Messe Frankfurt has joined GMTX Co Ltd as co-organiser of Automation Expo, further expanding the company’s portfolio of manufacturing trade events in Southeast Asia. This collaboration extends the company’s presence in Thailand, connecting the region’s manufacturers with the international expertise and resources of Messe Frankfurt’s global network. The next edition will run from 25 – 27 February 2026 at the Nongnooch International Convention and Exhibition Center (NICE) in Pattaya, which sits at the centre of the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), the country’s flagship initiative for high-tech industrial development.
Mr Wolfgang Marzin, President & CEO of Messe Frankfurt Group remarked: “Messe Frankfurt currently organises 11 events and conferences worldwide as part of its Electronics & Automation Technologies portfolio, covering smart and digital automation, intelligent motion and power electronics, alongside energy management solutions. With this new addition, we are reinforcing our commitment to supporting Thailand’s manufacturing sector through the next phase of digital transformation, ensuring that both local SMEs and multinational enterprises benefit from the same high standards and international connections found in our events worldwide.”
Thailand is a major regional economy where manufacturing accounts for nearly 25% of the national GDP. However, the country is facing a severe demographic shift, with record-low birth rates and a rapidly ageing population, shrinking the workforce. Economists have warned that to maintain regional competitiveness, the industrial sector must urgently shift focus to high-tech industries and automation. Consequently, manufacturers are looking to technology providers to help bridge this labour gap and sustain the sector’s high-value production.
Serving this industrial base, Automation Expo is held in Chonburi province, one of the three provinces that make up the country’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC). The EEC initiative aims to advance the region’s role as a major global production hub for the automotive, electronics, and petrochemical industries by focusing investment and policy on twelve designated “S-curve” sectors prioritised for their high growth potential.
Of these, automation and robotics are themselves a priority sector, while also serving as a critical enabler for other targeted industries such as next-generation automotive, intelligent electronics, and aviation and logistics.
To create a favourable ecosystem, the government has implemented investment policies to ease regulatory processes, alongside major infrastructure projects to upgrade the region’s transport and logistics capacity. This combination of policy and infrastructure has strengthened the region’s appeal to international investors. In the first half of 2025, the EEC attracted USD 1.7 billion in foreign capital, representing 56% of Thailand’s total foreign investment, while new company registrations rose by 36% compared to the same period in 2024.
The 2026 edition of Automation Expo will present a comprehensive range of technologies across every stage of the production cycle, from factory floor systems to enterprise-level infrastructure. Industrial automation systems, robotics, smart sensor technology, and digital infrastructure will be featured alongside software for design, simulation, and process control. Professional services for project analysis and financing will also be available, supporting companies at different stages of automation adoption.
Covering 7,500 sqm of exhibition space, the event is expected to bring together around 150 exhibitors and attract a professional audience of company owners, investors, factory managers, system integrators, and engineers, with a focus on the country’s primary industrial verticals, including automotive, iron and sheet metal, food, agriculture, and plastics.
In addition to the exhibition, a comprehensive conference programme will offer technical insights across more than 50 topics. Sessions will focus on practical implementation, covering areas such as hyperautomation, AI for Quality 5.0, factory cybersecurity, and zero downtime strategies, alongside predictive maintenance, IT/OT integration and carbon footprint management.
The event is supported by many prominent organisations and industry associations, including:
- The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI)
- Logistics Division, Department of Industrial Promotion
- Industrial Promotion Center Region 9, Department of Industrial Promotion
- National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA)
- National Electronics and Computer Technology Center (NECTEC)
- Software Park Thailand
- Eastern Economic Corridor of Innovation (EECi)
- EEC Automation Park
- Thailand Productivity Institute (FTPI)
- Thai-German Institute (TGI)
- Sumipol Institute of Manufacturing Technology
- Thai-Nichi Institute of Technology
- Thai Automation and Robotics Association (TARA)
- Thai IoT Association
- Artificial Intelligence Association of Thailand (AIAT)
- Technology Promotion Association (Thailand-Japan)
- Thai PLC Center
Automation Expo is jointly organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd and GMTX Company Ltd, joining Messe Frankfurt’s global portfolio of Electronics & Automation Technologies events.
