Siemens will use SPS 2026 in Nuremberg to show how it is bringing Industrial AI into everyday automation engineering. The key launches are TIA Portal V21.1 with a new licensing model, Simatic AX Motion Control Engineering and new use cases for the Eigen Engineering Agent. In addition, Siemens confirmed that its portfolio will be ready for the EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) by December 2027.
The company groups its message around three technology areas: Connected Automation, Software-Defined Automation and Industrial AI. Its stated goal is to move from hard-coded tasks to goal-oriented workflows, so that plants can automate tasks they could not automate before.
TIA Portal V21.1: features instead of versions
The biggest change for PLC programmers is in licensing. For the first time, TIA Portal V21.1 decouples the installed software from the license. As a result, customers who move to this version no longer need time-consuming project upgrades. Instead, they buy features, not versions, and keep continuous access to software and security updates.
On the engineering side, the new release adds:
- Expanded SIMATIC Source Documents for easier version control and continuous integration workflows.
- Responsive design for HMI applications that adapt to any device.
- Improved data block handling to save engineering time.
- Connection to the Eigen Engineering Agent, Siemens’ AI assistant.
Engineers who want to test the current release first can follow our guide to download and install the TIA Portal V21 trial.
Simatic AX: Motion Control joins Logic Control
Simatic AX is the engineering environment that applies software-development methods to PLC and motion programming. At SPS, Siemens announces the worldwide release of Simatic AX Logic Control Engineering. At the same time, it launches Simatic AX Motion Control Engineering.
With this second tool, technology objects can be engineered in Simatic AX for the first time. Therefore, a complete project, including motion control, can stay in an IT-like workflow. Configuration is document-based, with PLCopen support and direct Git integration. Both AX tools rely on plain text, standard formats, CLI and scripting. According to Siemens, this structured project data also makes AI training and deployment easier.
Eigen Engineering Agent and next-generation drives
Siemens presented its generative AI Eigen Engineering Agent in April. Connected to TIA Portal, it already handles PLC coding, HMI visualization and device configuration. At SPS 2026, Siemens will show new use cases, including ECAD integration and standards-compliant project generation.
Meanwhile, the Sinamics family gains the next generation of Sinamics G frequency drives: G200, G210C, G210X and G210. We covered this range in detail in our article on the new Sinamics G200, G210, G210C and G210X drives. All four share one engineering framework and include integrated safety, cybersecurity and digital functions.
Cybersecurity and the Innovation Hub
OT regulation is tightening across the EU and the UK. For this reason, Siemens bases its approach on a defense-in-depth architecture built on IEC 62443. Its own portfolio will be fully CRA-ready by December 2027. For more context, see our overview of cybersecurity and Industrial AI at SPS 2026.
In the Innovation Hub on the booth, Siemens shows two scenarios. First, a pop-up factory uses contextualized data, Industrial AI and Digital Twin Composer for the consumer goods industry. Second, an intralogistics flow shows how Agentic AI and Physical AI support autonomous production.
Why it matters for automation engineers
The TIA Portal licensing change is the most practical news. Up to now, a new TIA Portal version often meant upgrading every project. With V21.1, that step disappears for customers who switch. Similarly, Simatic AX now covers motion as well as logic, so teams that already use Git and CI pipelines can keep the whole machine project in one workflow. Finally, the CRA date gives machine builders a clear target for planning compliant designs.
More news is available in our Siemens section, on the official Siemens SPS 2026 page and in the Siemens SPS press kit.