automatica 2027: industrial automation and robotics in Munich

Dates: 22–25 June 2027
Venue: Messe München, Main Entrance East, Am Messeturm, 81829 Munich, Germany
Organiser: Messe München GmbH

automatica is an international trade fair focused on smart automation and robotics. Its exhibition scope spans the industrial automation value chain, from individual components and software to robotics, machine vision and integrated production applications. The next edition is scheduled for four days in Munich. The organiser’s 2025 final report gives a recent picture of the show’s scale and professional programme; those figures and programme items below are identified as 2025 results, not promises for 2027.

Why automatica matters to automation professionals

Explore technologies across the automation chain

The exhibition sectors include assembly and handling technology, industrial robotics, service robotics, machine vision, software and cloud computing, clamping and gripping, drive engineering, sensor technology, control systems and industrial communication, safety components, electrical engineering, fluid technology, services, and research and technology. This range allows visitors to consider how a component or robot may fit into a broader production system, rather than viewing automation as a single product category.

See applications and compare approaches

The organiser describes collaborative robots working alongside people and autonomous mobile robots moving through production and assembly facilities. Its sector information also explains machine vision applications such as code reading, component identification and quality checks. These examples give visitors concrete questions to take to exhibitors: what task a system supports, how it connects with existing equipment, what safety measures it needs, and what technical or service requirements affect implementation.

Use the scale as context

In its 2025 final report, the organiser reported approximately 800 exhibitors from 40 countries and around 49,300 visitors from more than 90 countries. It also reported that 38 percent of visitors were international and that more than 1,100 robot exhibits were shown across six exhibition halls. These are previous-edition figures. They indicate the breadth of the 2025 marketplace, but do not establish the size or composition of the 2027 edition.

Who should visit automatica?

Manufacturing and production leaders

Useful if you are assessing where automation may support production, assembly or quality processes. Compare complete application approaches with individual equipment, and ask suppliers about throughput assumptions, integration requirements, safety, maintenance and service. SMEs considering automation may use demonstrations to make technical discussions more concrete; the organiser’s 2025 report included exhibitor commentary about interest from customers that had not yet automated.

Robotics and automation engineers

Useful if you specify, integrate or operate robotic systems. Examine industrial and service robotics, grippers, sensors, drives, control technology and safety components as connected elements. Prepare application requirements and ask how a proposed system handles the workpiece, operating environment, cycle, interaction with people and existing controls. Compare what is demonstrated with the constraints of your own line or facility.

Machine-vision, software and research professionals

Useful if your work involves inspection, production data, control, software or emerging robotics applications. The exhibition includes machine vision, software and cloud computing, industrial communication, research and technology. In 2025, the organiser reported programme activity around robotics and AI, including the munich_i Hightech Summit and the AI.Society special exhibition. Treat those as examples from the 2025 edition; check the organiser’s 2027 programme for what will return.

Buyers, integrators and technology suppliers

Useful if you compare suppliers, develop automation portfolios or seek components and partners for customer projects. Use the sector list to create a focused shortlist, then compare technical fit, system boundaries, integration responsibility and support arrangements. Exhibitors can use the show to explain where their products fit in the automation chain and identify the questions a prospective customer must resolve; participation itself does not guarantee leads or contracts.

What can you find at automatica?

Robotics and mobile systems

• Industrial robotics and robotic applications.
• Service robotics, including applications in production and other facilities.
• Collaborative robotics and autonomous mobile robots, described by the organiser as examples of current automation applications.

Assembly, handling and end-of-arm technology

• Assembly, joining, handling, bolting, gluing, testing, verification and dosing technologies.
• Clamping devices and grippers, including electrical, pneumatic and hydraulic types.
• Positioning and handling systems for workpieces, tools and production tasks.

Vision, sensing and control

• Machine-vision systems for code reading, component identification and product quality checks.
• Sensors, including proximity, position, distance, thickness, force, torque and optoelectronic types.
• Control systems, industrial PCs, CNC systems, human-machine interfaces and industrial communication.
• Safety components and safety-related control, sensor and software solutions.

Software, drives and supporting technologies

• Software and cloud computing for digital mapping, production control and business processes.
• Industrial motors, drive systems, linear motion and power transmission.
• Electrical engineering, industrial power distribution, pneumatics, hydraulics and sealing technology.
• Services, system integration, consulting, research and technology.

