How AI brings productivity to the store floor
A shortage of skilled workers, increasing variant diversity and growing international competition are putting manufacturers in Europe under pressure. The Future Manufacturing Summit 2026 provides answers to the pressing question of how they can increase their operational excellence despite these conditions: On June 18, Operations1 will gather around 250 decision-makers from the manufacturing industry in Frankfurt am Main.
On Day of Swiss Quality, Remo Gander from the Bossard Group explained, how digitalized quality can be implemented in industry and how camera-based solutions can support processes directly on the store floor. It is precisely this interaction between quality assurance and digitalization that will also be a topic at the Future Manufacturing Summit 2026 on 18 June 2026 in Frankfurt am Main: the programme will include practical reports from leading companies as well as a concrete outlook on how artificial intelligence will become the next productivity lever on the store floor. Participation is free of charge.
The Future Manufacturing Summit is organized by Operations1, a software manufacturer based in Frankfurt am Main. The company has developed an AI-supported connected worker platform for the manufacturing industry. The solution offers a central level for the provision of digital work instructions as well as for the execution of assembly and commissioning processes, quality inspections and maintenance tasks. By connecting to existing IT systems such as ERP, MES or DMS, Operations1 enables a continuous flow of data between the planning level and operational execution on the store floor. The company was founded in 2017 by Daniel Grobe, Anian Ziegler and Benjamin Brockmann. Today, over 160 customers in Europe and the USA rely on Operations1, including TRUMPF, Liebherr, ABB, Daimler Truck, Thyssenkrupp and even Zünd Systemtechnik AG in Switzerland.
Operational reality instead of glossy promises
The motivation for the Future Manufacturing Summit can be derived as follows: Many companies are aware of the potential of digital technologies, but there is often a significant gap between pilot projects and widespread productivity gains in practice. The summit, which was held under the motto «AI drives ROI. Shaping the future of Operational Excellence», addresses precisely this issue: Experienced practitioners from operations, quality and digitalization will report on which measures have actually worked in their companies, which hurdles had to be overcome and what ROI was actually achieved.
Among others, the following will be on stage:
- Petra Nuschele (VP Quality, SUSS MicroTec)
- Dr.-Ing. Thomas Kühn (Head of Corporate Production, TRUMPF)
- Thomas Unmuth (Production Manager, Liebherr-Verzahntechnik)
- Dr. Alireza Tavakoli (CDO, Schunk Group)
In addition, Uwe Born (Senior Partner, net2be) will shed light on the strategic perspective of management on the store floor.
In a concluding panel discussion, decision-makers from Operations and Industrial Engineering will discuss proven strategies, including Rami Makhlouf (Head of Operational Excellence, Greiner Packaging) and Jost Pudill (Head of Industrial Engineering, Klingelnberg). What participants can take away in concrete terms: comprehensible decision-making paths, transferable measures and a realistic picture of how to get started with AI-supported processes without jeopardizing ongoing operations.
AI as the next productivity lever: concrete and practical
In addition to the practical reports, Stefan Philipp, Head of Product at Operations1, will show how AI brings productivity gains to where value is created: on the store floor. Based on a typical working day in the industry, he provides an outlook on AI functions that are designed to systematically reduce classic lean waste.
The summit is aimed at decision-makers from operations, quality, industrial engineering and digitalization. In addition to the stage presentations, the event offers plenty of space for personal exchange with peers who are facing the same challenges.
Daniel Grobe, Co-Founder and CEO, Operations1, states: «One of the greatest productivity reserves in manufacturing does not lie in individual technologies, but in the interplay of digitalized processes, structured data and the targeted use of AI. At the Future Manufacturing Summit, we will be working with our customers to show how this triad works in practice.»
Registration for the event: https://discover.operations1.com/future-manufacturing-summit-2026
