About SPS - Smart Production Solutions
Smart and digital automation is the focus of SPS, Smart Production Solutions, which has been held in Nuremberg since 1990. Organised by Mesago Messe Frankfurt, the annual trade fair fills the Nuremberg Exhibition Centre each November and is one of the main European meeting points for the industrial automation sector.
The exhibition is structured around eight product areas: control technology, electric drive systems and components, human-machine interfaces, industrial communication, software and IT for manufacturing, interface technology, electrical infrastructure, and sensors and system solutions. Exhibitors range from large automation groups to specialist component makers and software developers.
The audience is highly technical. Engineers, production and plant managers, system integrators and technical buyers come to see new products, compare solutions and discuss specific applications, many of them involved directly in specifying and integrating systems on the factory floor.
In recent years the organiser has placed particular emphasis on industrial AI, with dedicated stages and programming exploring its use in manufacturing. Beyond the three days in Nuremberg, the SPS Automation Hub provides year-round content such as technology talks, conferences, webinars and industry news, which keeps the community engaged between shows. Mesago also runs SPS events in other countries, including SPS Italia.
For automation suppliers, the attraction is direct access to decision makers from the German and wider European manufacturing base. Because visitors often bring concrete technical questions, stands with working demonstrations and engineers on hand tend to make the strongest impression.
Next edition
SPS - Smart Production Solutions 2026: what to expect
SPS 2026 takes place from 24 to 26 November at the Nuremberg Exhibition Centre, across 15 halls. Industrial AI is the featured focus topic for 2026, with dedicated stages and programming on its use in smart manufacturing.
Mesago reported 1,175 exhibitors, 122,000 square metres of exhibition space and 55,938 visitors at the 2025 edition, up from 51,291 visitors in 2024.
The show runs midweek over three days and the halls are spread across a large site, so it helps to brief visitors and customers on hall and stand numbers in advance. Working demonstrations of drives, controls or software, staffed by engineers who can answer detailed questions, suit this audience far better than static product displays.