Use these categories as a starting map, not as a substitute for checking the current exhibitor directory when the organiser publishes it.

What makes automatica distinctive?

The show connects a broad automation scope with live demonstrations and an industry programme. In 2025, the organiser reported 14 showcases and stages, more than 270 keynotes, ten guided tours and three workshops. It also reported a two-day MedtecSUMMIT and the munich_i Hightech Summit, which focused on robotics and AI and was curated with the Munich Institute of Robotics and Machine Intelligence at the Technical University of Munich. These are documented examples from 2025 only; the 2027 programme should be checked when available.

The 2025 final report also described an international visitor mix and visitors from manufacturing, technology and research contexts. The practical distinction for a professional visitor is the opportunity to compare component technologies, application demonstrations and wider system approaches in the same exhibition setting.

How to prepare before automatica

1. Define the decision you need to make

Write down the process, equipment or knowledge gap you want to address. Examples include identifying a feasible robot application, comparing machine-vision approaches for an inspection task, or understanding which control and safety components an integration project requires. Keep the question specific enough that you can evaluate an answer.

2. Map the relevant sectors

Use the organiser’s exhibition-sector overview to identify the areas that match your project. Separate essential technologies from adjacent ones: a robotics project may also require grippers, machine vision, safety, drives, sensors and control communication. When the exhibitor directory is available, shortlist companies by application and product category rather than attempting to visit every stand.

3. Prepare technical questions

• Which tasks, workpieces and operating conditions does the system support?
• What payload, reach, speed or accuracy data are relevant to my application, and under what test conditions?
• How does the solution integrate with existing robots, machines, controls, software and data systems?
• What safety measures, risk assessment and operator training would the application require?
• What are the installation, commissioning, maintenance and service requirements?
• For vision systems, what lighting, camera, optics, processing and inspection conditions affect performance?
• For mobile robots, what site conditions, routes and traffic interactions must be assessed?
• Which functions are standard, optional or dependent on third-party integration?

These are preparation prompts, not claims that every exhibitor or product will cover each topic. Adapt them to the system and application you are evaluating.

4. Plan meetings and evidence

Classify potential conversations as essential, useful or optional. Bring a concise application description, relevant drawings or non-confidential specifications, and a record of constraints such as existing equipment and operating environment. Do not share confidential production information unless your organisation has approved it.

How to make the most of the exhibition

Use a consistent note format for each conversation: Company → product or system → application fit → open technical question → next action. For example, a production engineer comparing machine-vision systems could note the inspection task, the camera and lighting approach demonstrated, the conditions that remain untested, and what technical data to request after the show.

When you watch a demonstration, distinguish what the equipment actually performs from what an exhibitor says it could do in another environment. Ask which assumptions, integration work or safety measures would change when the system is installed at your site. If several components form a solution, clarify who is responsible for system integration and ongoing support.

Beyond the exhibition floor

The 2025 edition included technical stages and showcases, guided tours, workshops and the munich_i Hightech Summit and AI.Society programme. The organiser also reported a two-day MedtecSUMMIT. These examples may help visitors decide what kinds of content to look for, but they are not confirmation of the 2027 schedule. Review the organiser’s programme information before assigning time to sessions or demonstrations.

Plan your time at automatica

The 2025 event used six exhibition halls and included more than 1,100 robot exhibits, according to the organiser. That previous-edition scale supports planning around priorities rather than trying to see every product. A focused visit can reserve time for the highest-priority sector and meetings, then use remaining time for adjacent technologies such as machine vision, safety, control systems or software. Reassess the plan against the 2027 hall plan and exhibitor directory when those details are published.

Getting to Messe München

The organiser lists the fairground address as Main Entrance East, Am Messeturm, 81829 Munich, Germany. Its travel information states that the venue is connected to the U2 underground line; from Munich Central Station, the journey to the exhibition centre takes about 20 minutes without changing trains. The organiser also gives the venue’s distance from Munich Airport as 42 kilometres and describes public transport, shuttle buses and taxis as airport travel options. Check current routes, ticket conditions, entrance arrangements and event-specific transport information before travelling; transport details can change.

After automatica: turn observations into decisions

Sort notes into immediate project requirements, promising options that need validation, and general market or technology intelligence. For each potential supplier, record the application fit, technical evidence received, integration questions, service requirements and agreed next step. Follow up with a concise request for the information needed to compare solutions, such as specifications, system boundaries, safety documentation or a proposal for a defined application. Evaluate suppliers against the same criteria and verify claims for your own operating conditions before making an investment decision.

