Dec. 19, 2025 – Messe Frankfurt has joined GMTX Co Ltd as co-organizer of Automation Expo, further expanding the company's portfolio of manufacturing trade events in Southeast Asia. This collaboration extends the company's presence in Thailand, connecting the region's manufacturers with the international expertise and resources of Messe Frankfurt’s global network. The next edition will run from Feb. 25-27 2026 at the Nongnooch International Convention and Exhibition Center (NICE) in Pattaya, which sits at the centre of the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), the country’s flagship initiative for high-tech industrial development.
Mr Wolfgang Marzin, president and CEO of Messe Frankfurt Group, remarked: "Messe Frankfurt currently organizes 11 events and conferences worldwide as part of its Electronics & Automation Technologies portfolio, covering smart and digital automation, intelligent motion and power electronics, alongside energy management solutions. With this new addition, we are reinforcing our commitment to supporting Thailand's manufacturing sector through the next phase of digital transformation, ensuring that both local SMEs and multinational enterprises benefit from the same high standards and international connections found in our events worldwide."
Thailand is a major regional economy where manufacturing accounts for nearly 25% of national GDP. However, the country is facing a severe demographic shift, with record-low birth rates and a rapidly ageing population shrinking the workforce. Economists have warned that to maintain regional competitiveness, the industrial sector must urgently shift focus to high-tech industries and automation. Consequently, manufacturers are looking to technology providers to help bridge this labour gap and sustain the sector's high-value production.
Serving this industrial base, Automation Expo is held in Chonburi province, one of the three provinces that make up the country’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC). The EEC initiative aims to advance the region's role as a major global production hub for the automotive, electronics and petrochemical industries by focusing investment and policy on twelve designated "S-curve" sectors prioritized for their high growth potential.
Of these, automation and robotics is itself a priority sector, while also serving as a critical enabler for other targeted industries such as next-generation automotive, intelligent electronics and aviation and logistics.
To create a favourable ecosystem, the government has implemented investment policies to ease regulatory processes, alongside major infrastructure projects to upgrade the region's transport and logistics capacity. This combination of policy and infrastructure has strengthened the region's appeal to international investors. In the first half of 2025, the EEC attracted USD 1.7 billion in foreign capital, representing 56% of Thailand's total foreign investment, while new company registrations rose by 36% compared to the same period in 2024.
The 2026 edition of Automation Expo will present a comprehensive range of technologies across every stage of the production cycle, from factory floor systems to enterprise-level infrastructure. Industrial automation systems, robotics, smart sensor technology and digital infrastructure will be featured alongside software for design, simulation and process control. Professional services for project analysis and financing will also be available, supporting companies at different stages of automation adoption.
Covering 7,500 sqm of exhibition space, the event is expected to bring together around 150 exhibitors and attract a professional audience of company owners, investors, factory managers, system integrators and engineers, with a focus on the country’s primary industrial verticals, including automotive, iron and sheet metal, food, agriculture and plastics.
In addition to the exhibition, a comprehensive conference program will offer technical insights across more than 50 topics. Sessions will focus on practical implementation, covering areas such as hyperautomation, AI for Quality 5.0, factory cybersecurity and zero downtime strategies, alongside predictive maintenance, IT/OT integration and carbon footprint management.
The event is supported by a number of prominent organizations and industry associations, including:
- The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI)
- Logistics Division, Department of Industrial Promotion
- Industrial Promotion Center Region 9, Department of Industrial Promotion
- National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA)
- National Electronics and Computer Technology Center (NECTEC)
- Software Park Thailand
- Eastern Economic Corridor of Innovation (EECi)
- EEC Automation Park
- Thailand Productivity Institute (FTPI)
- Thai-German Institute (TGI)
- Sumipol Institute of Manufacturing Technology
- Thai-Nichi Institute of Technology
- Thai Automation and Robotics Association (TARA)
- Thai IoT Association
- Artificial Intelligence Association of Thailand (AIAT)
- Technology Promotion Association (Thailand-Japan)
- Thai PLC Center
Automation Expo is jointly organized by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd and GMTX Company Ltd, joining Messe Frankfurt's global portfolio of Electronics & Automation Technologies events.
About Messe Frankfurt
The Messe Frankfurt Group is the world’s largest trade fair, congress and event organizer with its own exhibition grounds. With a workforce of some 2,700* people at its headquarters in Frankfurt am Main and in 29 subsidiaries, it organizes events around the world. Group sales in financial year 2025 were around € 766* million. We serve our customers’ business interests efficiently within the framework of our Fairs & Events, Locations and Services business fields. One of Messe Frankfurt’s key strengths is its powerful and closely knit global sales network, which covers around 180 countries in all regions of the world. Our comprehensive range of services–both onsite and online–ensures that customers worldwide enjoy consistently high quality and flexibility when planning, organizing and running their events. We are using our digital expertise to develop new business models. The wide range of services includes renting exhibition grounds, trade fair construction and marketing, personnel and food services.
Sustainability is a central pillar of our corporate strategy. Here, we strike a healthy balance between ecological and economic interests, social responsibility and diversity.
About GMTX Co Ltd
Founded in 1992, GMTX has established itself as a leader in Thailand’s B2B marketing platform for various industries over the past 32 years. Our comprehensive platform includes trade exhibitions, e-marketplaces, business matching, lead generation, seminars, roadshows, digital media and marketing services. GMTX covers a wide range of content and industries, including manufacturing sectors, 4.0 technologies, biotechnologies, sustainability and future industries. Our strength lies in the seamless integration of data-driven marketing with omni-channel and content marketing strategies. This approach enables us to reach hundreds of thousands of industry audiences both online and offline, hosting 15 events annually across all regions of Thailand. GMTX’s platform is dedicated to facilitating technological exchange, enhancing the competitiveness of Thai industries and fostering collaboration between domestic and international enterprises. Our mission is encapsulated in our motto "Speed Up B2B Supply Chain."