Industry 4.0 & 5.0 Timeline

Astek innovation events in the Industry 4.0 & 5.0 domain.

• Siemens acquires Inspekto (AI vision for quality) (2024-02-15) — Siemens acquires Inspekto, a German AI machine vision company that automates visual quality inspection without vision experts or large volumes of production data.
• Deloitte: 3.8 million US manufacturing jobs to fill by 2033 (2024-04-03) — Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute's "Taking charge" study estimates 3.8 million US manufacturing jobs to fill between 2024 and 2033, with 1.9 million at risk of staying vacant for lack of skilled applicants.
• Siemens Industrial Copilot for TIA Portal (2024-04-22) — At Hannover Messe 2024, Siemens connects its Industrial Copilot to TIA Portal: the generative AI assistant writes SCL code for PLCs, drafts HMI screens and searches documentation in natural language.
• ACC freezes its Kaiserslautern and Termoli gigafactories (2024-06-04) — In early June 2024, ACC (Stellantis, Mercedes-Benz, TotalEnergies) pauses its cell plants in Germany and Italy as EV sales slow. Both projects are shelved in February 2026.
• ESPR published: ecodesign and the Digital Product Passport (2024-06-28) — The ESPR, Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 published on 28 June 2024, extends ecodesign to almost all products and creates the Digital Product Passport. The 2025-2030 plan first targets steel, aluminium, textiles, furniture, tyres and mattresses.
• Net-Zero Industry Act published: aiming for 40% EU manufacturing of clean technologies (2024-06-28) — Regulation (EU) 2024/1735, published in the OJ on 28 June 2024 and applicable from 29 June, sets a benchmark of EU manufacturing capacity of at least 40% of annual net-zero technology needs by 2030 and caps factory permitting times.
• Xiaomi starts its Changping smart factory (2024-07-08) — On 8 July 2024, Xiaomi announces the start of its Changping smart smartphone factory in Beijing: CNY 2.4bn invested, 81,000 m² and capacity for 10 million flagship phones a year.
• The AI Act enters into force: industrial AI under EU rules (2024-08-01) — Published in the OJ on 12 July 2024, Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 on artificial intelligence enters into force on 1 August 2024. Its timeline runs from 2025 to 2027; AI systems built into machinery fall under high-risk rules.
• ESMC breaks ground on its Dresden foundry (2024-08-20) — On 20 August 2024, ESMC, TSMC's joint venture with Bosch, Infineon and NXP, breaks ground on its Dresden foundry, the very day Brussels clears €5bn of German aid for the roughly €10bn project.
• October 2024 Lighthouses: 22 new sites, including Siemens Erlangen (2024-10-08) — The World Economic Forum adds 22 sites to its Global Lighthouse Network, now 172 strong. Siemens' electronics factory in Erlangen joins with productivity up 69% and energy consumption down 42%.
• NIS2 transposition deadline: manufacturing enters the scope (2024-10-17) — Member States had to transpose the NIS2 Directive (EU) 2022/2555 by 17 October 2024, with application from the next day. It covers 18 critical sectors, including parts of manufacturing.
• Siemens industrial PCs with NVIDIA GPUs (2024-11-11) — Ahead of the SPS 2024 trade show, Siemens launches Simatic industrial PCs with NVIDIA GPUs and extends its Industrial Operations X offering to run AI next to the machine, without coding skills.
• Cyber Resilience Act published: cybersecurity becomes a CE-marking requirement (2024-11-20) — Regulation (EU) 2024/2847, published on 20 November 2024, imposes cybersecurity requirements on all products with digital elements, including PLCs and industrial software. Reporting applies from 11 September 2026, full application on 11 December 2027.
• Northvolt files for Chapter 11 protection (2024-11-21) — On 21 November 2024, Swedish battery maker Northvolt files for Chapter 11 protection in the US to restructure its debt; co-founder Peter Carlsson steps down as CEO the next day.
• ABB Genix Copilot (2024-12-11) — ABB launches Genix Copilot, built with Microsoft on Azure OpenAI: the assistant combines real-time operations data to produce alerts, forecasts and recommendations on asset health.
