SPS Italia: the unmissable annual event for the Italian manufacturing industry

30 May 2024

40,133 visitors exploring Industry 5.0, for a sustainable and human-centred future

Fiere di Parma [Parma Trade Fair Centre], 28-30 May 2024. The twelfth edition of SPS Italia saw a significant increase in numbers with a display of cutting-edge manufacturing technologies ranging from artificial intelligence, IT/IIoT, robotics and mechatronics to additive manufacturing and sustainability. The events and talks of the fair were also packed with attendees. Speaking at the inaugural plenary meeting, Raffaele Spallone, Director of the Business Digitalization and Productive Sector Analysis Division at MIMIT, highlighted the potential of the Transition Plan 5.0 to transform the country by concentrating effort on the development of digital goods and the reduction of consumption, thereby improving the sustainability and competitiveness of Italian manufacturing. In the Education Area of the Fair, Anna Brancaccio, Director, Ministry of Education and Merit, addressed an audience that included students interested in and excited about the technologies on show.

The Fair included a presentation of the second edition of a position paper titled “Towards a Human-Centric Digital Transformation,” authored by the Scientific Committee of the show. The paper offers a general overview of the state of play as well as a number of specific insights into the technological changes of Industry 4.0 and 5.0.

Donald Wich, Managing Director of Messe Frankfurt Italia, declared: “We recorded a huge turnout over the three days of the fair, a testament to the growing recognition among businesses that the path to competitiveness and sustainability necessarily passes through innovation. This year’s SPS Italia was a successful combination of networking, cutting-edge technologies, educational opportunities, and skill development, all geared towards shaping a new vision for the factory of tomorrow, where highly advanced solutions are harnessed to the benefit of humans. We are thrilled to have facilitated a networking event that brought together the entire manufacturing ecosystem, from technology providers to established manufacturers and the next generation of industry leaders."

According to Andrea Bianchi, President of ANIE Automazione: “The excellent visitor turnout and exhibitor numbers are a resounding testament to SPS Italia's enduring position as the industry's premier event and the main showcase of the technological innovation in the sector. Businesses are recognizing that in today's increasingly intricate and unpredictable global landscape, investing in innovation, particularly in the areas of sustainability and digitalization, is a strategic imperative for their continued growth. ANIE Automazione's hope is that the vigour and dynamism evinced by Italian businesses can be matched by far-sighted economic policies that address the nation's real manufacturing needs. ANIE Automazione's experience at SPS Italia has certainly been positive. We presented the 2024 edition of the Observatory [report on the state of the sector], a new Technical Guide on interconnection for the industrial world, and a Vademecum 5.0 [instructions for use]. Over the coming months, we shall continue to work with Messe Frankfurt Italia on organizing our forums on vision systems, mechatronics, and industrial software.”

SPS Italia Awards 2024

She SPS Italia Award

• Female entrepreneurship - Giorgia Roversi, TECO SPA
• Social sustainability - Maria Chiara Franceschetti, Gefran
• Empowerment - Giorgio Ferrandino, SEW-EURODRIVE Italy
• Mentorship - Melissa Guerini, KEB Automation Italy

Roberto Maietti Award

• Daniele Fornasier, beanTech
Pervasive AI for Manufacturing: from Advanced Automation Applications to Intelligent Ecosystem Monitoring

SPS Italia UP Challenge

• SMUSH biodegradable filler packaging made by SMUSH Materials
Circular and natural material made from fermented organic agricultural waste, offering compostable solutions for the industrial bulk packaging sector.

SPS Italia looks forward to seeing you at the next fair, to be held in Parma on 13-15 May 2025.

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