Victor Blanc (Advanced Factories): ‘Attendees will be able to discover new trends and success stories in the automotive industry’

Advanced Factories expects a record edition, with 639 exhibiting companies and 1,419 technological solutions gathered in more than 24,000 m² of industrial innovation with the aim of accelerating productivity, optimising processes and improving the competitiveness of companies in the industrial and manufacturing sector.

In addition, it extends the experience with AMT - Advanced Machine Tools, which brings together an extensive range of state-of-the-art machine tools, instrumentation and components, designed to transform workshops and plants, taking them to the next level.

At the Industry 4.0 Congress, a leading European congress on industrial automation and digitisation, 427 international experts will share 217 industrial experiences, success stories, strategies, emerging technologies and practical tools to drive the digital transformation of factories in 6 simultaneous auditoriums.

Interview published in AutoRevista 2.400. Lea esta entrevista en castellano

Once again, the halls and stages of Advanced Factories, from 8 to 10 April at Fira de Barcelona's Gran Via exhibition centre, will be filled with participants at an unmissable trade fair in the European panorama of the world of advanced manufacturing. Víctor Blanc, Event Manager, gives us a preview of the keys to this ninth edition.

AutoRevista.-  How does the ninth edition of Advanced Factories fit in with the current European context, which is looking for new forms of competitiveness in the face of the push from Asia, especially China, and the pressure that is starting to come from the United States?

Víctor Blanc.-  While it is true that the countries that are leading investment in R&D and innovation are China and the United States, Europe has realised that it must commit to industrial autonomy and improve the competitiveness of the sector. In this sense, we need more research, more semiconductor and especially microchip manufacturing. But we also need to make our factories more efficient and productive, without losing sight of their decarbonisation, and automation and industrial robotics play a decisive role in all of this.

Advanced Factories is the largest trade fair for the industrial sector in Spain and an instrument for improving productivity through solutions in automation, robotisation, Artificial Intelligence and 4.0 technologies in production plants. 

Geopolitics plays an important role, but companies and SMEs cannot lose competitiveness by not seeking the optimisation and efficiency of their production processes, as competition is increasingly fierce. 

AR.- One of the trends highlighted at the event is the redefinition of automation through green technology. How will this be reflected in the exhibition area and in the Industry 4.0 Congress forum?

V.B.- Green technology will be present in the different forums and spaces of the fair, as sustainability strategies are indispensable in the current context to guarantee efficiency, reduce costs and strengthen competitiveness. In fact, our motto for this edition is ‘Redefining Automation with Green Tech’ because we believe that green technology will play a fundamental role in the transformation of industry. 

And today, state-of-the-art robotics, production integration systems, artificial vision, the circularity of materials and artificial intelligence are fundamental instruments for improving the decarbonisation and sustainability of what we manufacture. For this reason, all the exhibitors have incorporated energy efficiency in all their solutions in their automation value proposition.

In this sense, the Industry 4.0 Congress will bring together more than 430 experts who will analyse the role of technology as an ally to improve energy efficiency, redefine production processes and move towards a more sustainable and decarbonised industry. Thus, the Greentech Summit will address strategies to reduce waste in industry and emissions, as well as to promote decarbonisation and the circular economy. For this, we will have experts such as Jordi Port, director of communications and sustainability at Noel or Carlos Velázquez, director of sustainability at Roca, among others.

AR.- Automotive is one of the best represented sectors in the event, especially in the congress part. What expectations do you think it can generate in the value chain of the sector to attend and participate?

V.B.- Advanced Factories is a key event to learn first-hand about the latest innovations in automation, robotics, artificial intelligence and Industry 4.0 for the automotive industry. These are key aspects that are transforming production in car and component factories. In this sense, attendees will be able to discover new trends and success stories that are taking place in the automotive industry, since the transformation that is being imposed with the arrival of electric vehicles is a great challenge for OEMs, but also for the entire supply chain. 

