Schneider and Microsoft advance smart manufacturing tech
Schneider Electric is set to highlight new progress in its collaboration with Microsoft at Hannover Messe, showcasing how joint innovations are helping manufacturers modernise operations and improve resilience.
At the centre of the partnership is Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure Automation Expert platform, which provides a software-defined automation framework capable of operating across on-site, edge and hybrid environments. This is complemented by Microsoft’s Azure cloud and AI capabilities, which enable advanced data analysis, orchestration and optimisation of industrial processes.
Together, the companies are promoting a more integrated approach to manufacturing, where engineering, deployment and operations are connected through a single digital workflow. This model allows manufacturers to design automation systems once and deploy them across multiple sites without extensive reconfiguration, improving efficiency and consistency.
The approach also addresses growing industry challenges such as supply chain disruption, increasing product complexity and the need to modernise safely. By linking engineering design directly with operational execution, the platform enables better traceability, faster validation through simulation and more scalable operations.
Gwenaelle Huet, EVP of Industrial Automation at Schneider Electric, said the collaboration demonstrates a shift towards unified and interoperable manufacturing systems. “From agentic design to software-defined operations, we are enabling a single workflow that validates, simulates and deploys automation logic consistently across cloud and edge environments,” she explained.
Artificial intelligence plays a central role in this transformation. AI-driven tools can automate routine engineering tasks, validate system logic before deployment and reduce the time required to move from design to production. According to the companies, this has already resulted in significant time savings, with some engineering processes completed in a fraction of the time previously required.
In one example, the joint platform has been applied in a green hydrogen project with H2E Power, where it has supported thousands of hours of stable autonomous operation in a high-temperature industrial environment, while also helping to reduce production costs.
Dayan Rodriguez, Corporate Vice President for Manufacturing and Mobility at Microsoft, said the collaboration is helping bridge the gap between design and execution. “We are closing the loop from engineering intent to operational reality by automating decisions, validating processes early and enabling consistent deployment across environments,” he noted.
Visitors to Hannover Messe 2026 will be able to see live demonstrations of the technologies, including AI-driven engineering tools and open automation systems, as both companies continue to advance the next phase of digital manufacturing.