already planning to virtualize automation by 2030.
• Faster time to value: Get to market 50% faster and cut commissioning time by up to 60% — through templated, repeatable deployments that new facilities inherit rather than re-engineer.
• Security and energy performance together: Unified cloud governance enforces consistent OT cybersecurity policy across all sites, while AI-driven optimization has demonstrated up to 40% energy reduction in intensive operations.
• No rip-and-replace: Adopt incrementally alongside existing PLC and DCS systems — preserving prior capital investment while establishing a foundation for long-term modernization at the organization’s own pace. 

A breakthrough delivery model built on open standards.
What differentiates the offering is not only its capabilities, but the open standards on which it is built. Both Schneider Electric and HPE are active members of UniversalAutomation.org, the industry-led initiative that goes beyond virtualization — championing open, software-defined automation based on the IEC 61499 standard. This shared commitment means customers are never locked into a single vendor’s roadmap or hardware generation: they can modernize incrementally, switch vendors without re-engineering, and adapt as technology evolves.

HPE delivers the integrated, secure infrastructure that ties the full stack together, ensuring operational data is available where it is needed — from edge to cloud. Whether control logic runs on-site at a remote facility, centrally in a private cloud, or distributed across both, the architecture maintains consistent governance, uptime, and application portability. No stitching together of disparate platforms. No internal specialists bridging IT governance and real-time OT execution. No trade-off between operational continuity and modern lifecycle management. A working deployment with combined OT and IT workloads was publicly demonstrated at HPE Discover 2026 and is live at Automate 2026 this week.

“Industrial enterprises are facing the same pressures that transformed enterprise IT a decade ago — rising complexity, skills scarcity, and demand for real-time intelligence at scale. EcoStruxure Automation Expert running on HPE SimpliVity and HPE software solutions gives organizations the unified foundation they need to meet these challenges head-on, with the governance, flexibility, and resilience to sustain modernization over time,” said  Peter Groth, VP of OEM, Service Providers and Telcos, HPE

A structured path to value is provided by Schneider: starting with a joint Digital Transformation Advisory workshop to assess the current automation landscape and define a modernization roadmap; identifying high-impact sites where the service model delivers the fastest operational and financial return; and launching a focused pilot in data center cooling or industrial automation to validate outcomes before broader rollout.

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Schneider

Handheld indicator.

"Precision on the move: one handheld device, infinite applications."

The DA110 Handheld Indicator supports engineers working within demanding industrial and metrological environments. This instrument from HBK is a portable device which simplifies complex set ups and helps maintain measurement accuracy across diverse systems.

The tool has been designed to address these challenges by providing a complete, versatile and configurable measurement chain. Engineered to seamlessly integrate with a wide variety of strain gauge sensors (full bridge, 4- or 6-wire, 80 to 5000 Ω) and transducers - including high-precision force, torque and weighing sensors – it transforms how mobile calibration, material testing, and asset monitoring are performed. Built-in Transducer Electronic Data Sheet (TEDS) enables immediate sensor recognition, allowing technicians to switch between distinct measurement tasks instantly.

By bringing laboratory-grade precision directly to the field, the indicator offers several operational advantages, starting with standards-compliant traceability. The system can be calibrated by the German Accreditation Body (DAkkS) to operate as a fully traceable reference instrument within an organisation's existing calibration chain, ensuring audit-ready documentation, suitable for high-end reference and service use.

Traceability is also supported by exceptional technical capability - with an accuracy class of up to 0.01% of full scale at a 4.8 kHz sample rate, as well as high-speed sampling up to 19.2 kHz with 0.1% accuracy to capture rapid, dynamic force profiles reliably.

D110 simplifies the calibration of industrial machinery and complex weighing systems, enabling field technicians to perform precise, repeatable verification directly on stamping and forming presses, hydraulic workshop presses, press brakes, assembly machines and torque verification systems, without the need for expensive, time-consuming stationary lab setups.

When paired with industrial load cells, the device serves as a mobile reference system to verify weighing installations in silos, tanks and filling stations. This allows users to test individual load cells, verify summed signals and detect mechanical drift or settling, ensuring billing compliance and improving material balance control, without interrupting standard plant workflows.

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@HBMmeasurement @BruelKjaerUK @HBMPrenscia #PAuto

Security in engineering.

Proven standards for critical infrastructure – more relevant today than ever.

The topic of cybersecurity is currently gaining new regulatory visibility with the NIS2 Implementation Act and the upcoming Cyber Resilience Act (CRA). Requirements are becoming more concrete, obligations to provide evidence are increasing, and deadlines are drawing closer. This means a need for action for many companies. AUCOTEC regards this above all as confirmation.

