The industry 4.0, robotics, and automation fair Advanced Factories will hold its eighth edition from April 9 to 11 at the Gran Via venue of Fira de Barcelona, where it expects to gather more than 560 exhibiting firms and 27,000 professionals. The congress will place Artificial Intelligence (AI) as the central element of the event, with the aim of advancing the transformation of industry by addressing the integration of all production systems and processes, in which AI will be fundamental. The fair, organized by Nebext, thus aims to take another step in the transformation of industry, moving from accompanying industrial SMEs in their digitalization, automation, and robotization processes, to pursuing the integration of systems and processes.
With the motto Integrating Automation Systems, more than 560 exhibitors will showcase their innovative solutions for industry across nearly 30,000 square meters. This will be the largest area of the fair to date. Technologies linked to industry 4.0, from robotics to cybersecurity and Big Data, will be addressed with proposals from companies such as Accenture, Aritex, Beckhoff, Becolve Digital, Delta, Eurecat, HP, Inetum, Minsait, Mitsubishi Electric, Murrelektronik, Omron, Phoenix Contact, Bosch Rexroth, Schaeffler, Siemens, Sothis, T-Systems, Tecnalia, Telefóncia Tech, United Robotics Group, and Weidmüller.
In addition, within the framework of the event, the Industry 4.0 Congress will be held, bringing together more than 360 experts to focus on the major axes of digital transformation in industry. Specifically, they will delve into the essential AI, Big Data, Internet of Things, robotics, and cybersecurity, and will analyze the impact of the Strategic Project for Economic Recovery and Transformation (Perte) of Industrial Decarbonization on the sector's sustainability plans. They will do so in more than 150 conferences distributed across five simultaneous auditoriums where experts will share their vision and strategies to promote automation and also foster a more sustainable industry. Speakers will come from sectors as diverse as food, logistics, energy, automotive, textile, chemical, and pharmaceutical.
The fair, which was first held in 2017, has positioned itself as a leading event in industrial automation and robotics in Southern Europe.Among the speakers are the executive director of Esade's MBA, Xavier Ferràs; the process engineering director of Seat, Alicia Molina; the general director of Frit Ravich, Judith Viader; the founder and CEO of Köhler, Xavier Delgado, and the owner of Vistage, Conor Neill. Representatives from companies such as Puig, Fluidra, Damm, Celsa, Nissan, Olympus, Hipra, and Bayer will also share their perspectives and experiences in adopting 4.0 technologies. In addition, the congress will host various forums, such as the CEO Leadership Summit, the Plant Manager's Summit, the Industrial Cybersecurity Forum, the CIO's Summit, an AI forum, another on 3D printing, and the National Congress of Industrial Parks.
Advanced Factories will also offer networking activities to forge alliances and synergies, which will materialize in events such as the Leadership Summit Lunch for industrial firm executives, and the Factories of the Future Awards 2024. The Industry Startup Forum and the space dedicated to new professional profiles, the Talent Marketplace, will also facilitate contact between professionals, in addition to technological tours to explore the latest innovations set to transform the industry.
Castilla y León as a featured region
This edition of Advanced Factories will feature a delegation of 400 entrepreneurs and executives from the industry of Castilla y León, after it has been named European Industrial Region of Advanced Factories 2024. The territory stands out for the weight of industry in its economy, where it represents 16% and where sectors such as automotive, chemical and pharmaceutical, and agri-food stand out. In this context, Castilla y León serves as an example in promoting innovation and reindustrialization, with the implementation of policies aimed at industrial digitalization.
New stage and more space at Fira de Barcelona
The exhibition, which was first held in 2017 at the Centre de Convencions Internacional de Barcelona (CCIB), has positioned itself as a leading event in industrial automation and robotics in Southern Europe. Advanced Factories took a leap in the last edition, when it moved to Fira de Barcelona seeking more space to meet the high demand from companies that wanted to exhibit their innovations.
The change of venue allowed the exhibitor offering to double last year, in an edition that was held jointly with Advanced Machine Tools (AMT), a biennial event focused on the metallurgical industry that will be held again in 2025. Thus, Advanced Factories debuts this year alone at Fira de Barcelona, in what will be its record edition in size and in exhibiting companies from fields ranging from robotics to additive manufacturing, AI, data analytics and cybersecurity, through integrated production systems and the creation of digital twins, with the aim of advancing towards the industry of the future.
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