Schneider Electric Pushes Open Automation Standards at Automate 2026

The company’s presence at McCormick Place highlights a strategic move toward open-architecture systems that move beyond proprietary constraints. By integrating digital intelligence with traditional automation, Schneider aims to help manufacturers transition from rigid, legacy processes to systems capable of real-time adaptation. This shift comes as the firm recently achieved NEMA Make it American certification for over 20 of its U.S. facilities, signaling a broader push to anchor its technology within the domestic manufacturing resurgence.

Throughout the four-day event, the company is hosting a series of collaborative showcases featuring partners such as AVEVA, AWS, Intel, and Microsoft. These demonstrations focus on bridging the gap between edge control and hybrid cloud environments. Andre Marino, SVP of Industrial Automation for North America, noted that existing industrial systems are failing to keep pace with modern growth in energy demand and AI integration. To address this, the firm is also launching the 2026 Schmoooth Automators Challenge, a contest for system integrators and students to develop practical IT/OT convergence applications using the EcoStruxure Automation Expert platform.