• NVIDIA Omniverse Mega Blueprint (2025-01-06) — At CES 2025, NVIDIA unveils Mega, an Omniverse reference blueprint for testing robot fleets in a factory or warehouse digital twin before any real-world deployment.
• TSMC produces its first 4 nm chips in Arizona (2025-01-10) — In early January 2025, the US Commerce Secretary announces TSMC is making 4 nm chips in Arizona. The foundry then raises its US investment to $165bn (March 2025), then $265bn (July 2026).
• January 2025 Lighthouses: Valeo's Shenzhen plant recognised (2025-01-14) — The WEF brings its Global Lighthouse Network to 189 sites. Valeo's Shenzhen plant (sensors, automotive electronics) joins with 42 Industry 4.0 projects, productivity up 60.2% and lead time down 34.5%.
• Dassault Systèmes 3D UNIV+RSES (2025-02-04) — Dassault Systèmes unveils "3D UNIV+RSES", an architecture that puts generative AI at the core of intellectual property lifecycle management on 3DEXPERIENCE and announces virtual companions.
• Industry 5.0: the Commission publishes a pilot indicators study (2025-02-10) — DG Research and Innovation publishes a first mapping of indicators to measure Industry 5.0 (human-centricity, sustainability, resilience), tested on two ecosystems: automotive and energy-intensive industries.
• ISO 10218:2025: first major revision of industrial robot safety since 2011 (2025-02-17) — After nearly eight years of work, parts 1 and 2 of ISO 10218, the flagship industrial robot safety standard, are revised: explicit functional safety requirements, collaborative robotics folded in (ex-ISO/TS 15066) and cybersecurity requirements.
• Omnibus I: the Commission lightens CSRD and due diligence rules (2025-02-26) — First simplification "omnibus" package: the Commission proposes removing about 80% of companies from CSRD scope and easing taxonomy and due diligence rules, for about EUR 6.3 billion in annual administrative savings.
• Clean Industrial Deal: Europe's plan to decarbonise and reindustrialise (2025-02-26) — The Commission presents the Clean Industrial Deal: over EUR 100 billion mobilised for clean manufacturing, an affordable energy plan, "made in Europe" criteria in procurement and an Industrial Decarbonisation Bank aiming for EUR 100 billion.
• Northvolt goes bankrupt in Sweden, then Lyten takes over (2025-03-12) — On 12 March 2025, Northvolt files for bankruptcy in Sweden, ending Europe's flagship battery project. US firm Lyten completes the takeover of the Skellefteå and Västerås sites (16 GWh) on 27 February 2026.
• Emerson buys out AspenTech (2025-03-12) — Emerson completes the purchase of the AspenTech shares it did not yet own, at $265 per share. The process industry optimization software vendor becomes a wholly owned subsidiary and leaves Nasdaq.
• Hyundai opens Metaplant America in Georgia (2025-03-26) — On 26 March 2025, Hyundai Motor Group opens Metaplant America in Georgia, an EV and hybrid plant backed by battery joint ventures, for $12.6bn; capacity will rise from 300,000 to 500,000 vehicles a year.
• Siemens acquires Altair (2025-03-26) — Siemens completes the acquisition of Altair Engineering, a simulation and high-performance computing specialist, for an enterprise value of about $10 billion. The deal was announced on 30 October 2024 at $113 per share.
• Audi and Siemens: virtual PLCs in production (2025-03-27) — At Böllinger Höfe, Audi runs a body shop for the first time with Siemens virtual programmable logic controllers with TÜV-certified safety functions, running on its local production cloud EC4P.
• Beckhoff TwinCAT PLC++ and CoAgent (2025-03-31) — At Hannover Messe 2025, Beckhoff unveils TwinCAT PLC++, a faster new generation of its software PLC, and TwinCAT CoAgent, a built-in conversational assistant that generates code and configures I/O.
• Hannover Messe 2025: industrial foundation model (2025-03-31) — Siemens CEO Roland Busch opens Hannover Messe 2025 with industrial AI at the center. Siemens announces it is developing, with Microsoft, an industrial foundation model trained on industry-specific data.
