Critical Manufacturing has struck a partnership with Canonical to help manufacturers deploy Cloud-native production systems that can scale across sites while meeting industrial security requirements.
The agreement brings together Critical Manufacturing’s Manufacturing Execution System with Canonical’s Cloud infrastructure technologies, including its enterprise Kubernetes platform. The companies said the collaboration is intended to address persistent challenges faced by manufacturers as they digitise operations, including system complexity, deployment flexibility, and security compliance.
Manufacturers in sectors ranging from electronics to industrial equipment have accelerated digital transformation programmes in recent years, but many continue to rely on production software that is difficult to scale or adapt across cloud, hybrid, and on-premises environments. Executives at both companies said this has slowed adoption of modern deployment models and limited real-time visibility across plants.
Under the partnership, Canonical’s Kubernetes platform will be validated to run with Critical Manufacturing’s MES, allowing customers to deploy the software consistently across different infrastructure environments. The companies said this would enable manufacturers to choose deployment models based on operational needs rather than technical constraints.
Mark Lewis, VP Application Services at Canonical, said the collaboration would give manufacturers greater confidence when modernising production systems. “By validating Critical Manufacturing MES on Canonical Kubernetes, we are creating a strong foundation for manufacturers looking for secure, scalable deployment options across Cloud, hybrid, or on-premises environments,” he said.
Critical Manufacturing said the partnership would also expand its options for customers already using Canonical’s Linux and Kubernetes platforms, reducing implementation times and lowering barriers for companies moving towards Cloud-native manufacturing systems.
Will Trogdon, VP Partner Ecosystem at Critical Manufacturing, said the two groups shared an ambition to accelerate adoption of cloud-native manufacturing platforms. “Together, we are offering a seamless, secure, and scalable way to deploy our MES in environments that suit different operational realities,” he said.
For customers, the combined offering is expected to support manufacturing execution at scale while improving operational flexibility and reducing total cost of ownership over time. The partnership also gives manufacturers access to Canonical’s ecosystem of certified infrastructure providers as they expand deployments internationally.
Canonical said the agreement would allow both companies to test and validate solutions jointly, with the aim of addressing specific manufacturing market segments together.
José Pedro Silva, R&D Director at Critical Manufacturing, said the collaboration offered a practical route to connected manufacturing. “Canonical Kubernetes provides a reliable infrastructure layer that complements the flexibility of our MES, particularly for customers expanding across multiple sites and adopting new digital capabilities,” he said.
Both companies said the partnership would apply across manufacturing industries and support organisations at varying stages of digital maturity, as manufacturers seek more responsive and secure production environments that can evolve alongside business demands.
