PPA 2026: Innovation and practice closer together than ever

On February 3, 2026, Congrescentrum 1931 in 's-Hertogenbosch once again became the center of attention for the manufacturing and process industry during the annual Production Process Automation (PPA) event.

The day brought together professionals working on digitalization, production optimization, and automation. With a robust program, compelling end-user cases, and a dynamic exhibition floor, PPA once again proved its value as the leading practical knowledge platform for industrial innovation.

A day full of concrete insights from practice

This year's PPA program focused entirely on applicable technology. Four industrial end users shared their experiences directly from the production floor. Crux Agribotics demonstrated how operational AI is already delivering benefits in production processes today. Shell Global Solutions provided insights into unlocking value from complex industrial data sources. Yara Sluiskil demonstrated how even older digitalization tools are still perfectly usable in modern OT environments. Bunge concluded the module with a vision for future-proof industrial networks and the design choices involved.

The power of these presentations lay in their concreteness: practical steps, challenges and results that companies can directly translate to their own situation.

Interactive demos and pitches as an accelerator of innovation

PPA distinguishes itself through its emphasis on seeing, experiencing, and doing. Exhibitors presented interactive demos ranging from smart sensors and energy-efficient measurement solutions to cybersecurity applications, alarm management, and data analysis. The compact pitches, a maximum of two minutes, allowed for a quick, clear overview of relevant technology solutions.

This setup created a lively exhibition floor where visitors could easily engage in conversations, compare solutions and gain inspiration for their own automation challenges.

Knowledge exchange in the panel discussion

At the end of the day, an interactive panel discussion took place with the plenary speakers. Led by an experienced moderator, attendees and experts explored topics such as the speed of AI developments, the challenges of IT/OT convergence, and the demands placed on modern industrial networks. The open format of the session fostered valuable exchange between end users, suppliers, and experts.

A compact format that works

PPA's refined format—a single day, a limited number of plenary sessions, a clear focus on OT, demos, and plenty of interaction—is proving successful. The powerful combination of practical application, in-depth content, and accessibility makes the event particularly relevant for engineers, technical managers, and integrators who want to take concrete steps toward digitalization and automation.

The bridge to WoTS 2026

While PPA offers a compact and practical format, WoTS 2026 in September represents the large-scale next step. From September 22nd to 25th, Jaarbeurs Utrecht will once again be the center of technological progress during the World of Industry, Technology & Science. With three worlds—Industry, Electronics, and Laboratory—more than 400 exhibitors, and an extensive seminar program, WoTS demonstrates the breadth and depth of technological developments.

For PPA visitors, WoTS 2026 offers the ideal opportunity to translate insights from the event into concrete implementations. Topics such as AI, cybersecurity, digitalization, machine learning, and predictive maintenance will be widely featured in Utrecht. Moreover, WoTS brings together a much broader network of suppliers, researchers, organizations, and end users, facilitating new collaborations and next steps.