Software-defined automation, or SDA, which defines factory automation through software, is gaining ground. Japanese companies are countering with data services and stepping up efforts to realize AI-controlled autonomous factories.
Factory automation in manufacturing is increasingly embracing the concept of software-defined automation, or SDA, which avoids dependence on hardware and uses software as the basis for defining functionality. SDA stands for software-defined automation and is similar to the concept of software-defined vehicles, or SDVs, with the aim of enabling updates and flexibility free from hardware constraints.
Major European and US factory automation companies are leading the SDA initiative. Siemens, Rockwell Automation and Schneider Electric are among those promoting a new wave of automation under the SDA banner. As these companies pursue software-defined automation, Japanese players are taking a strategy of competing through other capabilities, including data services.
A key issue in realizing SDA is to define factory equipment functions through software rather than leaving them to hardware, thereby enabling continuous improvement through OTA-style updates. Promoting AI-driven autonomy will be crucial to building factories capable of autonomous control, putting the options available to Japanese companies to the test.
Solutions including NVIDIA's Cosmos are also being offered, expanding the technological components supporting software-centric automation. Going forward, the use of AI in factories and the implementation of autonomous production processes will be central to discussions around SDA.