Top Headlines from Main Automation Contractors (MACs) – May 2025 Edition
The world of industrial automation is moving fast and May 2025 was no exception. From groundbreaking digital twin launches to billion-dollar acquisitions and cutting-edge AI integrations, the biggest names in industrial automation have been busy shaping the future of industry.
In this monthly roundup, we cover major announcements from leading Main Automation Contractors (MACs) including Schneider Electric, Emerson, Honeywell, Rockwell, and ABB.
If you’re new to this space or want to understand how these technologies fit into the bigger picture, make sure to check out our in-depth guide on Industrial Automation Systems and our latest overview of major DCS Contractors.
Emerson Partners with ELT Group for Finnish Defence Forces
Date: May 5, 2025
Emerson has entered a strategic partnership with ELT Group Deutschland to supply the Finnish Defence Forces with cutting-edge test and evaluation systems for radar and electronic support measures (ESM). The partnership combines Emerson’s high-performance test solutions (like NI™ Vector Signal Transceivers) with ELT’s expertise in electromagnetic spectrum operations (EMSO). The goal is to improve NATO partner readiness across air, land, and sea domains.
Emerson Launches AspenTech v15 to Boost Industrial AI & Sustainability
Date: May 13, 2025
Emerson released the latest version of AspenTech software, bringing enhanced industrial AI tools, sustainability tracking, and user experience upgrades. Key features include AI-assisted reservoir modeling, automated 3D plant layout generation, and expanded support for green hydrogen and plastics recycling initiatives. These tools aim to help industries streamline operations while advancing their ESG goals.
Honeywell Debuts AI-Driven TrackWise Manufacturing Platform
Date: April 2, 2025
Honeywell launched TrackWise Manufacturing, an AI-assisted platform aimed at digitizing and automating workflow in the life sciences sector. Designed to replace outdated paper-based processes, the platform supports faster drug development, regulatory compliance, and production efficiency. It runs on a containerized architecture to enhance flexibility and scalability across diverse environments.
Honeywell Acquires Sundyne for $2.16B to Strengthen Energy Portfolio
Date: March 4, 2025
In a move to expand its Energy and Sustainability Solutions business, Honeywell acquired Sundyne, a leading manufacturer of pumps and compressors. The acquisition strengthens Honeywell’s end-to-end industrial automation offering, integrating Sundyne’s mechanical systems with Honeywell Forge’s digital technologies for improved predictive maintenance and process optimization.
ABB to Spin Off Robotics Division in 2026
Date: April 17, 2025
ABB announced plans to spin off its Robotics division as a standalone, publicly traded company by Q2 2026. The move is intended to sharpen strategic focus and unlock value in both ABB and the new robotics entity, which generated $2.3 billion in revenue in 2024. The division specializes in autonomous mobile robots, AI-powered automation software, and intelligent robotic systems.
Siemens Acquires Dotmatics to Expand into AI-Powered Life Sciences Software
Siemens announced a $5.1 billion acquisition of Dotmatics, a Boston-based leader in scientific R&D software for the life sciences sector. The deal significantly expands Siemens’ AI-powered Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) capabilities into drug development and biotech manufacturing, aligning with its broader ONE Tech Company growth strategy and Siemens Xcelerator platform.
With this acquisition, Siemens taps into an $11 billion market driven by aging populations, new treatment methods, and the growing need for digital transformation in life sciences. Dotmatics’ products—used by over 2 million scientists globally—will complement Siemens’ digital twin, industrial simulation, and AI technologies to create an end-to-end digital thread from R&D through production.
The acquisition is expected to close in the first half of fiscal 2026 and will be immediately accretive, with Dotmatics projected to generate over $300 million in revenue in FY2025 and maintain EBITDA margins above 40%.
Rockwell Unveils Factory-Scale Digital Twin Testing at NVIDIA GTC 2025
Date: March 2025
Rockwell Automation debuted its new Emulate3D® Factory Test™ platform at NVIDIA GTC 2025, marking a major leap forward in factory-scale virtual controls testing. Integrated with NVIDIA Omniverse™ APIs and OpenUSD, the tool enables manufacturers to simulate and validate automation systems before deployment — with high-fidelity, real-time collaboration.
The solution addresses the complexity of modern factories by allowing engineers to build unified digital twins that combine mechanical, electrical, robotics, and process models. Key features include automated testing workflows, fault simulation, and advanced DevOps-style version control for cross-team collaboration.
This release strengthens Rockwell’s vision of AI-driven industrial transformation and expands on its ongoing partnership with NVIDIA, first announced in late 2024.
Schneider Electric & ETAP Debut World’s First AI Factory Power Digital Twin
Date: March 18, 2025
In a groundbreaking collaboration, Schneider Electric and ETAP have unveiled the world’s first AI Factory digital twin that simulates power requirements from the grid all the way to the chip level, using NVIDIA Omniverse™ Cloud APIs. This new solution aims to transform how data centers design, monitor, and optimize electrical systems for energy-intensive AI workloads.
By integrating ETAP’s advanced electrical modeling technology with NVIDIA’s digital twin architecture, the platform offers real-time insights into power consumption, dynamic “what-if” simulations, predictive maintenance, and energy efficiency optimization. The goal: smarter infrastructure design, reduced total cost of ownership, and better alignment with the performance demands of modern AI applications.
This “Grid to Chip” innovation is especially timely as data centers face surging power demands due to AI training and inference. The digital twin provides data center operators with previously unattainable precision and control over their power systems—helping to enhance grid reliability and sustainability.
About Automation JobSearch
Automation JobSearch is run by automation engineers dedicated to advancing the field of industrial automation. We believe that industrial automation plays a significant role in driving sustainability and economic growth.
We provide job listing products to support growth-stage automation companies and technical recruiters in their talent acquisition efforts, ensuring they find suitable candidates quickly and efficiently.
Our online job board attracts both active job seekers and passive candidates, providing exposure to a focused candidate pool of automation professionals.
Additionally, in line with our commitment to the industry, we actively promote graduate and intern positions at no cost, recognizing the critical need to attract more graduates to our profession.