• Siemens acquires Dotmatics (2025-04-02) — Siemens signs the acquisition of Dotmatics, a life sciences R&D software vendor, for $5.1 billion from Insight Partners. The deal extends its AI-powered PLM from research to pharmaceutical production; closed on 1 July 2025.
• Stellantis halts Windsor and Toluca after tariffs (2025-04-03) — On 3 April 2025, the day after new US auto tariffs, Stellantis pauses its Windsor (Canada) and Toluca (Mexico) assembly plants and temporarily lays off 900 US workers.
• NVIDIA to build its AI supercomputers in the US (2025-04-14) — On 14 April 2025, NVIDIA announces that its Blackwell chips are in production at TSMC in Arizona and that its AI supercomputers will be assembled in Texas with Foxconn (Houston) and Wistron (Dallas).
• Nano Dimension absorbs Desktop Metal and Markforged (2025-04-25) — In April 2025, Nano Dimension completes, under court order, its purchase of Desktop Metal, then Markforged on 25 April ($116M). The consolidation of industrial additive manufacturing soon turns into a break-up.
• Siemens industrial AI agents (2025-05-12) — At Automate 2025 in Detroit, Siemens announces AI agents orchestrated behind its Industrial Copilots: they execute entire processes instead of answering questions, targeting productivity gains of up to 50%.
• United States raises steel and aluminium tariffs to 50% (2025-06-04) — A presidential proclamation doubles "Section 232" duties on steel, aluminium and their derivatives from 25% to 50% as of 4 June 2025, after country exemptions were scrapped in February.
• NVIDIA European industrial AI cloud (2025-06-11) — At GTC Paris, NVIDIA announces an AI cloud for European manufacturers, located in Germany with 10,000 GPUs, for simulation, factory twins and robotics. Deutsche Telekom brings it online in Munich in February 2026.
• BMW Group scales its Virtual Factory (2025-06-11) — BMW Group industrializes its Virtual Factory: digital twins of more than 30 sites are used for production planning, with automated collision checks and planning costs projected to fall by up to 30%.
• Silicon carbide pioneer Wolfspeed files for Chapter 11 (2025-06-30) — On 30 June 2025, US silicon carbide power semiconductor specialist Wolfspeed files for Chapter 11 to cut its debt by about $4.6bn under an agreement with its creditors.
• Synopsys acquires Ansys (2025-07-17) — Synopsys completes the acquisition of Ansys, announced on 16 January 2024 for about $35 billion. The chip design leader adds the multiphysics simulation specialist, from silicon to full systems.
• Intel scraps its Magdeburg and Poland plants (2025-07-24) — On 24 July 2025, Intel scraps its plant projects in Germany and Poland, slows Ohio further and targets 75,000 employees by end-2025, about a quarter fewer. A month later, the US government takes a 10% stake.
• Samsung signs $16.5bn foundry deal with Tesla, reviving Taylor (2025-07-28) — On 28 July 2025, Samsung announces a $16.5bn 2 nm foundry contract running to end-2033; Elon Musk says it covers Tesla's AI6 chip, to be made at the new Taylor, Texas, fab, which had lacked customers.
• Desktop Metal files for Chapter 11 (2025-07-28) — In late July 2025, three months after its court-forced takeover by Nano Dimension, US metal 3D printing pioneer Desktop Metal files for Chapter 11 and plans to sell its foreign subsidiaries.
• EU–US trade framework: 15% ceiling on most exports (2025-08-21) — The 21 August 2025 joint statement formalises July's deal: US duties capped at an all-inclusive 15% for most EU goods, including cars and semiconductors. Steel and aluminium still face up to 50%.
• Jaguar Land Rover cyberattack: six weeks of global production halted (2025-09-02) — In late August 2025, JLR shut down all its systems after a cyberattack: plants stopped for nearly six weeks, a GBP 1.5 billion state-backed guarantee, and an estimated GBP 1.9 billion cost to the UK economy, possibly the highest in its history.
