Tariffs, supply chain disruptions and war in the Middle East haven’t stopped automation suppliers from growing. On this episode of Control Amplified, Larry O’Brien, vice president of research at ARC Advisory Group, talks about what’s behind that resilience and what the October Top 50 rankings reveal. O’Brien calls this “the most significant shift of our lifetimes” for the automation market. He covers AI’s move from hype to real deployments, a record year of mergers and spinoffs, and why the industry may be headed for a long stretch of stronger growth.

Key takeaways

• AI is delivering real value. O’Brien says the industry is past the peak of the hype curve. Most automation software now has AI built in, from cybersecurity tools to operator copilots that flag abnormal situations early. The hard part is getting your data ready for it.
• A record year for deals. Emerson completed its Aspen Tech acquisition, ABB bought Rotork, Schneider bought Cognite, and Siemens bought Altair and Dotmatics. Honeywell also reorganized to focus on automation. Hear which moves matter most and why software is driving the shopping.
• Sustainability isn’t going away. Most new power capacity in North America is still wind and solar. High energy prices and the power demand from AI data centers are adding momentum, and growth in industrial cybersecurity is accelerating alongside them.
• Autonomous operations are the endgame. O’Brien says AI could finally deliver on long-promised capabilities like autonomous operations, and he explains where humans will stay in the loop.

Listen for: O’Brien’s view that AI won’t replace automation workers, but people who know how to use it may replace those who don’t.

Find the full Top 50 list at controlglobal.com.

Don’t forget: ARC Industry Leadership Forum will be held Feb. 22–25 in Orlando.