Industrial Automation: Current Opportunities and Challenges
The long-term outlook for industrial automation is a positive one. Uptake of automation continues to grow in a number of applications to enable goods to be produced faster and reliably while also helping overcome the skilled labor challenges affecting many sectors.
In this video interview, I talk with three industry experts from Bosch Rexroth to get their perspectives on the current state of the industrial automation market:
- Richard Vaughn, Head of Product Management – Linear Technologies
- Joaquin Ocampo, Product Manager – Automation & Electrification
- Bill LeAnna, Sales Product Manager – Transfer Systems.
We discuss current market conditions and future expectations as well as the sectors in which they are seeing the most growth opportunities at the moment. Semiconductors is one such industry Vaughn notes, driven primarily by the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI).
I also speak with them about the challenges that still exist in this market which include cost and lead times and the need for customers to justify the return on investment when choosing to implement an automation solution.
Watch "Automate 2026: Electrification, Humanoid Robots and AI to be Key Trends of Interest" to learn about the technologies and trends Vaughn, Ocampo and LeAnna look forward to seeing at Automate 2026.
Or read the articles below for my full interview with them to learn about the trends shaping the industrial automation sector, the continued role they see hydraulics playing and more.
Automation Remains an Investment Priority for Industrial Applications
Industrial Automation Requires Faster and Easier to Use Solutions
About the Author
Sara Jensen
Executive Editor, Power & Motion
Sara Jensen is executive editor of Power & Motion, directing expanded coverage into the modern fluid power space, as well as mechatronic and smart technologies. She has over 15 years of publishing experience. Prior to Power & Motion she spent 11 years with a trade publication for engineers of heavy-duty equipment, the last 3 of which were as the editor and brand lead. Over the course of her time in the B2B industry, Sara has gained an extensive knowledge of various heavy-duty equipment industries — including construction, agriculture, mining and on-road trucks —along with the systems and market trends which impact them such as fluid power and electronic motion control technologies.
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