• Cadence acquires Hexagon Design & Engineering (2025-09-04) — Cadence announces the acquisition of Hexagon's Design & Engineering business (MSC Nastran, Adams) for about €2.7 billion. Closing takes place on 23 February 2026, strengthening its multiphysics simulation offering.
• Data Act applies: connected machine data goes back to users (2025-09-12) — The Data Act (EU) 2023/2854 applies since 12 September 2025: users of connected products, machines included, can access and share their data. From September 2026, new products must be designed for such access.
• Divergent raises $290M for its digital manufacturing (2025-09-15) — On 15 September 2025, Divergent closes a $290M Series E at a $2.3bn valuation to scale its DAPS platform, which combines design, additive manufacturing and automated assembly, notably for US defense.
• September 2025 Lighthouses: Schneider's circular distribution centre in Évreux recognised (2025-09-16) — Schneider Electric's Évreux distribution centre becomes a WEF Sustainability Lighthouse: the group's first circular distribution centre, with energy down 18% and single-use plastic down 40% in two years.
• BMW opens Debrecen, first Neue Klasse plant (2025-09-29) — In late September 2025, BMW opens its Debrecen plant in Hungary, its first dedicated solely to EVs and run without fossil fuels. It builds the Neue Klasse iX3 and reaches 50,000 units in July 2026.
• Asahi ransomware: most of its 30 Japanese plants halted (2025-09-29) — In late September 2025 (≈ 29 September), a ransomware attack hit the ordering and delivery systems of Asahi, Japan's largest brewer, which suspended production at most of its 30 Japanese plants. The Qilin group claimed the attack.
• Intel declares its 18A Fab 52 fully operational (2025-10-09) — On 9 October 2025, Intel unveils its Panther Lake processors built on 18A, the most advanced node made in the US, and announces that its Fab 52 in Chandler, Arizona, is fully operational.
• Nexperia: The Hague takes control, carmakers run short of chips (2025-10-12) — On 12 October 2025, the Netherlands reveals it has taken control of Nexperia, owned by China's Wingtech. Beijing blocks its exports from China in return: car plants stop until the intervention is suspended on 19 November.
• Apple ships its first AI servers made in Houston (2025-10-23) — On 23 October 2025, Apple starts shipping AI servers for Apple Intelligence from Houston, Texas, previously made overseas. Its Advanced Manufacturing Center opens there on 13 August 2026.
• Industrial barometer: French reindustrialisation slows in H1 2025 (2025-10-31) — The State industrial barometer counts a net gain of nine plants in H1 2025, against 48 in H2 2024. Green industry (+11) and defence (+8) drive the trend; automotive and chemicals close sites.
• PTC sells Kepware and ThingWorx to TPG (2025-11-05) — PTC sells its industrial connectivity (Kepware) and IoT (ThingWorx) businesses to TPG to refocus on CAD, PLM and AI. The sale closes on 16 March 2026.
• Rockwell Automation plans a new Wisconsin manufacturing campus (2025-11-18) — On 18 November 2025, Rockwell Automation announces a new plant in southeast Wisconsin, potentially its largest manufacturing campus worldwide, as part of $2bn of investment over five years. The New Berlin site is confirmed in February 2026.
• Apple 3D-prints titanium watch cases at scale (2025-11-18) — On 18 November 2025, Apple details mass additive manufacturing of the titanium cases of Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Series 11, from 100% recycled powder and using half the material. The iPhone Duo hinge cover follows in September 2026.
• Digital omnibus: the Commission proposes simpler AI, cybersecurity and data rules (2025-11-19) — The Commission presents a digital package: an omnibus simplifying AI, cybersecurity and data rules, a single incident-reporting entry point and European Business Wallets. Up to EUR 5 billion in savings targeted by 2029.
• Verkor opens its Dunkirk gigafactory (2025-12-15) — On 15 December 2025, Verkor opens its 16 GWh battery cell plant in Dunkirk, built in two years. Renault is the first customer: the first cells will power the Alpine A390 in 2026.
• Siemens and NVIDIA Industrial AI Operating System (2026-01-06) — At CES 2026, Siemens and NVIDIA expand their partnership to build an "Industrial AI Operating System". Siemens launches Digital Twin Composer, adopted by PepsiCo, and presents nine industrial copilots.
