Open Linux-based automation platforms gained even more prominence at this year’s SPS trade fair in Nuremberg. Numerous developments and entire trade fair presentations, including press conferences, suggest that the imminent enactment of the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) is also a real boost for open platforms.
SPS has grown again. 1,175 exhibitors attracted around 56,000 trade visitors with their smart production solutions, a significant increase on the 51,300 visitors recorded last year. And, of course, all the major open automation providers featured in the Smart Automation market overview were represented:
Bosch Rexroth with ctrlX AUTOMATION, FLECS Technologies with FLECS, German Edge Cloud with ONCITE DPS, Hilscher Gesellschaft für Systemautomation with netFIELD, KEB Automation KG with NOA, KEBA AG with Kemro X, Lenze with Lenze NUPANO, Phoenix Contact with PLCnext Technology, SALZ Automation with SALZ Controller, TTTech Computertechnik AG with Nerve, WAGO with WAGO OS and WAGO ctrlX OS, and Weidmüller with u-OS.
If last year sometimes gave the impression that openness to automation was not such a big issue for industry in these generally uncertain times, then SPS 2025 proved otherwise.
One issue that is increasingly preoccupying companies plays a particularly important role here: the security requirements that will soon apply to digitally connected hardware and software in manufacturing under the European Cyber Resilience Act (CRA).
This costs money and time and requires expertise that is not widely available. And the platforms can offer it.
According to the supplier, ctrlX AUTOMATION from Bosch Rexroth is CRA ready (photo: Sendler).
The Phoenix Contact booth was all about the open PLCnext Technology platform (photo: Sendler)
The topic of open, software-driven, and Linux-based platforms was certainly impossible to overlook in Nuremberg this year. Several providers made the platform the central theme of their exhibits.
This has been the case at Bosch Rexroth for several years now, but this year the platform was also the highlight at KEB Automation, KEBA, Phoenix Contact, and Weidmüller. Of course, this was also the case for those who offer the platform as their main solution, such as FLECS Technologies and TTTech Computertechnik.
Almost all of them are seeing the number of apps offered on their platforms grow to cover more and more use cases. This is no surprise, because those who rely on an open platform have access to the almost infinite world of open software and tools in addition to Linux.
This is also the reason why open platforms are likely to soon become the new state of the art in industrial automation. This is because openness is passed on to customers, who in turn gain the freedom to offer their own functions to their end customers via apps.
Perhaps the coming year 2026 will be the year of the breakthrough.
In any case, on September 11, 2026, every provider of hardware or software products that enable communication via digital elements must be able to demonstrate CRA-compliant vulnerability management for them. So this will already be a reality at the next SPS. It will probably have another positive impact on the appearance and response to open platforms.
The nerve platform from TTTech industrial also offers CRA-relevant certificates (photo: Sendler)