AUCOTEC has worked for decades with operators of critical infrastructure. Throughout all these years, one central customer expectation has been taken as a given: the systems used must be secure at all times. Cyber Security is therefore not a new field of action, but has always been an integral part of the development and provision of the Engineering Base software platform.

Regulatory momentum meets established practice.
The current developments surrounding NIS2 and the CRA do not change the fundamental expectation of security – they make it more visible, measurable and, in many cases, also formally subject to evidence requirements.

This is precisely where AUCOTEC creates additional transparency: Engineering Base versions 2025 and 2026 were independently analysed using ReversingLabs Spectra Assure – and achieved Level 3 in the assessment process.

Importantly, this analysis does not mark a new security level, but confirms the one already established. At the time of the assessment, no known vulnerabilities classified as critical, no malware findings and no relevant license risks were identified. This is complemented by full transparency regarding all software components used, in the form of a Software Bill of Materials (SBOM).

External validation of an existing commitment.
“Cyber Security has never been optional for our customers – and therefore not for us either,” explains Dr. Jan-Mirko Maczewski, Head of Research & Development at AUCOTEC. “Current regulatory requirements such as NIS2 or the Cyber Resilience Act are not prompting a rethink; rather, they confirm our long-standing approach.”

The Spectra analysis addresses key technical aspects of modern security requirements – in particular transparency, traceability and the systematic assessment of software components. There is no formal equivalence with regulatory requirements. However, there is substantial alignment in key areas.

For customers, this means: a robust, independent security assessment, support in meeting growing evidence requirements, reduced effort in audit and approval processes, and additional assurance in regulated project environments.

Continuity as the decisive factor.
The independent assessment is deliberately designed as part of a continuous process. Security analyses are carried out regularly and continued with every version.

The fact that both the current and the already established version of Engineering Base achieve this level underlines the key message: Cyber Security at AUCOTEC is a consistent standard.

Holistically embedded – technologically and organisationally.
This commitment is reflected not only in the product itself, but also in the supporting structures: ISO 27001-certified information security management, ISO 9001-certified quality management, clear responsibilities, including through a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), as well as established audit and governance processes.

These are being continuously developed further with the ongoing expansion of Quality Excellence structures.

A clear signal in the context of new requirements.
Looking ahead to the upcoming CRA deadlines and the implementation of NIS2, it is clear: Cyber Security is increasingly evolving from an implicit expectation into an explicit obligation to provide evidence. AUCOTEC is addressing this development with transparency regarding a security level that has been established for decades. Or put another way: the requirements are becoming more concrete – the response to them has long been part of the solution at AUCOTEC.

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@AUCOTEC_AG @PresseBox @UnnGmbh @Cybersec_EU @ec.europa.eu #Aucutec #Cybersecurity #PAuto

Safety-related automation specialist's growth.

International presence, digital and solution expertise further expanded.

Despite a challenging market environment, the HIMA Group has continued its growth in 2025. Revenue rose by 2.4 percent to 190.5 million euros. The Group was thus able to continue its growth course even in an environment marked by geopolitical uncertainties, investment caution, and regional market weakness.

The positive revenue trend was particularly driven by international expansion. This offset declines caused by market weakness in the process industry within the DACH home market. At the same time, negative currency effects weighed on growth outside the eurozone. Order intake declined slightly due to subdued investment activity in many markets.

LtoR: Jörg de la Motte (CEO), Steffen Philipp (Shareholder), Dr. Michael Löbig (CFO)

“We have achieved slight growth in a significantly more challenging environment. This demonstrates the resilience of our business model,” says Jörg de la Motte, CEO of the HIMA Group. “At the same time, we see that investment decisions are taking longer in many markets and that some projects are being postponed. This makes it all the more important that we have systematically expanded our international presence, our digital capabilities, and our role as a solutions provider.”

Regionally, dependence on the domestic market (DACH) continued to decline. The DACH region’s share of revenue stood at 21 percent, compared to 24 percent in the previous year. Other EU countries contributed 19 percent, Asia-Pacific 16 percent, the Middle East 13 percent, the United Kingdom and Norway 12 percent each, and the Americas 7 percent. As a result, HIMA now generates 79 percent of its revenue outside the DACH region.

“We recorded slight revenue growth, but at the same time, we are taking the decline in order intake dynamics very seriously,” explains Dr. Michael Löbig, CFO of the HIMA Group. “We are planning for further revenue growth in 2026, but from today’s perspective, we cannot yet fully confirm this growth path. In light of geopolitical risks, currency effects, and investment reluctance in certain markets, we remain cautious.”

Sustainability.
A key milestone is the publication of the HIMA Group’s first sustainability report for the 2025 fiscal year. Although the company is not subject to mandatory reporting requirements, the report summarizes its commitment to environmental, social responsibility, and corporate governance activities.