• Global Lighthouse Network: 223 sites and the first Talent Lighthouses (2026-01-15) — Ahead of Davos, the WEF expands its network of benchmark factories to 223 sites in over 30 countries. "Talent" and "customer centricity" awards bring people into the criteria: Schneider Electric Wuhan is one of the first three Talent Lighthouses.
• Micron breaks ground on its New York megafab (2026-01-16) — On 16 January 2026, Micron breaks ground on its $100bn memory complex in Clay, New York: up to four fabs, presented as the largest semiconductor site in the US, with production expected in 2030.
• BYD starts trial production at its Szeged plant in Hungary (2026-01-30) — In late January 2026, BYD starts trial car production at its Szeged plant in Hungary, its first European passenger car plant. Target capacity: 200,000 vehicles a year; series production planned for Q2 2026.
• Schneider Electric EcoStruxure Foxboro SDA (2026-02-10) — Schneider Electric launches EcoStruxure Foxboro SDA, presented as the first open, software-defined distributed control system (DCS), decoupling software from hardware to modernize process plants.
• Dragos: ransomware hits 3,300 industrial organisations, mostly manufacturers (2026-02-17) — Dragos' annual OT cybersecurity report counts 3,300 industrial organisations hit by ransomware in 2025, over two-thirds of them manufacturers, 119 active groups versus 80 in 2024 and three new threat groups.
• Sustainability omnibus published: CSRD limited to companies with over 1,000 employees (2026-02-26) — The Omnibus I directive is published in the OJ on 26 February 2026 and enters into force on 18 March. CSRD now covers only companies with over 1,000 employees and EUR 450 million turnover; due diligence, those with over 5,000 employees.
• Industrial Accelerator Act: the Commission proposes "Made in EU" in public procurement (2026-03-04) — The Commission proposes the Industrial Accelerator Act: "Made in EU" and low-carbon criteria in public procurement (steel, cement, aluminium, cars, clean tech), single digital permitting and manufacturing at 20% of GDP by 2035.
• Industry 5.0: second community of practice plenary and prototype assessment tool (2026-03-20) — In Brussels, over 120 members of the Industry 5.0 community of practice, which has more than 350, discover a prototype learning and assessment tool to measure a site's performance on the three pillars: human-centricity, sustainability, resilience.
• Schneider Electric and Microsoft: agentic manufacturing (2026-04-16) — Schneider Electric and Microsoft present manufacturing tools built on Azure AI and EcoStruxure Automation Expert: an industrial copilot with orchestrated agents validates automation logic before deployment, from cloud to edge.
• Siemens Eigen Engineering Agent (2026-04-20) — At Hannover Messe 2026, Siemens makes the Eigen Engineering Agent generally available: an AI agent connected to TIA Portal that carries out automation engineering tasks end to end, from PLC code to HMI screens and device configuration.
• Hannover Messe 2026: agentic AI takes center stage (2026-04-20) — From 20 to 24 April 2026, Hannover Messe highlights agentic AI and factory twins: NVIDIA and partners show agentic design, simulation and humanoid robots, while SAP presents agents for production and supply chain.
• French Senate: "Enterprise 5.0" report on AI's impact on businesses (2026-04-28) — The French Senate's business delegation publishes report no. 572, "Enterprise 5.0". Citing the Court of Audit, it notes that only 7% of companies with over 10 employees use an AI solution tailored to their needs, against a 20% target for 2030.
• Emerson AspenTech AVA (2026-05-11) — Emerson launches AspenTech AVA, an agentic AI platform for industry combining language models, first-principles models and contextualized OT data to embed recommendations directly into operations.
• Stratasys buys Markforged from Nano Dimension for $42.5M (2026-05-27) — On 27 May 2026, Stratasys signs to buy Markforged from Nano Dimension for $42.5M in cash, far below the $116M paid a year earlier. The deal completes the unwinding of Nano Dimension's consolidation attempt.
