Automation News has published Issue 4 for 2026, exploring how industrial automation, artificial intelligence and connected technologies are reshaping manufacturing, as European industry faces growing pressure to improve productivity, competitiveness and sustainability.
The latest edition examines the challenges facing manufacturers, from rising energy costs and skills shortages to supply chain pressures, cybersecurity and the need for more adaptable production. Across its features, the issue considers how automation, digitalisation and emerging technologies can help manufacturers respond to these challenges while making better use of existing infrastructure.
The edition’s cover story examines the role of automation in making carbon capture viable for cement producers. The article explores why capturing CO₂ is only part of the challenge, and how integrated power management, process control and digital systems will be needed to incorporate carbon capture into existing cement production without compromising productivity or energy performance.
The issue also explores whether Europe can automate its way back to competitiveness. Examining the growing adoption of AI and automation across manufacturing, experts from WAGO, Schneider Electric, ABB and Siemens explore the barriers to adoption, the challenges of modernising legacy factories and why manufacturers need to focus on solving practical production problems rather than simply adopting new technologies.
The issue also looks ahead to SPS 2026, with a guide to the industrial automation exhibition in Nuremberg. The feature examines how software-defined automation, industrial AI, Edge computing and connected networks could help manufacturers build more flexible and responsive factories. Contributions from Siemens, Analog Devices, Danfoss Drives, WITTENSTEIN and the CC-Link Partner Association explore the technologies shaping the next stage of industrial automation.
As factories become increasingly dependent on connected infrastructure, the issue also examines the importance of network resilience. In a feature by Alan Stewart-Brown, VP of Sales EMEA at Opengear, recent Cloud outages provide a starting point for exploring what happens when connectivity fails. The article considers how manufacturers can maintain access to critical infrastructure, manage distributed systems and prevent network disruption from becoming a production outage.
Industrial safety is another theme, with a feature by Rolf Horn, Applications Engineer at DigiKey, exploring how non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) sensing can provide reliable detection of flammable hydrocarbon gases such as methane, propane and butane. The article examines the importance of accurate concentration measurements in automated safety systems, particularly when identifying potential hazards before gas levels approach the lower explosive limit.
The edition also tackles the skills and diversity challenges facing manufacturing, examining how the industry can work towards a target of 35% women in manufacturing. The feature considers what needs to change to attract more women into the sector and build a more representative workforce.
Elsewhere, readers can discover an interview with the YouTube creator who has broken the world record for the fastest remote-controlled car, exploring the engineering and technology behind the record-breaking achievement.
Issue 4, 2026 of Automation News is now available to read below.
