Manufacturing is – and will remain – fundamentally physical. Every gain from software-defined automation ultimately depends on hardware that can sense, communicate and act reliably on the shopfloor. The real opportunity is not replacing hardware but enhancing it through software-defined automation.  Concepts like virtual sensors or AI-driven optimization can unlock new value. But at some point, real-world performance still depends on real data from physical systems and on hardware capable of deterministic execution. A shift to workflows like those in software development can be invaluable, but they need to still be understood in the context of the physical environment – the safety systems, machine limitations or how people will interact with machines on the shop floor. Rainer Brehm is back to talk about all this and more.

In this episode you’ll learn about:

(00:00) The future of hardware

(03:13) Partnerships for modern production

(07:35) A glimpse into the future

(15:38) Incumbent or disruptor?

(17:15) Human in the loop

About the voices:

Rainer Brehm is the Chief Operations Officer (COO) for the automation business and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Siemens Digital Industries. In these roles, he drives the strategic advancement of Siemens’ automation portfolio and leads the development of technologies such as Industrial AI and Software-Defined Automation to unlock the full potential of automation. His focus is on making production more adaptive, resilient, and sustainable. His vision is an automated automation that solves unknown tasks independently.

Nick Finbergis a technical marketing writer and coordinator for Software-Defined Everything, with a background in Nuclear Engineering. He has worked with experts to cover many industries and topics including Automotive, Battery, sustainability, and systems engineering.