Who should consider exhibiting?

The official sector scope is relevant to manufacturers, technology suppliers and service providers working in robotics, assembly and handling, machine vision, software, sensors, control and communication, drives, safety, electrical and fluid technologies, system integration, research and related services. Before exhibiting, define the application or product question you want a visitor to understand, the evidence you can demonstrate, and the technical conversations your team can support. Consider how your stand connects your product to wider automation systems. The 2025 edition’s approximately 800 exhibitors are a reported previous-edition figure, not a forecast for 2027 or a guarantee of commercial results.

automatica visitor checklist

Before

• ☐ Define one or more project questions and decision criteria.
• ☐ Review the current sector information, exhibitor directory and programme when available.
• ☐ Prioritise companies and sessions, and request meetings where appropriate.
• ☐ Prepare application requirements and non-confidential technical questions.
• ☐ Check registration, travel, venue access and the latest event arrangements with the organiser.

During

• ☐ Record each product, application, evidence and follow-up action consistently.
• ☐ Ask how demonstrations translate to your site conditions, integration and safety needs.
• ☐ Compare systems using the same technical and service criteria.
• ☐ Leave time for adjacent technologies that may affect the complete application.

After

• ☐ Rank suppliers against the requirements you defined before attending.
• ☐ Request missing technical information and confirm who owns each next step.
• ☐ Validate product claims, integration costs and operating requirements before decisions.

Is automatica worth visiting?

automatica is most relevant when you have a defined interest in industrial automation, robotics, machine vision or connected production technologies. Production leaders can investigate application options; engineers and integrators can examine components and systems; buyers and suppliers can compare technical fit and identify questions for further evaluation. The range of sectors makes the fair useful for following connections across the automation chain, but the value of a visit depends on selecting priorities and checking evidence rather than trying to see everything.

automatica 2027 at a glance

Make your automatica visit purposeful

Choose the production or technology question that matters most, compare relevant solutions against it, and leave with clear evidence and next steps. Discover. Examine. Compare. Evaluate. Follow up.

Industrial robotics and automation opportunities in Germany

Market size and demand

The International Federation of Robotics reported 26,982 industrial robot installations in Germany in 2024, down 5 percent year on year. Germany remained Europe’s largest industrial-robot market and ranked fifth worldwide; 2024 was its second-best result after the 2023 record. Installations indicate market activity, not demand for any particular product or supplier.

Market drivers and commercial opportunities

The IFR figures show a substantial installed market alongside a year-on-year decline, so businesses should assess product fit rather than assume uniform growth. The fair’s robotics, machine vision, sensors, controls, safety, drives and integration scope gives exhibitors and visitors areas to investigate against specific production requirements.

• Industrial and collaborative robotics: suppliers and integrators may compare robot configurations and applications with German manufacturing needs. Installation totals do not establish demand for a particular payload, application or price point; technical fit and competition require separate assessment.
• Machine vision, sensing and safety: buyers and technology providers could assess inspection and safe human-machine collaboration requirements alongside robotics projects. Requirements depend on the application, system design and applicable rules.
• Automation integration and software: system integrators and production teams may investigate how robotics, controls, communication and software fit existing equipment. Integration complexity, interoperability and service capacity remain project-specific considerations.

Regulations and market-entry conditions

EU Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 is scheduled to apply from 20 January 2027, replacing the Machinery Directive from that date. This timing falls before the 2027 fair. Its requirements apply to machinery and related products within the regulation’s scope, not automatically to every automation component or business. Manufacturers and suppliers should verify product scope, conformity duties and transition arrangements with the official legal text and qualified advisers before placing products on the EU market.

What this means for exhibitors

Robotics, machinery, safety and integration exhibitors may use the documented 2024 installation context and upcoming EU regulatory transition to frame product-fit and compliance discussions with German and wider European customers. These indicators do not promise buyer access or sales, and each product’s market fit and regulatory obligations need independent assessment.

What this means for visitors

Visitors may compare robot, vision, sensing, control and integration options against their own production requirements, while identifying which EU machinery-safety questions apply to planned equipment or system changes. The IFR market figure is a useful context indicator, not a substitute for project-level demand and compliance analysis.