Robotics • Technology Sector Awards
Industrial Automation Awards
Honouring the engineers, integrators and manufacturers who are rebuilding the factory floor with intelligent machines, connected systems and self-optimising production lines.
The Automated Factory, Reimagined
Recognising the technology behind the modern production line
Industrial automation has moved far beyond the programmable logic controller and the caged robot arm. Today the most advanced plants run on tightly woven layers of motion control, machine vision, edge computing, digital twins and predictive analytics — systems that sense, decide and act faster than any human operator could. The companies building these systems are quietly determining how the world makes everything from semiconductors and electric vehicles to vaccines and packaged food.
Yet the people doing this work rarely receive the recognition their impact deserves. A controls engineer who shaves seconds off a cycle time, or an integrator who brings a fully lights-out line online without a single safety incident, delivers value that compounds across millions of units. The Industrial Automation Awards exist to surface that achievement, to put it in front of customers, investors and talented engineers, and to set a public benchmark for what excellent automation looks like in 2026.
Part of the broader Robotics group within the World Technology Awards, this programme evaluates discrete and process automation alike — from PLC and SCADA platforms to autonomous mobile robots, smart sensors, and the orchestration software that ties an entire smart factory together. Whether you are a global OEM or a specialist startup, this is the stage to demonstrate measurable, real-world results. 🏭
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Award Tracks
What We Recognise
Six distinct honours span the full spectrum of industrial automation, so that established platform vendors and breakthrough challengers are judged against the peers most like them.
Automation Company of the Year
The flagship honour for the organisation demonstrating the strongest combination of technology, customer outcomes and market leadership across discrete and process automation.
Automation Product of the Year
For a single controller, drive, robot, sensor or software platform that has measurably raised the bar for throughput, uptime or flexibility on the plant floor.
Automation Innovation Award
Celebrating a genuinely novel approach — AI-driven control, autonomous reconfiguration or a new safety paradigm — that redefines what an automated process can do.
Automation Startup of the Year
For an emerging venture, under five years old, that is challenging incumbents with a sharper, faster or more affordable automation technology.
Best Emerging Technology
Recognising early-stage breakthroughs — adaptive robotics, self-tuning controls or sustainable automation — that signal where the factory floor is heading next.
Excellence in Systems Integration
For the integrator or engineering team that delivered an exceptional end-to-end deployment, on time and on budget, with verifiable performance gains.
Eligibility
Who Should Enter
If your work makes industrial production smarter, safer or more efficient, there is a place for you in this programme.
Robotics & Cobot Makers
Builders of industrial arms, autonomous mobile robots and collaborative robots deployed on real production lines.
Control System Vendors
Providers of PLC, DCS, SCADA and motion control platforms powering discrete and continuous processes.
Industrial IoT & Sensor Firms
Companies delivering smart sensors, edge gateways and connectivity that feed the data backbone of the smart factory.
MES & Orchestration Software
Developers of manufacturing execution, scheduling and digital-twin software that coordinates the plant.
Systems Integrators
Engineering houses that design, commission and optimise complete automation cells and lines for end users.
Machine Vision Specialists
Teams applying inspection, guidance and quality-assurance vision systems with proven defect-reduction results.
Manufacturers & End Users
Plants and operations teams that have implemented automation with documented productivity and safety gains.
Sustainable Automation Ventures
Firms reducing energy, waste and emissions through smarter, more efficient automated processes.
Why It Matters
Benefits of Winning
Commercial Credibility
An independent, judged accolade gives procurement teams and plant directors a trusted signal of quality, shortening sales cycles and supporting premium positioning.
Global Visibility
Winners are featured across the World Technology Awards platform and promotional channels, reaching engineering leaders, integrators and investors worldwide.
Talent Magnet
Recognition for technical excellence helps attract and retain the controls engineers, roboticists and software developers every automation business competes for.
Partnership Momentum
A respected award opens doors to channel partners, OEM agreements and pilot opportunities with manufacturers actively seeking proven automation suppliers.
How We Evaluate
Judging Criteria
Every submission is assessed by an independent panel of automation engineers, manufacturing leaders and industry analysts against six weighted dimensions. See our judging process for full detail.
- Technical Innovation — the originality and engineering sophistication of the control, robotics or software technology behind the entry.
- Measurable Impact — verifiable gains in throughput, uptime, yield, cycle time or cost achieved in real production environments.
- Reliability & Safety — demonstrated robustness, functional safety compliance and incident-free operation at industrial scale.
- Scalability & Interoperability — how readily the solution integrates with existing systems and expands across lines, sites and standards.
- Sustainability — contribution to reduced energy use, material waste and emissions through smarter automated processes.
- Customer Evidence — the strength of references, case data and independently confirmed outcomes supporting the claims made.
Figures shown are illustrative, rounded market-context estimates intended to frame the sector, not precise audited statistics.
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
We define industrial automation broadly: any technology that controls, monitors or executes industrial production with reduced human intervention. This includes PLC, DCS and SCADA platforms, industrial and collaborative robots, autonomous mobile robots, machine vision, smart sensors and industrial IoT, motion control, and the MES, digital-twin and orchestration software that coordinates the plant. If your solution makes manufacturing or process operations more autonomous, you are eligible.
Both. The Excellence in Systems Integration track is designed specifically for integrators and engineering teams, while manufacturers and operations groups can enter deployments that demonstrate documented productivity, safety or sustainability gains. Product vendors compete in the Company, Product and Innovation tracks. You can review the full structure on our award categories page.
This programme focuses specifically on automation applied to industrial production environments. The broader Robotics Awards cover robotic systems across all settings, including service and consumer robotics, while the Automation Awards span software and business-process automation more generally. If your impact is on the factory floor or in process plants, this is the most precise category for you.
Strong entries pair a clear technical narrative with measurable, independently verifiable outcomes — cycle-time reductions, uptime improvements, yield gains, energy savings or safety records. Customer references, anonymised case data and any functional-safety or interoperability certifications strengthen your submission. The more concrete and quantified the evidence, the higher it typically scores against our judging criteria.
Yes. The World Technology Awards are global, and we welcome entries from automation leaders across every region, from the Asia technology hubs to Europe and the Americas. Judging is conducted on a level basis so that companies of all sizes and origins are assessed on the merit and impact of their work.
Keep Exploring
Related Awards & Pages
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Recognising robotic systems and breakthroughs across every industry and application.
Explore Robotics Awards →Automation Awards
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