Topical Roundup: May 2026

Can’t get enough automation trends? See what else thought leaders have been talking about on Automation.com this month. Automation safety is changing because the definition of the workplace is changing. Orchestration is the “missing link” to scale AI. Automation is changing how companies produce, store and deliver electricity. Subscribe to our newsletters for more.

Enterprise Architecture and Networks

The Shop Floor Is Ready for AI. Is Your Network Ready, Too?: ARC Advisory Group research explains why the network is the strategic decision manufacturers can no longer afford to defer.

White Paper: Secure Deployment of Industrial Communication Protocols – A Risk Management-Based Approach: FieldComm Group, ODVA, OPC Foundation and PROFIBUS & PROFINET International have collaborated to establish a shared operational environment and architecture overview for industrial communication protocols in alignment with EN 40000-1-2.  

Industrial Cybersecurity & Safety

The Human Side of Industrial Cybersecurity, and Why Consultants Align with ISA/IEC 62443: ISA/IEC 62443 brings structure to cybersecurity work in a way that reflects how industrial environments actually function, how teams of real humans collaborate and how risk is experienced in the real world.

Report: Cyber Resilient Infrastructure Starts with Early, Strategy-Driven Design: A new report from Black & Veatch and Takepoint Research finds that OT cybersecurity is still introduced too late in most industrial capital projects, increasing long term risk and cost.

Process Automation and Control

Smarter Scheduling for Custody Transfer Metering: The Case for Surrogate Spool Calibration: Decoupling ultrasonic flowmeter calibration from spool fabrication can recover weeks — often significantly more — from project schedules, without sacrificing measurement accuracy or regulatory compliance.

How Smart Roasting Automation Scaled Quality and Cut Emission for Fresh Roasted Coffee: “Sustainability is a no-brainer. If it reduces my carbon emissions, and saves me money, it is a good investment,” said Andrew Oakes of Fresh Roasted Coffee, who worked with Loring Smart Roaster to revitalize production operations.

Factory Automation and Control

Will the US Machine Vision Market Ever See Consolidation?: The US machine vision market, valued at $980M in 2025, is characterized by a small number of dominant vendors alongside a very long tail of smaller suppliers, according to Interact Analysis.

Unlocking Easier Automation with Openness, Resilience and Right-Sized Design: As automation systems grow more complex, machine builders are rethinking how they design and deploy motion. Kollmorgen explores how a new generation of servo technology is helping manufacturers simplify design, improve flexibility and build greater resilience into their supply chains.

Operations and Management

3PLs Are Ramping Up Warehouse Construction: Here’s What It Means for Automation: As supply chains become ever more complex, lead times become longer, volatility rises, and operational risks grow, making in-house logistics more difficult to manage. In response, more and more companies appear to be outsourcing supply chain operations to 3PLs.

From Industrial Site to Work Sites: The Expanding Definition of Workplace Risk: The traditional boundaries of workplace safety are dissolving as organizations recognize that environmental hazards matter as much as human injuries, and that "industrial" risk factors extend far beyond factory floors into retail stores and customer-facing spaces.

IIoT and Digital Transformation

From Vision to Reality: Making AI Agents Work at Scale: Orchestration is the missing link to scale AI. Here's why.

How Automation Is Becoming the Backbone of Tomorrow’s Clean-Energy Ecosystems: Industrial automation in clean energy is transforming how electricity is produced, stored and delivered. Its integration across diverse clean-power innovations has created systems that operate independently, adapting and responding without human intervention.