Siemens Demonstrates Software-Defined Automation Path from PLCs to AI at Hannover Messe 2026
At Hannover Messe 2026, Siemens presented three entry points for manufacturers transitioning to software-defined automation: the S7-1500 virtual PLC, Industrial Edge for AI applications, and an open engineering toolchain . The company positions software-defined automation as the foundation for scaling AI at an operational level in manufacturing .
Three Entry Points for Manufacturers :
Entry Point | Description |
|---|---|
S7-1500 Virtual PLC | Virtual representation of traditional hardware PLC, including safety version; control logic moves to industrial PCs and server infrastructure |
Industrial Edge | Run AI and data workloads on industrial PCs, server rack, or standard server infrastructure |
Open Engineering Toolchain | API-first design with package management system; connect Siemens, third-party, and OEM tools |
Changing Role of Automation Engineers :
Matthias Schulz, Marketing & Communications Manager for Software-Defined Automation & Innovation at Siemens, explained: "The automation engineer's role shifts from writing code to overseeing how the code base is standardized and orchestrating AI-powered tools... from being a person that writes the code or the applications to a more oversight person that looks at the standardization of the code base and then uses agents and copilots to work with them to generate more efficient, more flexible and more adaptive solutions."
Key Distinction :
At the shopfloor, Siemens demonstrated how AI orchestrates and adapts production software. For individualized products, AI-driven orchestration handles decisions like production scheduling and sequencing—tasks that require coordination of many more steps than standardized products