“As a family-owned business, HIMA pursues economic, environmental, and social goals to operate successfully and responsibly in the long term while creating sustainable prospects for the next generation,” explains Steffen Philipp, shareholder of the HIMA Group. “From a shareholder’s perspective, sustainable, profitable growth is a decisive factor in this regard.”

Global initiatives include measures to reduce CO₂ emissions, more sustainable trade show concepts, electric vehicle charging stations for employees, local environmental and community projects, as well as programs for employee development, diversity, and compliance.

Integration of Sella Controls and Origo Solutions.
The HIMA Group’s strategic development in 2025 was characterized by internationalization, digitalization, and the expansion of solution expertise. The integration of Sella Controls, which has been part of the HIMA Group since February 2023, has been successfully completed. Sella Controls is positioned within the Group as a center of excellence for rail technology. Key project milestones include the completion of the Nexus Tyne & Wear Metro SCADA modernization project in Newcastle and a contract to modernize the railway infrastructure at the Chemelot Industrial Park in the Netherlands.

The integration of Origo Solutions, which has been part of the HIMA Group since February 2024, is also well advanced and more than 90 percent complete. Origo Solutions particularly strengthens the Group’s presence in Scandinavia while enhancing its expertise in traditional and renewable energy markets. With the new HIMA Digital unit, the digitalization strategy is also entering its next phase under the motto #safetygoesdigital.

International expansion and strategic partnerships.
International expansion has also continued to advance. In China, the new headquarters in Shanghai was officially opened in December 2025. Following the opening of HIMA India in November 2024, the company’s presence will be further expanded in the near future. In Latin America, HIMA opened new entities in Colombia and Peru. Colombia serves as a hub in Latin America with a focus on the process industry, while the branch in Lima supports projects in Peru and neighboring countries.

Expanding strategic partnerships remains a key component of the strategy to become a solutions provider. Collaboration with genua in the HIMA Security Lab has been intensified. Together with Samson, HIMA is developing joint HIPS and pipeline management solutions for the hydrocarbon and chemical industries. The long-standing collaboration with Valmet is being further deepened in the energy, pulp, and paper sectors. Together with Hilscher, HIMA combines functional safety with industrial communication for embedded systems. In collaboration with DEUTA-Werke, the SafeHMI solution—powered by IconTrust—was developed to enhance operator and display safety in the process industry and rail sector; it is fully integrated into the HIMA Safety Platform.

Further opportunities.
For the current fiscal year, the HIMA Group continues to anticipate a challenging environment. Geopolitical conflicts, currency effects, and investment caution may delay or postpone projects and services. At the same time, HIMA sees long-term opportunities, particularly in investments in energy infrastructure, renewable energy, hydrogen, pipeline expansions, and the digitalization of safety-critical processes.

With HIMA Digital, the HIMA Group is consolidating its expertise in digital solutions. At the heart of this is hima360, an independent, open digital platform based on SCADA+ that connects safety-related data, applications, and services across the safety lifecycle.

“The market environment remains volatile,” says Jörg de la Motte. “At the same time, the demand for functional safety, OT security, and digital solutions is growing. This is exactly where we’re focusing our efforts with the new HIMA Digital unit.”

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#Hima #PAuto  #Safety

New CTO at leading photonics group.

Dr. Frank Lison has been named to succeed TOPTICA founder Dr. Wilhelm Kaenders as CTO/Vorstand of the TOPTICA Photonics group.

Dr Frank Lison with Dr Wilhelm Kaenders

Following the company’s long-term succession plan designed to ensure continuity in leadership and sustained technological excellence, Frank Lison will take over the main responsibilities of Wilhelm Kaenders. Wilhelm will remain within the TOPTICA group as founder and continues to support the company’s successful evolution in some of its focus markets.

"I'm excited to take over the role of CTO at TOPTICA," said Frank Lison. "The company’s strong foundation in scientific excellence and laser technology is something I value highly. Together with our teams, I look forward to advancing our laser technologies further."

He has been with TOPTICA in various roles since 2002 and currently, since 2016, serves as founding and managing director of TOPTICA Projects GmbH.

He has a physics degree from University Hannover, a PhD in cold atom physics from University Bonn, both with Prof. Dieter Meschede, and after a Postdoc with Prof. Ed Hinds in Britain, he started to work in the Central Research Group of Bayer AG.

Already in the important phase from 2002 to 2010, Frank accompanied the steady growth of TOPTICA as VP of R&D. When in 2009 the company TILL Photonics GmbH was acquired by TOPTICA and then sold to FEI München GmbH, Frank was the acting General Manager, before he rejoined the TOPTICA group.

The board of TOPTICA Photonics SE from Octoberr 2026 will consist of Dr. Frank Lison (CTO & President, spokesman of the executive board), Dr. Thomas Renner (CSO & President), Dr. Mathias Schindler (COO) and Fabian Uhl (CFO).

