European champions analysed.

This year’s European Automation Champions (EAC) analysis has been announced by the ARC Advisory Group. This report provides market intelligence on European automation players, including analyses of market structures, technology trends, and other key factors.

EAC Analysis Ranks Top Suppliers by
Capabilities vs. Industry Coverage

According to Florian Güldner, ARC Europe Managing Director, “The community of European-based automation suppliers is a unique ecosystem that benefits from cooperation with local users, machine builders and system integrators, allowing it to project its strength and competitiveness worldwide.”

The sample for the new EAC analysis consists of 100 European automation suppliers analyzed by player type:

• Broad Solution Providers: Suppliers with a comprehensive offering in hardware and software. They cater to a broad range of industries and their value proposition is the integration of products and industry know-how. Large solution providers like ABB, SAP, Schneider Electric and Siemens lead the ranking with broad portfolios of automation products and industry solutions.
• Technology Specialists: Suppliers with a limited product offering (often best-in-class) that covers a wider range of industries. Companies such as Balluff, Beckhoff, KROHNE or WAGO are covered in this section.
• Industry/Application Experts: These experts have a broad offering but focus on a dedicated set of industries or applications. The Körber Group, SKF, Swisslog and Voith fit into this segment.
• Focused Companies: Narrow in scope in terms of industry and products, these companies provide a mix of best-in-class solution portfolio and industry focus. They are often rooted in a specific product or industry but have expanded their offerings over the years. Examples of focused companies are Bartec, Forcam, Kontron or SAMSON.

Top 20 Suppliers Revenue Analysis
Europe is home to both large solution providers with a global presence, as well as countless domain experts that offer industry-specific solutions. Large solution providers enjoy a large installed base around the globe and a strong service network that provides them with access to the markets and large projects.

Among the Top 5 are Siemens, ABB, Schneider Electric, SAP and SEW Eurodrive. Many of the remaining top 20 suppliers are technology specialists like Sick or Lenze, often referred to as hidden champions. Many companies have positioned themselves clearly, often with outstanding business relationships with their customer base. There is direct competition among the top 20 in a few areas such as sensors or drive technology, otherwise the competencies are clearly divided, so that there is also cooperation between different organizations.

The competitive environment is highly fragmented, and many suppliers from small to larger ones compete in the high-end European market. A few specialists with unique selling propositions address less competitive niche markets, in some cases with limited market opportunities.

Overall, the European automation market is well positioned with solution providers across a broad spectrum of applications. It is highly innovative, making Europe a leading and competitive region in the global automation world, from sensors to enterprise software.

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