Last week we were at Advanced Factories 2026 together with our partner Inetum, sharing space, conversations and experiences with companies that are driving digital transformation within the industrial sector.
Beyond the technology presented during the event, one of the most interesting conclusions was to see how many companies are leaving behind the conversation about “future” innovation to focus on real, applicable solutions capable of generating an impact on their daily operations.
The overall feeling was clear: the industry continues to move towards a stage of greater technological maturity, with companies increasingly focused on driving digital transformation within the industrial sector in a practical and efficient way.
AI is already part of the industrial conversation
If there was a leading concept throughout the event, it was undoubtedly artificial intelligence.
In practically every conversation, demonstration or solution, concepts related to intelligent automation, AI-based assistants, advanced data analysis or integration of artificial intelligence in business processes appeared.
And the most relevant thing is that AI is no longer perceived only as a technological trend. Companies want to start implementing it in a practical and tangible way to optimize processes, reduce time and improve the internal experience of the teams as well as the relationship with customers and users. The conversation no longer revolves around whether to incorporate AI, but how to do it in a useful and efficient way.
Industrial digitalization continues to accelerate
Another point that caught our attention was how industrial digitization continues to gain prominence in virtually all areas of industry.
More and more companies are opting to connect processes, automate tasks and centralize information. This transformation no longer affects only production or logistics. Areas such as technical support or customer service are also taking on an increasingly strategic role in the digitization process.
However, we also had the feeling that, in general, we did not see a particularly disruptive evolution with respect to previous editions. Rather, there was a consolidation of technologies and solutions that had already been setting trends in recent years, although now with a more mature and results-oriented approach.
Robots, automation and applied technology
One of the most visual and impressive aspects of the event was once again the presence of industrial robots, mechanized arms and automated solutions capable of performing increasingly complex and precise tasks.
However, from our perspective, perhaps we expected to see a greater presence of humanoid robots and more advanced solutions aimed at supporting manual processes within the industry, especially given what is already being shown at other international trade shows in the sector.
Even so, Advanced Factories again demonstrated how physical automation continues to evolve steadily, especially in repetitive, operational and high-precision processes.
Sharing space with Inetum
Participating in the event together with Inetum allowed us to receive very interesting visits and share conversations with companies from different industrial sectors.
These types of meetings are particularly valuable because they provide a first-hand understanding of the current challenges facing organizations and where their technology needs are evolving.
From the digital factory to the smart factory
After Advanced Factories 2026 we were left with a very clear idea: the industry is no longer just looking to digitize processes, but to transform that digitization into real operational intelligence. Applied AI, useful automation, data integration and more efficient decision making were some of the big themes that marked the event.
Precisely on this evolution -from the digital factory to the smart factory- we also delve into this evolution in episode 9 of Kapture Academy with Jorge Diaz, where we talk about the role of artificial intelligence, automation and data in the future of the industry.
From Kapture.io QMS we will continue to focus on solutions that help companies to optimize their processes and offer more agile, connected and efficient experiences.
Content written by:
Xavier Conesa Foix, CGO of Kapture.io QMS
With more than 30 years dedicated to industrial quality improvement, Xavier combines technical expertise and strategic vision to transform quality control and incident management in the plant.