Wilhelm Kaenders states: “For me, it was an honor and pleasure to start in 1998 and grow the company together with Thomas Weber, at the time as a five person endeavor with focus on scientific and optical data storage markets. We were quickly able to identify and attract excellent people to work with us, and most importantly, to adapt and meet market demands over the last three decades. As TOPTICA group, we have doubled our revenue and workforce since 2020”.

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@TOPTICA_AG @PresseBox@UnnGmbh #Pauto #Photonics

Wireless testing for 5G.

Anritsu has announced its enhanced SmartStudio NR (SSNR) and SmartStudio NR IP Performance (SSIP) software solutions adding support for 5G RedCap (Reduced Capability) device testing to evaluate performance. These solutions offer application-oriented performance evaluation, such as throughput and power consumption, for low-power, low-cost devices including Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) and wearables.

Support for more frequency-band configurations also helps simplify testing as 5G deployment expands and band combinations become more complex. With these enhancements, Anritsu helps engineers reduce development effort, improve test efficiency, and bring 5G RedCap devices to market more quickly.

Development background.
As 5G RedCap adoption grows in new applications such as physical AI and IoT devices, customers need practical ways to evaluate real-world device performance. This includes IP throughput testing, power consumption measurement, and IMS testing based on 5G RedCap specifications.

At the same time, frequency refarming following the termination of 3G services is increasing the number of supported frequency bands. The resulting growth in band, carrier aggregation, and MIMO combinations makes test conditions more complex, increasing evaluation time and effort and creating a stronger need for efficient test design and evaluation.

Solution overview.
The SSNR and SSIP application test software solutions work with the MT8000A to simulate 5G/LTE base stations and core networks. SSIP also measures high-speed data communication throughput. An interactive GUI supports intuitive operation without requiring advanced protocol skills.

The key features are:

• Supports 5G RedCap and enables a wide range of application tests, including IP throughput testing, handover testing, power consumption measurement, and temperature measurement.
• Retrieves supported band combinations, including MIMO configurations and channel bandwidth, in a single operation, helping reduce test design effort when evaluating large and complex combinations.
• Facilitates test scenarios that are difficult to reproduce on live networks, such as Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS) and access control in disaster situations.

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@Anritsu @AnritsuEMEA @NapierPR   #TandM #Communications

Precision discrete analog components for Europe.

Stocking ultra-low-noise JFETs and high speed DMOS analog switches.

A pan-European distribution partnership has been agreed between Anglia Components and Linear Systems, a Silicon Valley precision analog semiconductor manufacturer, to supply discrete semiconductor products including ultra-low-noise JFETs and high-speed DMOS analog switches.

“Linear Systems precision devices are engineered for exceptional performance in the most demanding industries”, says John Bowman, Anglia’s Marketing Director. “Their products can be used to create low noise amplifier circuits or used alongside integrated op amps to improve the performance of the circuit dramatically.”

Jaime Cook, VP of Operations & Market Development at Linear Systems comments: “The European market is very diverse and precision analog parts are integral to many applications. Anglia is very experienced in servicing this customer base and offers the level of technical design-in support that is required to achieve successful product development.”

Linear Systems provides precision, high-performance discrete analog components trusted by engineers developing leading-edge products where low noise, accuracy, and reliability are critical. Across the product line, special and custom electrical testing supports advanced and highly customised circuit requirements.

At the heart of the portfolio is the flagship LSK series of ultra-low-noise JFETs, including the monolithic dual LSK389 and LSK489, along with the single LSK170. These devices feature industry-exclusive 100% noise testing, giving engineers unmatched confidence in critical low-noise applications. The newest addition, the LSBF862, serves as an improved pin-for-pin second-source replacement for the discontinued NXP BF862.

Beyond JFET technology, Linear Systems delivers a broad portfolio of high‑performance analog solutions. Nanosecond‑class lateral DMOS analog switches enable ultra‑fast, precision switching, while low‑noise bipolar transistors, available in both monolithic dual and single configurations, open up new possibilities for advanced amplifier designs. A full range of small signal N & P channel MOSFETs supports both amplification and switching needs. For sensitive analog inputs, ultra‑low‑leakage picoamp diodes, offered as singles or monolithic duals, provide essential protection. The portfolio is rounded out with precision current regulating diodes, delivering wider current ranges with tighter performance control.

Linear Systems’ precision discrete analog components underpin advanced designs across low‑noise amplifiers (LNAs), discrete op‑amp architectures, photodiode and TIA stages, High-impedance probes, Acoustic and hydrophone preamps, battery powered instrumentation, and extend through to ultra‑sensitive sensors, medical electronics, audio front ends, and high‑performance test and measurement systems.

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@Linear_Systems @angliaLive @BWW_Comms #Electronics #PAuto #Europe