“The introduction of AI and smart manufacturing is very important not only in terms of performance and productivity, but also in terms of sustainability, talent development, and cybersecurity.”

Rockwell Automation, the world's largest industrial automation and digital transformation company, held a press conference at COEX on the 12th and introduced artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud-based autonomous manufacturing technologies and various digital transformation solutions under the theme of 'Creating the Future of Industrial Operations.'

Andrew Ellis, vice president of global portfolio engineering at Rockwell Automation, who made the announcement that day, said recent advances in AI and smart manufacturing are playing a critical role in companies’ digital transformation.

According to a recent report by Rockwell Automation, the integration of AI and smart manufacturing is becoming a core element of enterprises, and it emphasized four key elements for digital transformation.

The first is an approach that provides support regardless of the customer's digital maturity, with various options depending on the customer's digital adoption status. We provide solutions that help our customers achieve their smart manufacturing goals.

Second, we can meet the diverse needs of our customers by providing a variety of products and services with a comprehensive portfolio of products, solutions and services.

The third is a talent with both domain expertise and technical expertise in the industry. Domain experts combine industry knowledge and technical knowledge to provide customers with the best solutions.

Finally, we work with multiple partners within the ecosystem to deliver comprehensive solutions to achieve our goals.

Along with this, Rockwell Automation's report highlighted five key trends in smart manufacturing.

The first is sustainability and compliance, with companies focusing on reducing their carbon emissions and increasing energy efficiency.

The second is autonomous operation, which introduces AI and robots to increase flexibility in manufacturing sites and efficiently move raw materials and finished products.

The third is the need for data management from edge to cloud. As data volumes grow, the trend toward leveraging remote monitoring and support solutions is increasing.

The fourth is industrial AI and machine learning, which can improve the performance of equipment and maximize efficiency.

Finally, generative AI can be used to increase human productivity, leveraging past data to help with design, operation, and maintenance.

Problems of technology gaps and talent shortages are also continually reported.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2.7 million people retire each year, leaving 2 million manufacturing jobs unfilled.

To overcome this, automation and AI adoption are emerging as important solutions.

According to a Rockwell Automation survey, 85% of customers responded that they are already using or planning to introduce AI and machine learning.

This is a critical investment not only in performance and productivity, but also in sustainability, cybersecurity and workforce development.

Meanwhile, Rockwell Automation will participate in the '2025 Smart Factory & Automation Industry Exhibition', Asia's largest smart factory automation industry exhibition held at COEX from March 12th to 14th.

At this exhibition, Rockwell Automation will present solutions related to △optimizing smooth production and logistics processes, △AI-based design, operation, and maintenance, and △smart factory network infrastructure diagnosis, construction, and management services.

Among the key exhibit items are On-Machine™ solution that simplifies the design of control panels and optimizes space with solutions for optimizing smooth production and logistics processes, and 'Ether', a connected enterprise solution that extends to devices inside cabinets.We will present a demo of 'NetIP™ in Cabinet'.

We will also introduce solutions in the hardware field, which are considered Rockwell Automation's traditional strengths, such as the 'iTRAK® 5750', the next-generation intelligent track system for flexible production changeover, and the 'QuickStick®150', a new product line for ultra-high-speed, precision material transport.

Also on display will be the 'OTTO 100', a powerful and agile AMR designed to move lightweight payloads.

As AI-based design, operation, and maintenance solutions, we will be introducing a number of products including Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) for various industries, the latest distributed control system 'PlantPAx®' for control and optimization across the entire factory, and the AI and cloud-based modular factory automation software 'FactoryTalk®' product line. You can also see the practical effects of utilizing these solutions in the manufacturing field through actual demos.

In addition, we also introduce solutions for diagnosing, building, and managing smart factory network infrastructure. In particular, demos from our partners, AI infrastructure and service specialist SNET Systems and global leader in IT/OT cybersecurity platforms Fortinet, will be available at the on-site booth.

Lee Yong-ha, CEO of Rockwell Automation Korea, said, “In order for domestic manufacturers to be competitive in a rapidly changing market environment, the transition to smart manufacturing through the introduction of AI and cloud-based solutions is essential,” adding, “Rockwell Automation will provide continuous and practical support for customers’ successful digital transformation.”