• Autodesk acquires MaintainX (2026-05-28) — Autodesk announces the acquisition of MaintainX, a maintenance and frontline operations software, for about $3.6 billion in cash. The CAD vendor extends its platform from design and make to asset operations.
• Siemens Intelligence Center X (2026-06-01) — Siemens announces Intelligence Center X, industrial AI orchestration software that brings data, models, workflows and AI agents into one governed system, to move AI from pilot to production.
• Inria publishes its Industry 5.0 white paper; Bpifrance and CETIM review SME support (2026-06-11) — Inria publishes a white paper for a more resilient Industry 5.0, making digital twins the keystone and people a priority. Bpifrance and CETIM report over 400 "Industrie du Futur" missions with SMEs since 2022.
• June 2026 Lighthouses: 16 new sites, 238 in total, none in France (2026-06-22) — In Dalian, the WEF adds 16 sites to its Global Lighthouse Network, now 238. The cohort covers China, India, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Switzerland and the United States; no French plant. The Forum also launches the Impact Stars programme.
• Honeywell completes its three-way split with the Aerospace spin-off (2026-06-29) — On 29 June 2026, Honeywell Aerospace becomes an independent company listed on Nasdaq. After Solstice Advanced Materials in October 2025, the conglomerate completes its split: Honeywell Technologies refocuses on automation.
• Schneider Electric acquires Cognite (2026-06-30) — Schneider Electric signs the acquisition of 100% of Cognite, the Norwegian industrial data and AI specialist, for $3.1 billion in cash. Cognite will be integrated into AVEVA to provide the data and agentic AI foundation of its CONNECT platform.
• Infineon opens its Smart Power Fab in Dresden (2026-07-02) — On 2 July 2026, Infineon opens its Dresden Smart Power Fab several months early: €5bn, the largest investment in its history, for power and analog semiconductors, with a digital twin, AI and 1,000 direct jobs.
• NIS2: France and three other states referred to the EU Court of Justice (2026-07-08) — The Commission refers France, Ireland, Spain and the Netherlands to the EU Court of Justice for failing to fully transpose the NIS2 Directive, nearly two years after the October 2024 deadline, and seeks financial penalties.
• ABB acquires Rotork for about $5.5bn (2026-07-16) — On 16 July 2026, ABB announces the acquisition of UK valve actuator specialist Rotork for an enterprise value of about $5.5bn. Nine months after announcing the sale of its robotics, ABB strengthens its field-level automation.
• Dassault Systèmes Virtual Companions AURA, LEO and MARIE (2026-07-23) — Dassault Systèmes makes its Virtual Companions AURA (program management), LEO (complex engineering) and MARIE (science) available on 3DEXPERIENCE, with 19 competencies, and announces its "Virtual Twin Factories".
• AI omnibus published: machinery moves to a sectoral approach, high-risk rules postponed (2026-07-24) — Regulation (EU) 2026/1744, in force on 27 July 2026, amends the AI Act: the Machinery Regulation moves from Section A to Section B of Annex I, and high-risk rules are pushed to 2 December 2027 (Annex III) and 2 August 2028 (AI embedded in products).
• Catena-X links Europe and China (2026-07-27) — Catena-X launches with CAAM and VDA China the first trusted automotive data ecosystem between Europe and China, notably to produce the battery passports required by the EU from February 2027.
• Manufacturing Institute and Deloitte: AI to close the industrial technician gap (2026-09-10) — A Manufacturing Institute and Deloitte study estimates 2.3 million technician openings to fill by 2030 in US manufacturing and adjacent industries, and sees AI as a way to widen the talent pool and speed up training.
• Cyber Resilience Act: reporting obligations now apply (2026-09-11) — Since 11 September 2026, makers of products with digital elements, including PLCs and industrial software, must report actively exploited vulnerabilities and severe incidents (CRA Article 14), with an early warning within 24 hours.
• The two Single Pair Ethernet alliances merge (2026-09-14) — On 14 September 2026, the two rival Single Pair Ethernet groups merge into an SPE Association of more than 130 companies, ending over five years of disagreement on this single twisted-pair industrial networking technology.