In this sense, the Industry 4.0 Congress will present the industrial experiences of firms such as Nissan, Gestamp, SEAT, Stellantis, Jaguar Land Rover, Fersa, Dana Automoción, or Mercedes-Benz, among others. Industrial experiences from the automotive sector told by their production leaders or plant managers. A luxury that no one in the sector should miss out on. 

The networking meetings are also key to fostering synergies between companies with Industry 4.0 solutions and professionals looking for industrial partners to improve the productivity of their factories.

AR.- It seems unavoidable to set up an event like Advanced Factories without addressing AI, which will be another of the outstanding trends of the next edition, how does the organisation plan to deal with this trend?

V.B.- Artificial intelligence has become a fundamental pillar for the evolution of the industrial sector. For this reason, Advanced Factories 2025 will address AI from different perspectives, exploring its impact on automation, process optimisation and energy efficiency.

In this sense, generative AI will be one of the main topics of discussion. This edition will analyse its capacity to transform design and production in smart factories, delving into the use of machine learning for predicting machinery failures and its integration into predictive maintenance systems.

In addition to the congress, the latest innovations in artificial intelligence for the sector will be presented in the exhibition area. From machine vision solutions for quality control to advanced real-time data analysis platforms, the fair will be the perfect setting to learn first-hand how AI is redefining production processes. 

Factory automation through collaborative robots with autonomous learning capabilities will also play a special role, showing the potential of this technology to improve flexibility and adaptability in production lines.

AR-What objectives have been defined to increase the impact of Advanced Factories by holding it in parallel with AMT?

V.B.- This year Advanced Factories will once again be held simultaneously with AMT, the latest-generation machine-tool trade fair for the metal-mechanics industry, which is held in odd-numbered years. This joint event will promote synergies between the two events, as many of the professionals from the automotive, railway, naval, electronics and chemical industries who attend Advanced Factories every year also need to find the latest innovations in machine tools (machining, machining, cutting, deformation...), instrumentation, components, materials and other solutions for the renovation of their equipment. If we add to this the professionals from the metalworking industry that we meet every two years with AMT, the synergies are clear and the experience for many attendees is more complete and satisfactory.

AR.- After the experience of having Castilla y León as an Industrial Region in 2024, what are the actions that have been promoted and will take place at the fair with the Autonomous Community of Navarra?

V.B.- In this ninth edition, our Advisory Council has named Navarre as an Industrial Region Europe 2025 for being a key reference point in the implementation of initiatives to drive the transformation towards Industry 4.0. 

With the aim of bringing smart manufacturing processes driven by automation, robotics and artificial intelligence closer to the industrial sector of Navarre, on Thursday 20 March we will be holding a conference on Industry 4. 0 in Pamplona, with the participation of the Regional Minister of Industry and Ecological and Digital Business Transition of Navarre, Mikel Irujo Amezaga, as well as companies from Navarre such as Laboratorios Cinfa, Harivenasa, Vors Control, and Zucami, among others, to learn how they have managed to improve their productivity through automation systems, robotics and production integration technologies. 

Then, during the celebration of Advanced Factories, from 8 to 10 April, Navarre will also have a prominent presence where it will show its position as a key region in industrial innovation in Spain, thanks to its policies and its commitment to technology and research. Institutional representatives and a large business delegation will be the protagonists of this edition.

AR.- How is the reception of a new edition of the Factories of the Future Awards being received, extended by the concurrence with AMT?

V.B.- The new edition of the Factories of the Future Awards is being very well received, as every year, and we have already received more than 200 nominations for the awards. This year, due to the simultaneous hosting of Advanced Factories and AMT, the award categories cover a broader spectrum of innovations, not only in industrial automation and digitisation, but also in the field of machine tools, additive manufacturing and intelligent machining processes. This has attracted a large number of companies interested in submitting entries, from technology start-ups to large industrial manufacturers, reinforcing the competitiveness and excellence of the projects submitted.

The awards have also incorporated a special focus on solutions that optimise energy consumption, reduce the carbon footprint and improve efficiency in production processes. This development has been welcomed both by companies in the sector and by institutions and associations that promote the transition towards a more sustainable industry.